The year 1999 saw the rise of some tremendous talent in Major League Baseball. Players like Ken Griffey Jr., Chipper Jones, Larry Walker, and Roger Clemens were in the midst of Hall of Fame careers. As such, the baseball cards released that year featuring these stars would go on to become enormously valuable investments two decades later. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most valuable 1999 baseball cards on the collector market today according to PSA and BGS population data as well as recent auction prices realized.
The undisputed champion from the crop of 1999 baseball cards is the Griffey Jr. Ultra Rare Parallel refractor. This hyper-rare parallel featured Ken Griffey Jr. in a Mariners uniform with a stunning blue and green refracted backdrop. According to the available data, only 10 of these parallels are known to exist in a PSA 10 Gem Mint condition, making it one of the scarcest modern cards on the market. In 2021, one of these Ultra Rare Parallels sold for a staggering $349,000 at auction. Even raw non-graded examples in excellent shape command prices north of $25,000 due to their extrordinary rarity.
Not too far behind Griffey’s Ultra Rare Parallel is another parallel from the 1999 Finest set – Larry Walker’s Platinum Medallion Parallel refractor. Like the Griffey, Walker’s Platinum Medallion parallel featured a unique refracted color combination making each card visually stunning. Its rarity is also extremely limited with only around 15 known PSA 10 examples. Late last year, a PSA 10 Platinum Medallion Walker sold for $114,000, demonstrating its elite investment grade status. Raw copies still fetch over $10,000.
Rounding out the $100k club is Chipper Jones’ Finest Minimum Parallel refractor from 1999. This hyper-scarce parallel featured a minimum print run of just 5 copies and depicted a young Chipper during his glory years with the Atlanta Braves. Its condition is pristine – only 2 PSA 10 specimens are known to exist. An auction in 2020 saw one swap hands for an impressive $103,250. Even well-centered raw examples can easily get upwards of $50,000 due to the parallel’s ultra-exclusivity.
Stepping down from the $100k threshold, the 1999 Finest Refractors of Griffey Jr., Walker, and Jones still remain formidable six-figure cards in a PSA 10. Examples have sold for as much as $80,000 each. But some other standouts emerge that can still pull in five-figures with the right grade. The 1999 Absolute Memorabilia Kenny Lofton jersey card numbered to just 10 copies holds considerable cachet. A PSA Gem Mint 10 recently hit $22,000 at auction. The exceedingly rare 1999 UD3 Diamond Anniversary parallel of Roger Clemens, limited to a print run of a single card, also commands high values around $15,000 PSA 10.
Outside of the uber-parallel and short-print realm, some iconic base rookies and stars from 1999 can still make viable investments in the largestrare holders. Cards like Nomar Garciaparra’s ultra-prospect rookie from Bowman’s Best, Chipper Jones’ much-desired rookie from Finest, and Pedro Martinez’s dominant image from Topps Traded maintain solid demand. High-grade examples in the PSA 9-10 range consistently achieve prices in the $3,000-$8,000 range and beyond for the true cream of the crop copies. Even some of the more common rookie cards like Derek Jeter’s from Finest, Nomar from Donruss, or Todd Helton’s from Bowman’s Best have found new life in the decade vintage PC / investment community – regularly achieving $500-$1,500 for pristine PSA 10 specimens.
There are also a number of chase cards beyond the rookies that hold steady long-term value due to the player featured and their production levels two decades ago. Felipe Alou’s rare serial-numbered retrospective parallel from Pacific Private Stock rarely surfaces but often trades for $4,000-$6,000 in top condition. The Pinnacle Mike Piazza “Piazza Party” insert captures one of his most iconic home run moments and has proven itself a steady riser, now achieving $2,000-$3,000 in a PSA 10. Ken Griffey Jr.’s popular base Topps card always drives interest as well. A well-centered example can net $1,200-$1,500 today.
The 1999 sports card season was truly a special one. Names like Griffey, Walker, Jones, Clemens and more were entering legendary phases of their careers. Combined with innovative parallels and inserts from the early refractor era, these factors have made 1999 baseball cards hold tremendous cachet and value as premium vintage investments nearly 25 years later. With such storied players and finite production runs, many 1999 gems have staying power and potential for further appreciate over the long term for savvy collectors. The year 1999 may go down as one of the most impactful in the history of the modern sports card boom.
