The 1990 Upper Deck baseball card set was truly groundbreaking and helped spark the baseball card boom of the late 1980s and early 1990s. When Upper Deck released its inaugural set in 1989, it completely changed the baseball card industry by using higher quality paper stock and graphics. The 1990 Upper Deck set took it even further by being the first card issuer to use foil stamping and embossed logos on many of its cards. This set contained 762 total cards and had several short prints and rookie cards that are highly valuable today. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of the key cards from the 1990 Upper Deck set and what they sell for in today’s market based on the card’s condition and demand.
One of the most valuable and sought after rookie cards from the 1990 Upper Deck set is the Ken Griffey Jr. card. Griffey was already establishing himself as a budding superstar in 1990 with the Seattle Mariners and his rookie card became extremely popular. In near mint to mint condition (NM-MT 8+), Griffey’s rookie card in 1990 Upper Deck can sell for $800-$1,200. If the card is in gem mint condition (GM 10), the price jumps up significantly with auctions seeing them sell for $2,000-$3,000. The Griffey rookie is also one of the set’s short prints, making high grade copies even more difficult to find. Needless to say, the Griffey rookie is the crown jewel of the 1990 Upper Deck set.
Another hugely valuable rookie card is Frank Thomas’ debut in 1990 Upper Deck. Like Griffey, Thomas would go on to have a Hall of Fame career and his rookie is a key piece for any serious baseball card collector. In NM-MT 8+ condition, the Thomas rookie has sold for $450-$650 at auction. Finding it in flawless GM 10 condition is very tough but can demand over $1,000. The card was not quite as short printed as Griffey’s but is still highly sought after by collectors 30 years later. The combination of Thomas’ dominance and the quality of Upper Deck cards make this a blue chip investment piece.
While Griffey and Thomas rookie cards take the top two spots, there are several other notable rookies and stars featured in the 1990 Upper Deck set. Chipper Jones’ rookie is highly valuable, selling for $200-300 in top condition given his career. The Juan Gonzalez rookie has also held value well in the $150-250 range. Other stars like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine all have cards in the $100-200 range depending on grade. The 1990 set was truly a who’s who of future Hall of Famers and all-time great players.
In addition to the star rookies and veterans, the 1990 Upper Deck set featured several short printed “SP” parallel cards that are keys to the set. The Nolan Ryan SP card, with its blue foil embossed logo, is one of the biggest short prints from the set and highly sought after. In top condition it can reach $400-600. Other valuable short prints include the Ozzie Smith SP ($250-350), Cal Ripken SP ($200-300), and Kirby Puckett SP ($150-250). These parallel cards are true needle in the haystack finds for set builders since they were printed in far fewer quantities than the base cards.
While the rookie cards and short prints drive the highest prices, there are also several other notable individual cards that command four figure values in pristine condition. The Ken Griffey Sr. “father-son” photo card is one of the most iconic from the set. Finding one in flawless mint condition could fetch over $3,000 today. The Nolan Ryan record breaking 5000th strikeout card also holds great value, with gem mint examples bringing in $1,500-2,000. The Roberto Alomar error card, where his first name is misspelled “Robeto”, is another major error/variation that can reach $1,000+ in top shape.
The 1990 Upper Deck baseball set broke new ground for the hobby and featured some of the most iconic rookie cards, stars and short prints of the modern era. Even 30 years later, a complete set in high grade can sell for $3,000-$5,000 depending on conditions encountered. But the real values come from holding onto individually graded examples of the Griffey, Thomas and other star rookies which have proven to be sound long term investments. The combination of star players, short prints, and Upper Deck’s unmatched production quality make the 1990 offering one of the most sought after sets for collectors today.
