The 1989 Topps baseball card set is among one of the most popular and valuable vintage card sets from the late 1980s. Packs of unopened 1989 Topps cards can still be found in hobby shops and collectibles stores over 30 years later. As time goes on, sealed wax packs from this era become harder to find and command substantial prices when they do surface on the secondary market. For collectors and investors, an unopened pack of 1989 Topps baseball cards represents a time capsule into the past that could hold cards of some of the game’s all-time greats from that season.
The 1989 Topps set features 660 total cards including 22 player photo variations. Some of the notable rookie cards included are Barry Bonds, Gregg Jefferies, Randy Johnson, Tom Glavine, and Frank Thomas. Veterans like Nolan Ryan, Ozzie Smith, Wade Boggs, and Kirby Puckett also had flashy cards in the set. The design features player photographs with team logos across the bottom and grey borders on a white background. The backs have standard stats and career highlights written in a single column of text.
While wax packs from the late 1980s and early 90s don’t hold the mystique or cachet of the 1950s or 1960s, they are still prized by collectors today for their vintage appeal and investment potential. An unopened pack could contain a lucrative hit like a rookie card of Bonds, Glavine, or Thomas in pristine near-mint or gem mint condition protected by the wrapper. Even common cards of recognizable names from that era sealed in the original wax would carry a premium today. Consider that in 1989, Topps packs retailed for just $1 each.
When collecting unopened wax packs, there are several factors that determine their potential value such as the sport, year, estimated number of sealed packs remaining, and any notable rookie cards or stars featured in the set. For 1989 Topps baseball, another attribute that makes it especially collectible is how the popularity of the players from that year has grown in retrospect. Players like Bonds, Clemens, Griffey Jr., and others really came into their own in the 1990s — a time period now seen with much nostalgia. This enhances interest in products related to when they were new to the scene as rookies and young stars.
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Packs of 1989 Topps in particular seem to be less intact than some others years, likely due to how affordable they once were. But surviving sealed examples can still fetch four-figure prices today. In December 2020, a collection of 11 unopened 1989 Topps wax packs sold for just under $11,000 on eBay. Meanwhile in February 2021, a lone 1989 Topps wax rack pack went for $2,050. For hardened vintage collectors, the potential value isn’t just in monetary terms either. Opening a time capsule of cards from when they themselves were kids holds significant sentimental worth.
While 1989 Topps packs may not be quite as scarce or acclaimed as some other vintage issues, they deserve recognition among aficionados of 1980s and 90s wax. Rookie stars, familiar names, and memories of a bygone baseball era make them beloved items for collectors today. As with all vintage sealed product, finding intact packaging from this set has become an epicurean hunt. But for those possessing an unsearched pack after all these years, the thrill of the rip and chance at discovery still endures – now only with much higher stakes.
