The year 1990 produced some of the most valuable baseball cards in the hobby’s history. While decades earlier like the 1950s are renowned for their iconic rookie cards of legends like Mickey Mantle, the late 80s and early 90s saw skyrocketing prices and interest that has stood the test of time. Let’s take a look at some of the priciest and most sought after baseball cards from 1990.
Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card (Upper Deck) – While 1989 is Griffey’s true rookie season in the majors, his iconic smiling face graced the 1990 Upper Deck baseball card set. Widely considered one of if not the most valuable baseball card ever printed, a PSA Gem Mint 10 Griffey Jr. rookie recently sold for a record $3.12 million at auction in 2016. Even raw nearer a PSA 8 condition, examples can fetch six figures. What makes the card so desirable is Griffey’s amazing career, good looks, and the perfect timing of his stardom coinciding with the explosive growth of the baseball card industry in the early 90s.
Nolan Ryan Express Postcard (Fleer) – Only 36 of these ultra-rare Nolan Ryan postcards were given to the top 36 card sellers by Fleer in 1990. Previously unknown in the hobby for decades, one in pristine condition set the record in 2012 when it stunned the sports card world by selling for $99,625. The card/postcard features a smiling photo of Ryan front and center with express and air mail stamps. Clearly one of the rarest baseball cards ever produced, finding one of these in a collection would be like hitting the hobby lottery.
Chipper Jones Rookie Card (Bowman) – As one of the greatest third basemen ever who spent his entire Hall of Fame caliber career with the Atlanta Braves, Chipper Jones’ rookie card has always been a highly sought after piece for team and player collectors alike. While produced in higher numbers than stars from the 50s, only the best preserved gem mint versions regularly sell for over $1000 still. High grade Chipper rookies are highly valuable long term holdings.
Rafael Palmeiro Rookie Card (Bowman) – Like Chipper Jones, Palmeiro had one of the longer and most productive careers of any player from the 1990s. A four time All-Star and 1999 AL MVP, Raffy’s rookie card was also issued by Bowman that year. Strictly on the basis of his career accomplishments, even a mid-grade Palmeiro rookie in a PSA 7 or 8 condition can sell for hundreds due to his offensive stats and sustained excellence.
Ken Griffey Jr. Rated Rookie Card (Score) – While not quite as iconic as the Upper Deck issue, Score also included a Griffey Jr. card in their 1990 “Rated Rookie” subset. Parallels to the bigger brother Upper Deck rookie in terms of rarity, a PSA 10 recently sold for over $100,000. High grade examples regardless of set have only increased in value annually as Griffey’s legend grows and fewer pristine copies remain in collectors’ hands.
Frank Thomas Rookie Card (Bowman) – As one of the most dominant hitters of the 1990s who won back to vote AL MVPs in 1993-1994 with the Chicago White Sox, “The Big Hurt’s” rookie card has cemented itself among the most important from this era. While produced in slightly higher numbers than the above, mint condition Thomas rookies staying six figures shows his enduring popularity. Like Palmeiro, his prolific career and gaudy offensive numbers make this a must-have for serious 90s collectors.
Sandy Koufax Rookie Card (Topps) – Without a doubt one of if not the single most popular vintage Dodger ever, finding the elusive 1955 Koufax rookie in someone’s 1990 collection would be unfathomable. Still, for the ultra-premium serial number 1 version from this vintage reprint set, $750,000 was paid at auction. While odds of discovering any true valuable vintage in 1990 packs was essentially zero, this card exemplifies the timeless appeal of collecting the all-time greats.
Ken Griffey Jr. Gold Refractor Rookie (Upper Deck) – Parallel versions of star rookies from the early 90s golden era almost always hold value as well. A good example is Griffey’s ultra-short printed gold refractor variation from Upper Deck. Considered the “chase” parallel to end all parallels, even low-grade examples sell for tens of thousands due to extreme rarity. This remains the holy grail parallel card for any serious vintage collector.
Nolan Ryan Record Breaker Card (Topps) – To commemorate Ryan’s then-record breaking 5,000th career strikeout, Topps crafted a 3D die-cut card in 1990 that truly captured the attention of the entire hobby. Despite plentiful production, mint versions remain quite pricey at auction as a unique way to recognize one of pitching’s all-time domineering achievements. A true work of card design art from the heights of the pastime’s popularity.
There has arguably never been a greater concentration of valuable rookie cards, parallels, and special edition cards packed into a single baseball card year than 1990. Led by Ken Griffey Jr.’s all-time greatness and stardom, along with talents like Frank Thomas, Chipper Jones, and Rafael Palmeiro all breaking in that season – the cards produced remain some of collecting’s true blue chip holdings decades later.
