The late 1980s and early 1990s were known by collectors as the “junk wax era” of baseball cards due to an overproduction of cards that greatly devalued the entire trading card market. Even within this era there are still a number of exceptionally rare and valuable cards that can fetch big money today. While most cards from sets like Donruss, Fleer, Score, and Topps from 1988-1994 hold little monetary worth, here are some of the most notable exceptions that can sell for thousands due to their scarcity and importance.

One of the true Holy Grails from the junk wax era is the 1993 SP Derek Jeter rookie card. Only approximately 110 copies of this card are known to exist and it ranks as one of the rarest and most coveted rookie cards ever produced. The card was only available through a short print run in the early versions of the 1993 Studio baseball card set before being pulled. In pristine Near Mint-Mint condition, graded gem mint 10 by services like PSA or BGS, a Jeter SP fetches well into the six figures, sometimes even reaching or exceeding $200,000. Even lower graded versions still sell for anywhere from $10,000-50,000 depending on condition. No other card from the junk wax period comes close to the Jeter SP in terms of its seven-figure status among collectors.

Another extremely limited print and valuable junk wax era card is the 1992 Bowman Ken Griffey Jr. rookie photo variation. Only about 100 examples are known to exist that feature an alternative posed action photo of Griffey from the standard 1992 Bowman rookie card. Graded mint condition versions have reached auction prices above $100,000 due to the card’s incredible rarity and subject as one of the game’s best players. Lower graded copies still sell for $10,000+ easily. Even the common 1992 Bowman Griffey rookie in pristine mint condition demands over $1,000 due to his status. Another notable Bowman rookie from this time is the 1990 Ben McDonald card which featured an action photo instead of the standard posed shot like other rookies. Only a handful are known and they have reached $20,000+ prices.

While not quite as valuable as the SuperFractors that follow, there are some rare parallel and factory set short print variations from the early 1990s that emerge as modern day collectibles. The 1992 Stadium Club Tony Gwynn “Black Gold” parallel (#12/50) has seen prices around $6,000 in high grade due to its limited numbering. Other short printed parallels like the 1993 Upper Deck #d Barry Bonds (#/150), Frank Thomas (#/100), and Ken Griffey Jr. (#/100) reach $1,000-3,000 each. The ultra-rare 1992 Stadium Club #d Tom Glavine Gold Factory Set parallel (1/1) sold for over $9,000. But by far the most sought after and valuable parallel from this period are the elusive 1993 Upper Deck “SuperFractor” parallels. Only ten were inserted into packs for the entire print run and each is serially numbered to a single digit like (#1/10). Honus Wagner is the true prize at over $250,000 for its sole printing, while Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Bonds, and Frank Thomas consistently reach $30,000-50,000 depending on condition. The Derek Jeter and Cal Ripken Jr. SuperFractors have cracked $20,000 figures as well. Without question, these scarcest of the scarce parallels define apex status among junk wax collectors.

While base cards and parallels make up much of the mainstream junk wax era collecting landscape today, there are also some noteworthy autograph and memorabilia cards from the time that fetch sizable premiums. For example, the 1990 Deckle Edge Darryl Strawberry autographed card has realized prices around $4,000 in high grade. Other signed rookies like the 1990 Deckle Edge Dwight Gooden can reach $3,000. For autographed memorabilia cards, the 1992 Collector’s Choice Frank Thomas signed bat card is highly desired and has reached as high as $1,800 in pristine condition. Perhaps the most legendary autograph card comes from Score’s short lived run in 1991 which featured autographed jersey cards inserted randomly. The Nolan Ryan (.002 print run) has topped $6,000 before while other superstars like Cal Ripken Jr. and Ozzie Smith command $1,000-2,000 each. The extremely rare 1993 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. autographed jersey card parallel (#/5) and the Derek Jeter (#/3) parallel routinely sell for prices starting at $10,000 due to their numbering.

While the glut of mass produced junk wax era cards depressed values for nearly 20 years, savvy collectors have started to reevaluate some of the true rarities and short prints that somehow survived despite microscopic odds. Cards that feature the game’s all-time stars like Griffey, Bonds, Thomas, Ripken, Glavine, along with ultra-valuable rookie cards of Jeter, Griffey, McGwire, and others continue to rise in demand and price appreciation. For collectors willing to spend $1,000 or more, there are still hidden gems to be unearthed from this era’s boxes if you dig deep enough. While some prices may seem inflated today, the notoriously scarce anomalies highlight how even the most saturated card sets can produce the valuable oddities that define future collecting.