The junk wax era of the late 1980s and early 1990s produced a massive sports card boom that flooded the market with excess baseball cards that have little value today. Between 1986-1994, card companies like Fleer, Topps, and Donruss overproduced sets at unprecedented levels that has led collectors to refer to this period as the “junk wax era.” With supply far outpacing demand, most cards from this period hold little worth. A select few cards still manage to attract interest from collectors and maintain respectable values. This article will examine the most sold and sought-after junk wax baseball cards that have retained significance despite coming from sets that are otherwise considered junk.
Perhaps the most iconic junk wax card is the Ken Griffey Jr. Upper Deck rookie card from 1989. Griffey was one of the brightest young stars to emerge in baseball during this period and his rookie card became a highly coveted chase card for collectors. While supplies of this Griffey rookie are massive since it was produced during the junk wax era, strong collector demand has kept its price elevated above most other late 80s/early 90s cards. PSA 10 Gem Mint examples routinely sell for $350-500 online. Lower graded copies still trade in the $50-150 range depending on condition. No other junk wax card maintains as consistent of interest from collectors as the Griffey.
Another Rookie card that retains value is the Chipper Jones 1991 Fleer card. As one of the best third basemen of his generation, Chipper Jones had a long and successful career that spanned from 1993-2012. Like Griffey, Jones emerged as a young star right during the midst of the junk wax era. Despite Fleer mass producing the 1991 set, the Chipper Jones rookie has held on to relevance because of his career achievements and fame. PSA 10 examples can hit $150-250 while lower graded copies are $25-75. For a card that was literally printed by the millions, the Chipper RC does well considering it comes from perhaps the biggest “junk” era set in Fleer 1991.
A couple of other star rookies that continue moving are the Fred McGriff 1989 Topps Traded and Barry Larkin 1986 Topps rookie cards. As consistent all-stars and fan favorites, McGriff and Larkin generated decent collector followings that have allowed interest in their rookie cards to withstand the junk wax era. McGriff’s traded card is scarcer than his base issue and has done $50-100 in PSA 10. Larkin rookies have brought $75-150 in top Gem Mint grade. Both players were reliable stars right when collectors were opening packs in the late 80s, contributing to the lasting popularity of these rookies compared to most others from the time.
Two of the biggest rookie cards pulled during the junk wax era were Ken Griffey Jr 1989 Upper Deck and Ben McDonald 1990 Leaf. However, McDonald never quite lived up to the hype as one of the top pitching prospects of the late 80s. As a result, his rookie card has declined more than others. Still, examples in PSA 10 can achieve $40-75 online given his hype at the time coupled with the rarity of 1990 Leaf products. But Ben McDonald serves as an example of how career performance directly correlates to the long term value of a player’s flagship rookie, even for coveted prospects. If they don’t pan out, hype alone cannot sustain prices in the long run.
While stars like Griffey, McGriff and Larkin maintained popularity, some iconic veterans also managed to produce junk wax cards that collectors still show enthusiasm for today. Roberto Alomar’s infamous 1991 Donruss Action All-Star card is a perfect example. Depicting Alomar spitting on an umpire during an on-field dispute, it became one of the most controversial and talked about cards from the era. Nearly 30 years later, it remains a novelty that collectors seek out – PSA 10s have hit $175-250. Another iconic veteran is Nolan Ryan’s already rare 1990 Topps Traded card, which features one of the most impressive stats lines of any card. High grade examples can achieve $150-250 given the rarity and subject matter despite originating from junk wax.
Two highly specialized subsets from the late 80s/early 90s that collectors focus on are the 1989 Topps Tiffany cards and 1992 Leaf Minors prospects. The Tiffany issue of the mainstream ’89 Topps set is one of the rarest mainstream issues ever, produced on superior paper stock for a short time. Stars like Griffey, McGwire and Bonds from this subset can reach $50-150 in PSA 10. Meanwhile, the 1992 Leaf Minors set featured prospects like Todd Helton, Jason Giambi and Bobby Higginson before they made the majors. Complete team sets change hands for $500-1000 given how this set essentially previewed the next wave of MLB talent before they debuted. Both Tiffany and Leaf Minors transcend the “junk wax” label due to their specialized collector appeal and scarcity.
While the glut of production from 1986-1994 renders the vast majority of sports cards from that era essentially worthless, a select handful of rookie cards, veterans, and specialized subsets have managed to hold intrinsic collector value despite originating in “junk wax” sets. Strong player performance like Griffey andChipper Jones alongside iconic subjects for veterans like Alomar and Ryan have kept prices elevated above the levels of typical junk wax cards. As prospects like Ben McDonald showed, career achievements are vital to sustaining long term collectors’ interest—hype alone is not enough. These most sought after junk wax cards represent the ceiling values within their vastly overprinted era.
