The year 1990 saw the peak of baseball card popularity and production during the late 1980s and early 1990s boom. While the market has fluctuated since, 1990 stands out as a seminal year for the hobby. Let’s take a deeper look at the score sets released that year and what made them notable.
Score was one of the “Big 3” manufacturers during this time along with Donruss and Fleer. They released 6 main sets in 1990 aimed at collectors of all interests and budgets. The flagship was the 330 card “Score” set sold in wax packs at retail. This set featured primary images of all Major League players along with manager and rookie cards. Standout rookie cards included Larry Walker, Jeff Bagwell, and Jim Abbott among others. The photography and design of Score cards was considered sharp and modern for the time.
A step up was the “Score Traded” set, containing 330 cards with additional parallel variants including traded, update, and prospect subsets. This set delivered more variety for advanced collectors. Score also branched out beyond packs with two box sets – the 150 card “Score Select” and higher end 120 card “Score Premier League” which featured rarer parallels and autographed options.
For the budget conscious, Score distributed two affordable rack packs – the 100 card “Score ‘N’ Star” and 66 card “Super Score” sets. These provided an entry point for younger collectors just starting out. Score’s 1990 offerings truly catered to all segments of the growing hobby.
Beyond the base sets, Score introduced several new exciting inserts that year reflecting the rising popularity of specialized parallel and rookie collections. The 1988 Olympics baseball tournament subset was a novel twist highlighting international play. Score also issued inserts focused on the All Star game, league leaders, and future Hall of Famers.
Their most impactful insert of 1990 was “Diamond Kings”, featuring oversized parallel cards with regal artwork designating all-time great players. This insert became hugely popular and still holds collector demand today for icons like Ted Williams, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron. It established Score as innovators willing to try new insert concepts before their competitors.
Additionally, Score produced premium autographed and memorabilia insert sets that elevated interest in high-end rookie cards. Of note was their “Rated Rookie Signature” collection which featured signed prospects like Andy Benes and Darren Daulton who went on to have solid MLB careers. Autographed cards were still a rarity in the early 90s and generated buzz for Score in the emerging memorabilia market space.
On the whole, Score’s 1990 offerings succeeded in catering to collectors seeking everything from affordable common cards to premium memorabilia pieces. The breadth of their sets established them alongside Donruss as leaders in serving the rapidly expanding baseball card market of the late 80s/early 90s. Wax packs of Score could be found at any corner convenience store, fueling the boom.
Production numbers also indicate Score may have slightly overprinted some of their 1990 sets compared to demand. For example, the “Score” base set is considered one of the most common from the late 80s/early 90s era. While highly accessible for collectors on a budget, it does lack the cachet of slightly lower print run competitors like Topps or Fleer flagship sets from the same year.
Still, in examining completed card sales and active collector discussions from the past 30 years, several 1990 Score cards retain strong value based on the player, especially rookies. For example, a PSA 10 graded Jeff Bagwell rookie routinely sells for well over $1000. Other Keys like the aforementioned Frank Thomas and Larry Walker rookies from Score also command 4-figure prices when high-grade.
In summary, 1990 Score brand baseball cards appealed to mass collector demand through wide distribution while also launching insert sets that have stood the test of time. Their standard and variation offerings served hobbyists at all spending levels during the boom years. And though print runs were high on some mainstream sets, key rookie cards from their 1990 output remain blue-chip investments three decades later. The season marked a high water mark for Score’s imprint on the late 80s/early 90s trading card landscape.
