The 1989 Upper Deck baseball card set was truly revolutionary and helped spark a boom in the collectibles industry. As the first premium brand, Upper Deck cards offered far superior production quality to Topps and Donruss. The shiny photo stock, attention to detail, and premium packaging elevated the hobby. Not surprisingly, the scarcity of some of the rookie cards and stars from this set have made many of the 1989 Upper Deck cards enormously valuable today.
Perhaps the most coveted and valuable card from 1989 Upper Deck is the Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. Widely considered one of if not the best player of his generation, Griffey was a can’t-miss superstar from the time he broke into the majors with the Seattle Mariners in 1989 at just 19 years old. His smooth left-handed swing and effortless athleticism in center field captured the imagination of fans. With his boyish good looks and enthusiasm for the game, Griffey became an instantly iconic player.
Given Griffey’s unprecedented hype and rookie season success, there was massive demand for his Upper Deck rookie card. However, Griffey’s Upper Deck RC is one of the most underproduced rookie cards ever. Some reports indicate the print run may have been as low as 1 per case of Upper Deck cards at the time. This extreme scarcity has fueled demand for Griffey’s rookie card that continues to this day. In pristine mint condition, Griffey’s 1989 Upper Deck RC now sells for over $150,000, with some examples fetching even more in anonymous online auctions. No other baseball card from the 1980s era comes close to Griffey’s rookie in terms of value.
Another all-time great who debuted in 1989 was catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. Though not quite the superstar that Griffey became, Alomar still enjoyed a long and productive career primarily with the Cleveland Indians. He made 6 All-Star teams and won a World Series in 1997 with the Indians. Alomar’s rookie card is also considered quite scarce from the 1989 Upper Deck set due to the small print run. High grade Alomar rookie cards can sell for $15,000-$25,000 depending on condition. What makes his RC particularly valuable is Alomar’s induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017.
While Griffey and Alomar’s rookie cards understandably command the highest prices, there are several other extremely valuable 1989 Upper Deck cards worth mentioning. Arguably the 3rd most coveted card is Ken Griffey Sr. The elder Griffey is famous for having played alongside his son Ken Griffey Jr. with the Seattle Mariners late in his career. Griffey Sr.’s Upper Deck card carries nostalgia and rarity value since it depicts one of the only father-son duos to play in the majors together. Pristine Griffey Sr. cards now sell for $4,000-$6,000.
Another valuable star player featured in the 1989 Upper Deck set is slugging first baseman Mark McGwire. Prior to the steroid era revelations, McGwire was beloved for helping revive baseball’s popularity with his epic home run chase against Sammy Sosa in 1998. That fascination has kept his older baseball cards, including his ’89 Upper Deck RC in high demand. Top-graded McGwire rookies sell for $3,000-5,000. Fellow slugger Will Clark also carried a fan following in the late 1980s-early 90s for his terrific all-around play. His sterling .338 career batting average no doubt contributes to the $800-1,500 price range achieved by pristine ’89 UD Clark rookie cards.
In addition to future Hall of Famers and All-Stars, certain 1989 Upper Deck common player cards have gained significant value over the years purely due to random scarcity factors. For instance, the Oakland A’s team card featuring slugger Jose Canseco is oddly rare for some reason. High-grade examples now sell for $400-$800. Cardinals pitching ace Joe Magrane had a nice rookie season in ’89 but faded from the scene soon after. Yet his Upper Deck RC seems to have been drastically underproduced, with mint copies reaching $750-1000. Other examples of unexpectedly pricey ’89 UD “common” cards include Bret Saberhagen ($300-500), Felix Jose ($250-400), and Eric Davis ($200-300).
One of the most visually stunning photograph subjects featured in the 1989 Upper Deck set was Baltimore Orioles third baseman Craig Worthington. Known more for his defensive prowess than offensive numbers, Worthington’s card portrays him leaping fully horizontal to snare an acrobatic catch. With this rare “action photo” combined with an unknown print shortage, worthington’s otherwise forgettable baseball card has surpassed all expectations by selling for $400-650 in top condition.
The 1989 Upper Deck set revolutionized the baseball card industry and contains some of the most iconic and valuable rookie cards ever made. Stars like Griffey Jr., Alomar Jr, McGwire, and Clark became future Hall of Famers who still drive demand for their ’89 UD rookies today. But rarity factors have also inflated prices on certain less heralded players’ cards simply due to overlooked short prints like Jose Canseco, Joe Magrane, and Craig Worthington. For savvy collectors, uncovering pristine specimens from the historic 1989 Upper Deck set remains the coveted quest that continues over 30 years later.
