The 1989 Upper Deck baseball card set was truly revolutionary and marked a major turning point in the baseball card industry. Produced by the then fledgling Upper Deck company, the 1989 set featured sharp, high quality photography and was the first mainstream set to use innovative foil stamping and holograms on certain chase cards. The set list only 312 total cards but had a modern, clean design that set it apart from the cluttered look of sets produced by Topps and Donruss at the time. Due to its limited print run and innovative features, the 1989 Upper Deck set to this day remains one of the most coveted issues in the history of the hobby.
Some of the biggest stars of the late 80s are featured prominently in the set, including Roger Clemens, Ozzie Smith, Wade Boggs, and Kirby Puckett. A few particular rookie and star cards from the 1989 Upper Deck set stand out as true gems. Chief among them is the Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. Widely considered one of if not the most iconic rookie card of all time, Griffey’s Upper Deck rookie perfectly captures his smooth left-handed swing and youthful exuberance. Only available as a rare pulled card in packs, Griffey’s rookie became one of the first modern cards to truly capture the collecting public’s imagination due to his budding superstardom. Today a high grade Griffey rookie can sell for tens of thousands of dollars.
Another true star of the 1989 Upper Deck set is the Frank Thomas rookie card. Like Griffey, Thomas’ rookie depicts him in the prime of his career, showcasing his powerful right-handed swing. Thomas would go on to have a Hall of Fame career as one of the game’s most feared sluggers throughout the 1990s. High grade Thomas rookies also demand big money today. Rounding out the trio of the set’s biggest rookie cards is the Chuck Knoblauch rookie, which features a close-up of the then Twins’ second baseman ready at the plate. While not as valuable as the Griffey or Thomas, the Knoblauch rookie remains a key piece for any collector looking to complete their 1989 Upper Deck set.
In addition to the star rookies, the 1989 Upper Deck set featured several chase cards of already established players that were inserted much less frequently than the base cards. Chief among these is the Ozzie Smith “Wizard” card, featuring a full-bleed photo of the defensive wizard going into the hole at shortstop with a magical rainbow emerging from his glove. Only available as an ultra-rare pulled card, high grade Wizard cards can sell for over $10,000 today. Another hugely popular chase card was the Nolan Ryan Express card, showing the flamethrower winding up to deliver one of his 100 mph fastballs. Like the Wizard, pristine Express cards command big money on the secondary market.
Perhaps the most iconic card from the entire 1989 Upper Deck set is the Ken Griffey Jr. Foil card. Featuring a static close-up shot of Griffey ready in the box, the card stood out for its innovative foil stamping and hologram effect on Griffey’s jersey number. Only available as an incredibly rare pulled card, mint Griffey Foil cards in the dozens of thousands of dollars today. The card captured collectors’ imaginations and truly epitomized Upper Deck’s groundbreaking innovations and focus on premium quality and rarity within the set.
While stars and rookies receive much of the hobby’s attention, the 1989 Upper Deck set also featured many other notable and valuable cards. The Nolan Ryan 5000th Strikeout card commemorated Ryan’s historic milestone. The Ozzie Smith backflip card showed the Wizard performing his signature acrobatic move. And the Rickey Henderson stealing home card captured the speedy leadoff hitter in the act of swiping another base. Each of these unique photographic cards carry premiums today.
In the end, it’s hard to overstate just how much of an impact the 1989 Upper Deck baseball card set had on the hobby. By focusing on high quality photography, innovative designs, and short print runs for chase cards, Upper Deck truly changed the paradigm for what a modern trading card issue could be. Stars like Griffey, Thomas, and Smith had their collecting legacies cemented in the set with iconic rookie cards. And rare pull cards like the Griffey and Ozzie Smith foils took the hobby to a new level in terms of premium insert chase cards. Whether being collected for investment potential or nostalgia, the 1989 Upper Deck set remains a landmark issue over 30 years later.
