The 1990 Topps baseball card set is considered one of the most sought after and valuable sets from the junk wax era of the late 1980s and early 1990s. While it did not achieve the astronomical print runs of sets from 1987-1991 that flooded the market, the 1990 Topps set still had a large printing leading to manycommon cards being worth just a few dollars graded mint. There are several rare short printed rookie and star player cards that have retained significant value and are highly desired by collectors.
One of the biggest chase cards from the 1990 Topps set is the Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. Widely considered one of the best player personalities and talents of his generation, Griffey exploded onto the MLB scene in 1989 for the Seattle Mariners and quickly became a fan favorite known as “The Kid”. His 1990 Topps rookie is one of the most iconic in the hobby’s history. However, Griffey’s card was significantly short printed in the set, with estimates being it was printed approximately 1/10th as much as the base cards. This scarcity has kept Griffey’s rookie as one of the crown jewels of the junk wax era, with high grade PSA 10 examples regularly fetching over $10,000 at auction. Even lower graded copies in PSA 8 or Beckett Graded Services 8.5 still sell for $1000+.
Another huge short print from the 1990 set is the Frank Thomas rookie card. Thomas also broke into the league in 1990 with the Chicago White Sox and went on to have a Hall of Fame caliber career. Like Griffey, Thomas’ card was printed in extremely low numbers making it very difficult to find in higher grades. PSA 10 Thomas rookies have sold for over $5000. Even lower graded copies still command $300-500, showing the lasting value retro collectors have put on Thomas’ first Topps issue.
In addition to Griffey Jr. and Frank Thomas, the 1990 Topps set featured several other star prospects and players that had sparse print runs in packs that year. The Chuck Knoblauch rookie, rated by Beckett as a rarity rating of 7 on a scale of 1-10, often sells for $100-200 for low graded copies. Knoblauch quickly became an All-Star after debuting for the Twins in 1991. The Derek Jeter rookie, printed even less than Knoblauch’s, has been known to fetch $400-600 for graded 8-9 copies and commands over $1000 in PSA 10. Jeter would go on to have a Hall of Fame career with the Yankees.
Perhaps the biggest fish in the 1990 Topps set is the Ivan Rodriguez rookie card. “Pudge” Rodriguez turned out to be not just a star but a true icon of the catcher position, winning 13 Gold Glove awards and an AL MVP during his career. His rookie was extremely scarce in packs during the early 1990s, earning it a Beckett rarity rating of 9. Very few PSA 10 Rodriguez rookies have ever been documented to exist. One crossed the auction block in 2021 for an astounding $93,000, reflecting its status as one of the rarest and most valuable modern era cards. Low graded Pudge rookies still sell for $1000-2000.
Beyond the star rookie cards, there are also several key short prints of veteran players that round out the short list of most valuable 1990 Topps cards. Nolan Ryan’s card, featuring his then-record 5,000th career strikeout photo, was quite scarce from packs. Even well-worn copies still trade hands for $50-100. The Rickey Henderson card, which captured the excitement of his 1990 AL record-breaking stolen base season and ensuing World Series win, is similarly sparse. Low grade Hendersons sell for $75-150. The Ozzie Smith Backflip card showing the Wizard performing his iconic reverse somersault also had a sparse print run. Damaged Ozzie’s can still sell for $50.
In addition to stars, the 1990 Topps set featured some very rare manager/coach short prints. The Jerry Manuel rookie manager card of the White Sox bench coach who went on to manage several MLB teams is considered extremely scarce, with a Beckett rarity rating of 9.5 out of 10. Fewer than 5 graded PSA 10 examples are known to exist, with the lone public sale being $2750 back in 2008. The Tommy Lasorda, showing the Dodgers legend in his final season as active manager, also had an extremely low print quantity. Even poorly graded Lasordas can still go for $100+.
While repack boxes and breakers have flooded the market with common 1990 Topps base cards in the decades since, finding high grade examples of the short prints detailed above remains a challenge. For advanced collectors looking to build a true ‘short print heavy’ 1990 Topps set, it will take diligent searching and deep pocketbooks to track down the key stars and veterans discussed that remain highly coveted pieces for enthusiasts of the junk wax period. The 1990 Topps set stands out for featuring iconic rookies like Griffey Jr., Thomas, Jeter and Rodriguez that maintained relevance through the test of time, leading to lasting demand and solid values for its most scarce printings decades later.
