The 1989 Topps baseball card set was produced by Topps and released to the public during the summer of 1989. The set contains cards on players from that season’s American and National Leagues. Some key facts and highlights about the 1989 Topps set include:
The 1989 set contains 792 total cards including regular base cards, manager cards, checklists, and special subset cards. The base card numbers run from 1 to 760 with manager and checklist cards making up the remainder. The design continues Topps’ late-80s extended border look featuring team logo and player name within the border and stats and career highlights outside on a white background. The photography quality was an upgrade over past years with crisper, higher quality images on the cards.
Gum was still included inside of the wax sealed wrappers as was traditional with Topps releases at the time. Chewing the gum could potentially damage or stain the enclosed card so most collectors opted to leave the gum intact and unchewed. The taste and experience of enjoying a piece of Topps bubble gum was still part of the appeal and nostalgia for many collectors and fans.
Several notable rookie cards and debuts are found in the 1989 set including Gregg Olson’s first card, Gary Sheffield’s rookie, and Frank Thomas’ rookie card which is considered one of the most valuable modern-era rookie cards. Other stars like Ken Griffey Jr., Ryne Sandberg, and Ozzie Smith have highly sought after cards as well from the set which added to its collectibility over the years.
Topps also included multiple insert sets within the base 1989 issue. The Turn Back The Clock subset featured 18 cards highlighting legendary players wearing period-accurate uniforms from different eras. A 15-card Captains of the Game subset highlighted various team leaders throughout the league. And a 20-card Milestones subset called out notable career achievements by players. These specialty inserts broke up the base card design providing variety for collectors to hunt.
The 1989 Topps set has increased significantly in value and collectibility over the decades since its original release. Frank Thomas’ rookie card consistently commands some of the highest prices on the secondary market. But other star cards like Griffey Jr., Sandberg, Smith, and the rookie cards of Sheffield and Olson also retain strong demand. The condition of the cards is important, as are specific variations that occurred during production which adds different layers of complexity for seasoned collectors.
While the simplicity of the design does not stand out compared to modern highly graphical cards, collectors still appreciate the clean photography-forward style of late 80s Topps issues. And those who followed the sport during that season can enjoy the nostalgia of seeing the players and teams as they were at that point in Major League Baseball history frozen in cardboard form. Beyond the stars, the set also provides a time capsule of more obscure players who were prominent for that one season but are less remembered today.
The 1989 Topps baseball card set represents an important bridge between the classic designs of the 1970s/early 80s and the more modern collector focused Topps releases that would emerge in the 1990s. Its solid rookie class, memorable stars, and balance of popular inserts with a traditional base card aesthetic have allowed the set to retain long term demand and appreciation amongst collectors. Even over 30 years later, 1989 Topps remains a highly collectible and historically significant issue that encapsulates late 80s MLB.
