One of the most iconic and valuable years for baseball cards was 1990 Topps. This was the first year Topps used cardboard stock instead of thick paper and included glossy photo snapshots of players. This transition helped lead to the modern era of baseball cards. Several factors contribute to why certain 1990 Topps cards have become extremely valuable collectors items that can fetch thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars today.
Perhaps the most well-known and prized 1990 Topps card is the Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. Griffey was already pegged as a future superstar in 1990 as a 20 year old after hitting .287 with 16 home runs and 47 RBI in his rookie 1989 season with the Seattle Mariners. With his sweet left-handed swing and effortless athleticism in center field, baseball fans and collectors recognized Griffey as a can’t-miss future Hall of Famer. It’s estimated there are only around 500-1,000 PSA graded 10 Griffey rookies in existence today, making this one of the most difficult modern rookie cards to find in pristine condition. In a PSA 10 grade, Griffey rookies commonly sell for $30,000-50,000 today. Even well-centered PSA 9 specimens can sell for $15,000. Simply put, the Griffey is the crown jewel of 1990 Topps and easily the set’s single most valuable card.
Another highly coveted 1990 Topps rookie card is Frank Thomas’ card. “The Big Hurt” burst onto the MLB scene in 1990 winning both the Rookie of the Year and Silver Slugger awards after smashing 31 home runs and driving in 93 runs for the Chicago White Sox. Like Griffey, scouts had pegged Thomas as a future All-Star slugger. In PSA 10 condition, Thomas rookies easily sell for over $10,000 today. This is an impressive price considering there is a much larger print run of Thomas cards compared to Griffey’s low serial numbering. The combination of Thomas’ huge stats and Hall of Fame career cemented this as one of the all-time great rookie cards.
Remaining Hall of Famers with valuable 1990 Topps rookie cards include Barry Larkin, Bob Hamelin, and Chuck Knoblauch. Larkin was a sparkling defensive shortstop who won the 1995 NL MVP award playing for the Cincinnati Reds. Blessed with elite contact hitting skills and plate discipline, the Larkin rookie has become a coveted card for Reds and Reds Hall of Fame collectors. In PSA 10 condition, Larkin rookies sell for $5,000-7,000 depending on bidding wars. Bob Hamelin was the rarely-seen star of the awful 1990 last place Kansas City Royals team that had one of the worst records in baseball history. But Hamelin put up incredible numbers with 28 HR and 113 RBI in his rookie season. Low print runs and scarcity has made his rookie a popular card among collectors, pricing around $2,500 in Gem Mint. Chuck Knoblauch broke into the majors as the speedy second baseman of the 1991 World Champion Minnesota Twins. His athleticism and lefty swing from the left side made him a fan favorite. In PSA 10 condition, his 1990 rookie trades for $2,000-3000.
Non-rookie cards from 1990 also see big demand. Ken Griffey Jr.’s main set card that shows him swinging the bat has routinely sold for over $4,000 in pristine grade due to his superstar status. The 1990 card of Nolan Ryan, depicting him in mid-windup for the Angels also garners over $4,000 as one of the final common cards featuring the legendary flamethrower while still an active player. Darryl Strawberry’s card from his MVP season is valued around $1,500 in top condition. And the oddball 1990 Ted Williams card, featuring an airbrushed bat and different uniform numbering has become a must-have error card coveted by Williams collectors, priced at $2,000.
The 1990 Topps set is highlighted by iconic rookie cards of future Hall of Famers like Ken Griffey Jr., Frank Thomas, and Barry Larkin. Low print runs, the brand new cardboard design, and starring careers of featured players all contribute to why certain 1990 Topps cards have become highly valuable, generating prices in the thousands to tens of thousands of dollars today for examples in pristine condition. The excitement of the 1990 rookie class and scarcity factors make cards from this pioneering set a staple in vintage collections three decades later.
