Baseball Cards Price Guide from 1991
The early 1990s saw baseball cards remain extremely popular with collectors. While the boom of the late 1980s had cooled somewhat by 1991, baseball cards were still a mainstream hobby enjoyed by people of all ages. Let’s take a look back at what some key baseball cards were worth according to price guides from 1991.
One of the most iconic and valuable baseball cards of all-time is the 1909-1911 T206 Honus Wagner card. Even back in 1991, this legendary card was considered the “holy grail” of the hobby. In the 1991 Beckett Baseball Card Monthly price guide, the value of a PSA MINT 9 T206 Wagner was listed at an astounding $80,000. For a card to be worth that kind of money 30 years ago shows just how iconic this issue had become. Lower graded versions were still worth five figures as well. The T206 set as a whole remained quite valuable in 1991 after its popularity skyrocketed in the late 1980s. Common players could still fetch $100-$500 depending on condition.
Another set that was extremely collectible and held strong value in 1991 was the 1952 Topps set. Complete near-mint to mint sets were listed around $3,000 in Beckett that year. The flagship rookie cards of Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, and Whitey Ford were still in high demand. A PSA NM-MT 7 Mantle ’52 was valued at $1,500 while a PSA NM 7 Mays checked in at $1,000. Ford’s much more available rookie was still $150 in the same grade.
Turning to the modern era, the rookie cards of Nolan Ryan from the late 1960s were highly sought after. His 1968 Topps and 1969 Topps cards led the way. A PSA NM 7 example of the ’68 Topps Ryan rookie was priced at $300 in 1991. The ’69 in the same grade brought $225. The early 1970s rookie cards of Reggie Jackson were also popular. A PSA NM 7 1971 Topps Jackson rookie could be had for $150.
Jumping to the late 1970s, George Brett’s iconic 1976 Topps rookie card was listed in the 1991 Beckett at $125 in PSA NM 7 condition. The same grade of a 1977 Topps Reggie Jackson card, one of his last true “rookie” cards produced, was priced at $60. Brett’s career defining 1980 Topps traded card, where he is pictured batting left-handed with a moustache, was valued at $35 in NM 7 condition.
The early 1980s rookie class was just entering their primes in 1991 but cards were still affordable. A PSA NM 7 1984 Topps Don Mattingly rookie card was worth $25 at the time. The ’84 rookie cards of Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry from the World Champion Mets were $15-20 each. Even the legendary 1987 Topps Griffey Jr. rookie, which had skyrocketed from a quarter to $100 just a few years prior, had dipped slightly to $75 in NM 7 condition in 1991.
When it came to the late 1980s, several young superstars were emerging. Ken Griffey Jr.’s 1989 Upper Deck rookie card led the way. A NM 7 copy was listed at $40 in early 1991. The rookie cards of Gregg Jefferies (’88 Donruss), Ben McDonald (’89 Fleer), and Sandy Alomar Jr. (’88 Donruss) could be acquired for $10-15 each. Mark McGwire’s first major rookie card came in 1987 Donruss. At $5 in NM 7, it was still quite affordable.
While the baseball card market had cooled off slightly in 1991 compared to the peak of the late 1980s, there were still many valuable and collectible cards from the past. Iconic vintage cards like the T206 Wagner and 1952 Topps set remained highly valued. Rookies from the 1960s-1980s of star players who were in or approaching their primes commanded respectable prices as well. Meanwhile, the hottest young talents of the late 1980s had rookie cards that were still finding their footing in price. Overall, 1991 offered collectors and investors a solid baseball card price guide to use as hobby prices stabilized after the frenzy of the previous few years.
