The 1989 Topps baseball card set is well known among collectors for containing some significant production errors that have made certain cards quite valuable. While all card sets have occasional mistakes, the 1989 Topps issues stood out both for the variety of errors and the high prices some of the error cards have fetched over the years.
One of the most famous errors from the 1989 Topps set is the Ken Griffey Jr. error card. On the regular Griffey Jr. rookie card, his name is spelled correctly. A small number of cards were printed that spelled his first name as “Keny” instead of “Ken.” This minor typo turned an ordinary rookie card into one of the most coveted error cards ever made. In near-mint condition, a 1989 Keny Griffey Jr. can sell for over $10,000 today.
Another huge error involved Nolan Ryan’s photo. On most of his 1989 Topps cards, Ryan is pictured in his uniform for the Texas Rangers. But a small print run mistakenly replaced his Rangers photo with a photo of him from his playing days with the Houston Astros years earlier. Since Ryan was long associated with the Rangers at that point, collectors recognized the photo swap as a glaring mistake. Mint condition examples of the 1989 Nolan Ryan Astros photo error have sold for upwards of $4,000.
Beyond name and photo mistakes, some 1989 Topps cards had more extensive production flaws. The Andy Van Slyke card is notorious for having the entire front of the card printed upside down on a small number of copies. Considered one of the rarest errors in the set, a pristine upside down Andy Van Slyke can demand over $3,000. Another dramatic error saw the front and back of Eric Davis’s card completely switched, so his stat line was on the front and his photo was on the back. High grade examples of this “front-back swap” have sold for around $2,000.
Perhaps the strangest error in the 1989 set involved Ozzie Smith’s card. A minuscule print run had Ozzie’s photo taken off-center and cropped strangely small, leaving blank white space around most of the card front. Nicknamed the “Postage Stamp Ozzie Smith,” this is one of the most visually peculiar mistakes from any Topps release. Graded mint copies have reached $1,500 at auction.
Beyond individual player cards, the 1989 Topps set contained errors that affected entire teams as well. The front of the Chicago Cubs team card was mistakenly printed without any images, names or text – just blank white space. Known as the “Blank Back Cubs” error, this is one of the rarest errors from the flagship Topps baseball set that year. Another team error saw the front of the San Diego Padres card with a blank white space where the team logo normally appears. Both of these scarce team errors in pristine condition can sell for $1,000 or more.
The 1989 Topps set is also noteworthy for errors that occurred due to mix-ups in the numbering system. For example, the Greg Litton card was accidentally printed with the number “490” instead of his correct number of “490.” Numbering mistakes like this are less dramatic than photo or name errors but still excite collectors. Mint condition examples of 1989 Topps cards with swapped or missing numbers have sold in the $300-500 range.
Perhaps the most unusual production error from the 1989 Topps set involved a card that was never even intended to be included – the Andy Hawkins card. Hawkins was left off the official checklist, yet a miniscule quantity of his cards were mistakenly inserted into packs. With his name and stats on the back but not being part of the set design, the Andy Hawkins “unissued” card stands out as a truly anomalous mistake. In pristine condition, it has reached $800 at auction.
While errors are inevitable in the mass production of sports cards, the 1989 Topps release stands out for containing such a memorable variety of glitches that have delighted collectors for decades. From name mix-ups and photo substitutions to missing images, swapped stats and unplanned inclusions, the set provided no shortage of mistakes that have only increased in value over time. As one of the most error-laden releases ever, the 1989 Topps baseball cards continue to fascinate fans and drive the secondary market for these accidental one-of-a-kinds. Whether spelling gaffes, croppings issues or numbering flubs, the surprises and stories behind each mistake keep collectors engaged with this legendary yet flawed set.
