The 1990 Donruss baseball card set featured some of the biggest young stars in baseball at the time and included rookie cards of future Hall of Famers and all-time greats. While not the most coveted set from the junk wax era of the late 1980s and early 1990s, certain key cards from the 1990 Donruss set have increased drastically in value in recent years and now command premium prices when graded and preserved in mint condition. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most expensive and valuable 1990 Donruss baseball cards on the hobby’s secondary market today.
Perhaps the most iconic and sought-after card from the 1990 Donruss set is the Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. Widely considered one of the best all-around players of his generation, Griffey was already a budding superstar by 1990 in just his second big league season with the Seattle Mariners. His rookie card showcased his sweet left-handed swing and trademark backwards hat in an action photo. While Griffey rookies were quite plentiful initially, high-grade specimens of this iconic card in a PSA 10 Gem Mint or BGS/SGC 9.5-10 mint condition can fetch thousands of dollars today. Back in 2015, a PSA 10 Griffey rookie sold for over $25,000, setting a record price for the card at auction. More recently, PSA 10 copies have sold in the $15,000-$20,000 range, still making it one of the most expensive 1990 Donruss cards.
Another highly valuable 1990 Donruss rookie is that of future Hall of Famer Frank Thomas, known as “The Big Hurt” during his dominant career with the Chicago White Sox. Like Griffey, Thomas burst onto the scene in 1990 and went on to have one of the best power-hitting careers of all time. His iconic rookie card shows him swinging a bat in the on-deck circle. High-grade PSA 10 and BGS/SGC 9.5-10 versions of the Thomas rookie routinely sell for $3,000-$5,000 each. In 2016, a PSA 10 copy achieved a new record auction price for the card at just over $8,000. While not quite on par with Griffey’s rookie, the Frank Thomas remains one of the most coveted and expensive cards from the 1990 Donruss set to this day.
In addition to rookie stars, the 1990 Donruss set also featured action shots of many of baseball’s biggest superstars at the time near the height of their careers. One such card is the Nolan Ryan card, showing the all-time strikeout king winding up to fire a fastball. Ryan was still an intimidating flamethrower for the Texas Rangers in 1990 at age 43. High-grade versions of this iconic Ryan card in PSA 10 or BGS/SGC 9.5-10 condition command $1,000-$2,000 due to his enduring popularity and status as one of the game’s all-time greats. Another power pitcher who frequently fetches over $1,000 in top grades is the Roger Clemens card, which features him unleashing a 100 mph heater for the Boston Red Sox in 1990 when he was winning his second consecutive Cy Young Award.
In addition to star players, the 1990 Donruss set also featured the debut cards of several managers, including future Hall of Famer Tony La Russa, shown arguing with an umpire during his tenure with the Oakland A’s. PSA 10 and BGS/SGC 9.5-10 examples of this historic manager card can sell for $400-$700. The set also contained rookie cards of players who went on to have solid big league careers, such as catcher Sandy Alomar Jr., shortstop Ozzie Guillen, and pitcher Todd Stottlemyre. While not nearly as valuable as the superstar rookies, high-grade versions of these rookie cards still trade hands for $100-300 each.
While producing millions of copies, the 1990 Donruss baseball card set did feature the rookie cards of future all-time greats like Ken Griffey Jr. and Frank Thomas. When preserved in pristine mint condition, these iconic rookie cards along with key cards of superstars Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have increased tremendously in value in the collector market. While not quite in the same class as the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle or 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner, selected premium cards from the 1990 Donruss set such as the Griffey and Thomas rookies have emerged as important, valuable modern vintage issues that can sell for thousands to even tens of thousands of dollars in top grades.
