The 1990 baseball card season was a memorable one that produced some true classic cards that are highly sought after by collectors to this day. The early 90s marked a transition period for the baseball card industry as it moved away from the junk wax era of the late 80s into a more refined time that focused on quality over quantity. While sets in 1990 were still large in size, card designs improved and rookie cards of future Hall of Famers started to emerge. Let’s take a closer look at some of the best 1990 baseball cards that stand out from the set.
One of the most iconic 1990 baseball cards is the Ken Griffey Jr Upper Deck rookie card. Griffey was already showing superstar potential in his rookie season with the Seattle Mariners in 1989 and his rookie card captured his smooth left-handed swing and bright future ahead. The Upper Deck design featured vibrant colors and crisp photography that made Griffey really pop on the card. This rookie card is one of the most valuable from the 1990s as Griffey went on to have a legendary career and is considered one of the greats of the game. PSA 10 Gem Mint examples of this card regularly sell for well over $1000 making it one of the crown jewels for any baseball card collection from the early 90s.
Another hugely valuable 1990 rookie card is the Frank Thomas rookie from Score. Like Griffey, Thomas wasted no time making an impact in the majors and his rookie season was one for the ages. The massive left-handed slugger smashed 21 home runs and drove in 75 runs on his way to rookie of the year honors. His classic Score rookie card featured great action photography of his powerful left-handed swing. PSA 10 examples of this card routinely sell for over $500. It’s an iconic rookie card from a player who went on to have a Hall of Fame career and is still regarded as one of the best right-handed hitters in baseball history.
While 1990 was loaded with future Hall of Fame rookie cards, one of the most overlooked gems is the Craig Biggio rookie from Fleer. Biggio didn’t put up huge numbers in his first season splitting time between second base and catcher, but the card depicted his potential as a 5-tool player. It featured nice close-up photography that showed off his intense focus. What makes this card so great in hindsight is that Biggio went on to have a Hall of Fame career primarily as a second baseman while playing in an amazing 2,850 career games with the Astros. High grade examples still only fetch about $100-150 but this is a true diamond in the rough from the 1990 season.
The 1990 Topps set is arguably one of the most iconic of the junk wax era that is still beloved by collectors today. The design featured bright team colors, clean black borders and classic vertical player photography. One of the true gem cards from the set is the Ken Griffey Jr. This was Griffey’s first Topps card and featured beautiful close-up action photography of his smooth left-handed swing. While not quite as valuable as his rookie cards, PSA 10 examples still sell for $150-200 due to Griffey’s popularity and the iconic nature of his first Topps issue. The 1990 Topps set overall produced cards of other future Hall of Famers like Frank Thomas, Roberto Alomar, and Jeff Bagwell among many others.
The 1990 Donruss set is also highly regarded by collectors today. While overproduced at the time, the simple white border design with nice vertical player photos were clean and allowed the photography to really stand out. The Frank Thomas rookie from Donruss is considered one of the best of his rookie cards due to the brilliant action shot that was used. It shows the sheer force of his powerful left-handed swing in great detail. High grade examples still sell for $75-100 despite the large original print run. The 1990 Donruss set also featured star rookie cards of future Hall of Famers like Gregg Maddux and Tom Glavine that make excellent pickups for baseball card investors even today.
One highly undervalued gem from 1990 is the Mark McGwire rookie from Fleer. While McGwire wasn’t a true rookie in 1990, it was his first card produced by Fleer and it has some of the best photography of any of his rookie issues. It shows McGwire in the midst of his epic home run swing with great muscle definition and mechanics on full display. Unfortunately for collectors, McGwire’s career took a turn due to steroid use so his rookie cards never achieved the same heights as his contemporaries. For the sheer aesthetic quality and history behind it, the 1990 Fleer McGwire rookie is a true sleeper pick from the year. High quality examples can still be found for under $50 making it a bargain for the photography alone.
The 1990 season produced some of the most iconic rookie cards and singles in baseball card history. Future Hall of Famers like Ken Griffey Jr., Frank Thomas, Craig Biggio, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine had their star careers immortalized in their classic 1990 rookie issues. Sets from Topps, Donruss and Fleer all featured memorable designs and photography from the transition period out of the junk wax era. While produced in large numbers, the best 1990 baseball cards have stood the test of time and remain highly collectible today. For historians of the game and investors alike, seeking out high quality examples of these cards makes for excellent additions to any vintage collection.
