The 1989 baseball card season featured several rookies and stars that have cards from that year that are now highly valuable. One of the most valuable 1989 baseball cards is the Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. Griffey was one of the most anticipated rookie players coming into the 1989 season and lived up to the hype by winning rookie of the year. His Upper Deck rookie card is now one of the best selling and most valuable modern rookie cards ever. In gem mint condition a Griffey Jr. 1989 Upper Deck RC can sell for over $10,000 and even raw copies in good condition still demand prices over $100.
Another hugely valuable 1989 rookie card is the Chipper Jones card from Donruss. Chipper established himself as a perennial all-star and MVP candidate over his hall of fame career spent mostly with the Atlanta Braves. His iconic rookie card image of him swinging a bat left-handed despite being a righty dominated the baseball card scene in 1989. High grade mint condition Chipper Jones 1989 Donruss rookies can reach over $1,000 now. Even well-centered near mint copies are $100+.
For star veterans of 1989, perhaps no card from that year holds a higher price tag than the Nolan Ryan Topps card. Ryan was winding down his legendary career but was still producing dominant seasons in 1989. The nostalgia and allure of one of the game’s most prolific strikeout artists continues to make his iconic Topps cards extremely desirable for collectors. A pristine Nolan Ryan 1989 Topps gem mint can cost a small fortune nearing $10,000. Most gradeable copies still pull in several hundred dollars.
Rickey Henderson is another player who raked in as a veteran star in 1989. “Hendu” was still in his prime, winning World Series titles that year with the Oakland A’s. His iconic Upper Deck image and record breaking stats translated to big hobby demand for his 1989 Upper Deck card. High end PSA 10 or BGS/SGC Black label graded copies can net over $1,000 in today’s market for collectors willing to pay a premium. Even raw copies still demand $50+ due to Henderson’s legend status.
Those are just a few examples of some of the most valuable 1989 baseball cards on the high end of the hobby. There are still plenty of other star rookies, future hall of famers, and all-time greats from 1989 that maintain collector value as well. For example, Kerry Wood, Derek Jeter, and Nomar Garciaparra all had celebrated rookie seasons in ’89 that fueled interest in their original Donruss, Fleer, Score, and Upper Deck cards. Wood, Jeter, and Garciaparra 1990 rookie cards also experienced a rookie card boom recently that trickled back added demand to their 1989 sophomore year issues as well that now sell for $50-100 graded.
In closing, the 1989 Upper Deck, Donruss, Fleer and Score baseball sets featured some future legends that are now highly coveted by collectors. Between star rookie cards, Nolan Ryan, Rickey Henderson veterans, and the ever popular Ken Griffey Jr. RC, there are numerous money cards from that season for enthusiasts to hunt in the hobby today whether raw or investment graded gems. The elite vintage cards can demand thousands, while more common stars and parallels still provide affordable options under $100. Overall, 1989 stands out as a memorable year in the hobby thanks to names like Griffey Jr, Chipper, Henderson, and Ryan that still hold strong collector value decades later.
