Ken Griffey Jr. had one of the most popular and decorated baseball careers of all time, spanning from 1989 to 2010. Playing the majority of his career with the Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds, Griffey was known for his prolific home run hitting, dazzling defense in center field, and instantly recognizable backwards hat. Given his stardom and on-field success, it’s no surprise that Griffey’s rookie cards and some of his early baseball cards have grown tremendously in value over the years to become quite valuable collectors items. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the Ken Griffey Jr. baseball cards that are worth the most money for collectors.

1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card (PSA 10): This is arguably the holy grail of Griffey cards and one of the most coveted baseball cards of all-time. Griffey’s rookie card debuted in 1989 Upper Deck, which was the brand that revolutionized the baseball card industry by introducing bubblegum-less cards printed on superior stock with vivid color portraits. The Griffey rookie stood out with its stunning image of a young Griffey swinging a bat. In high grade, this Griffey rookie has shattered records, with PSA 10 examples fetching over $400,000 at auction in recent years. Even lower graded copies in PSA 8 or 9 condition can sell for $10,000+. The Griffey rookie truly checks all the boxes as one of the all-time iconic cards.

1989 Fleer Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card (Gem Mint): While not as valuable as the Upper Deck rookie, Griffey’s 1989 Fleer rookie also holds substantial value given it was the first widely available rookie card released. High graded copies in Gem Mint PSA 10 condition have sold for $50,000+, with PSA 9 examples bringing $7,000+ at auction. Even in lower grades of PSA 8 or lower, this iconic rookie card still demands pricing in the $1,000+ range. Not bad for a card that could often be pulled from packs as a kid back in the late 1980s/early 1990s.

1989 Bowman Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card (PSA 10): As the third major Griffey rookie released in 1989, the Bowman variation isn’t quite as coveted as the Fleer or Upper Deck. It still holds great significance as a true “first” in documenting Griffey’s arrival on the baseball card scene. High graded PSA 10 examples can still sell for $15,000+, with most PSA 9s settling in the $3,000–$5,000 range at auction. Even PSA 8 copies still bring over $1,000. For a card that was once relatively affordable, the 1989 Bowman Griffey rookie has grown steeply in demand and value over the decades.

1991 Score Ken Griffey Jr. #1 Draft Pick Retrospective Card (PSA 10): This extremely rare parallel card from 1991 Score was part of a 12-card photographic retrospective subset celebrating Griffey being selected number one overall in the 1987 amateur draft by the Mariners. Only 144,000 of these parallel Griffey cards were printed, making high grade copies exceedingly difficult to come by. A recent sale of a PSA 10 example hit a record price of $84,000 at auction. Even PSA 9 copies can sell for $15,000+ given the card’s iconic subject, extremely limited print run, and high-grade rarity in the overall collecting population.

1992 Topps Traded Ken Griffey Jr. (PSA 10): This Griffey refractor parallel from the 1992 Topps Traded set stands out for capturing “The Kid” in Mariners threads during the early peak of his dominant career. The card stands out for its white foil rainbow refractors along the borders and is part of one of the earliest mainstream sports card sets to include parallel versions of its stars. High graded PSA 10 copies consistently auction in the $4,000+ range, with PSA 9 examples also strongly in demand in the $1,500+ territory due to the eye-catching design and Griffey’s tremendous on-field production at that stage of his career.

2000 Bowman’s Best Refractor Ken Griffey Jr. /500 (PSA 10): Capturing Griffey in Reds gear near the end of his first stint in Cincinnati, this ultra-short printed parallel refractor checks all the boxes for modern collectors. With a minuscule print run of only 500 copies, high graded versions are exceedingly rare. A recent sale showed a PSA 10 copy auction for $13,000 given the condition rarity along with Griffey’s iconic status. Even in PSA 9, copies have sold for $6,000+ showing the strong demand for one of the hardest Griffey parallels to acquire in pristine condition.

2002 Topps American Pie Ken Griffey Jr. Home Run Kings Autograph /22 (PSA 10): As one of Griffey’s Topps autographed parallels limited to just 22 copies, this one understandably earns a major premium. Capturing Griffey alongside other all-time home run greats like Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth, the card commemorates Griffey breaking the Mariners single season home run record of 44 held by Jay Buhner. A PSA 10 grade confirms the extreme rarity, with a recent sale seeing this example achieve $16,000 at auction. The sharp autograph combined with the ulta-low serial numbering makes this one truly stand out within Griffey’s already illustrious collection of signed cards.

While Griffey had countless cards produced over his legendary playing career, several of his rookies and early parallels stand out as true heavy hitters that can yield tremendous returns for savvy collectors. With Upper Deck having pioneered the modern sports card boom and Griffey one of the biggest stars ever, his rookie cards will always remain icons. For those willing to properly grade and protect examples in pristine condition, Griffey’s rarest parallel refractor short prints from the late 90s/early 2000s can also net substantial profits given their extreme scarcity. Overall, “Junior’s” legendary on-field exploits and captivating cards continue resonating strongly with collectors many years after his retirement.