The 1990 Topps baseball card set is one of the most iconic and valuable sets from the junk wax era of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Despite being produced during a time period where baseball cards were mass produced and not highly sought after by collectors, certain 1990 Topps cards have retained and grown in value due to featuring star players and key performance moments from that season.
The 1990 Topps set contains 792 total cards produced. The design is similar to previous late 1980s Topps sets with a color photo of the player on a white bordered background. Fun facts, stats and career highlights are printed on the back of each card. Manufacturer Topps produced the set with a print run believed to be in the billions, quite high compared to pre-mass production era numbers. The popularity of baseball cards was still substantial in 1990 leading to a majority of these cards surviving today in various conditions.
The 1990 season featured strong individual performances from future Hall of Famers and rising young stars. Nolan Ryan recorded his record setting seventh career no-hitter that year pitching for the Texas Rangers at age 43. Ken Griffey Jr. won his first of 10 Gold Glove awards playing centerfield for the Seattle Mariners in his early career. Star rookie shortsop Barry Larkin had a breakout year for the Cincinnati Reds, winning the NL Rookie of the Year award. These star players and notable statistical seasons are why certain 1990 Topps rookie and star player cards hold strong value today for collectors.
Some of the most expensive and desired cards from the 1990 Topps set include the flagship rookie cards of future Hall of Famers Griffey (#316), Larkin (#481), and Ryan Klesko (#531). The Griffey rookie in near mint condition has been know to fetch hundreds of dollars in recent years as he was one of the most popular players of the 1990s. The Barry Larkin rookie is also highly sought after in high grades due to him being a Cincinnati Reds hometown hero and lone star on those teams. Ryan Klesko had power potential shown by a stellar rookie campaign which kept his rookie in demand.
High series cards of already established stars like Nolan Ryan (#633), Rickey Henderson (#129), Wade Boggs (#375), and Ozzie Smith (#600) have maintained value as well due to depicting historically great players even during the peak of mass production. The Nolan Ryan card is especially popular due to portraying him during his record setting 1990 season in a Rangers uniform. Rarer short print and error cards from the set also have considerable value depending on the specific variations.
In terms of teams, Cincinnati Reds cards have always been popular with collectors due to the storied franchise’s devoted Midwestern fanbase. Key Reds from the 1990 season like Barry Larkin, Chris Sabo, Billy Hatcher and other team cards attract collectors. Seattle Mariners cards gainedcachet after their surprise playoff run in 1995 kicked off their golden era which included stars Griffey and Edgar Martinez getting their start in 1990.
While 1990 Topps is admittedly from the peak of the overproduction era of the late 1980s and early 1990s, the popularity and success of the players and teams featured has kept values relatively robust compared to otherjunk wax era sets. Top rookie cards of future Hall of Famers Griffey, Larkin and others are still very desirable for collectors. Along with star veteran cards like Ryan and Henderson, these continue to hold strong appeal in the marketplace decades later. 1990 Topps remains one of the most recognizable and iconic designs even if not the most valuable set compared to pre-1987 issues. For fans of this era, it represents a special time in the hobby and in baseball that helps make these cards a continued investment area.
The marketability and subsequent value retention of premier star players like Griffey and Larkin as well as historically great veterans depicted in the 1990 Topps design has ensured this particular set retains collector interest to this day. While produced during the overproduced late 80s/early 90s era, key rookie cards and stars of memorable teams maintain strong demand. As long as collectors appreciate the players, teams and campaigns highlighted, certain 1990 Topps issues will remain a strong area for the hobby. With a huge print run, it is still easy to collect as well despite the popularity of stars which holds appeal for any baseball or card collector.
