The 1991 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes set was the third base set produced by the Upper Deck trading card company. It followed the hugely successful debut Upper Deck set in 1989 and the 1990 Upper Deck set. Like the previous two years, the 1991 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes set featured high quality cardstock and intricate color photos. It also continued Upper Deck’s trend of including serially numbered parallels and unique “Chase” cards to attract collectors.
The 1991 set featured 330 total cards and was one of Upper Deck’s larger base sets to that point in the company’s history. The cards featured current major league baseball players from that season along with a selection of retired baseball legends from the past. Some of the more notable active players featured included Ken Griffey Jr., Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, Cal Ripken Jr., Wade Boggs, and Kirby Puckett. There were cards honoring legendary players such as Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Stan Musial.
One of the unique aspects of the 1991 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes set was that it was the first from the company to be entirely manufactured in the United States. Previous Upper Deck sets had some of their printing and assembly done overseas to keep costs down in the startup years. By 1991 Upper Deck had grown significantly and was able to produce the entire set domestically. This allowed for better quality control and helped add to the aura of prestige already surrounding Upper Deck cards.
In addition to the 330 base cards, there were several special parallel and short print variations inserted throughout packs. A popular subset included 12 “Record Breakers” cards highlighting iconic MLB career records. Serial numbered parallels included the usual “Gold” (/1991) and “Silver” (/999) versions of each base card. Even rarer were two “SuperFractors” which were 1/1 printing plates featuring Ken Griffey Jr. or Roger Clemens.
Perhaps the most coveted cards in the 1991 set were the two elusive “Chase” cards – similar to chase cards found in past Upper Deck sets. The main chase was a stunning Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card posed in front of a rainbow backdrop. Only 110 of these were produced, making it highly sought after among collectors. An even rarer chase was the “Star Rookie” card which depicted Cal Ripken Jr. in color on a black background. Only 10 of these Ripken cards were inserted in packs, instantly rendering it one of the most valuable modern baseball cards ever produced upon the set’s release.
When the 1991 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes set was released that summer, it was met with tremendous enthusiasm from the growing collector base. The quality of printing, photo selection, and overall product presentation was considered the pinnacle at that point. Access to Griffey Jr. and Ripken rookie cards became white whales for dedicated set builders. Factory sealed wax boxes regularly fetched prices well over $1,000 given the low odds of pulling chase cards from packs. The Griffey Jr. “rainbow” card alone often traded for $10,000 or more in pristine condition in the early 1990s.
While the size of the base set was larger than past Upper Deck issues, the addition of sought after short prints and parallels maintained its chase aspect attractive to collectors. Careful distribution of chase cards ensured prolonged interest in the product after its initial release window. Combined with American manufacturing, the 1991 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes became a defining release that encapsulated the brand’s mission of quality and allure. For many, it marked the high water mark that other future sets would strive to emulate. Years later, complete sets still trade hands for thousands and key individual cards can reach impressive 5 and 6 figure auction prices depending on grade. The mystique and collecting fervor sparked by the 1991 issue secured Upper Deck’s place at the pinnacle of the trading card industry for much of the 1990s.
In the three decades since its release, the 1991 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes set has taken on an almost mythical status among vintage baseball card collectors and enthusiasts of the early 1990s trading card boom period. It represented the optimum that the fledgling Upper Deck company had achieved up to that point in marrying desirable photographic content and subject matter with the manufacturing expertise and parallel/short print variants that added allure for set builders. Examples that grade well to this day retain immense value and desirability given relatively low surviving population numbers of sought after components like the Griffey Jr. and Ripken chase cards. While eclipsed over the years by newer ultra-premium card products with higher price tags, the 1991 Upper Deck set remains revered for distilling the baseball card collecting frenzy of its time in an finely crafted single release that still captivates decades later.
