The 1990 Topps baseball card set marked the 29th year of production for the legendary card company. It was another solid year for the hobby, with sports cards still very popular among collectors. The 1990 Topps set featured 660 total cards and had some rookie cards and other notable vintage cards that have held or increased in value over the decades. For collectors looking to invest in vintage cards from the junk wax era, here are some of the top 1990 Topps cards that can still be worth money today:
Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card (card #1) -widely considered one of the most iconic and valuable modern rookie cards ever printed. Griffey was already one of the game’s brightest young stars in 1990 and lived up to the hype with 10 straight All-Star appearances. PSA 10 Gem Mint examples of his rookie card now sell for $4,000-5,000 raw or $10,000+ graded. Even well-centered raw copies in NM-MT condition fetch $1,000+. This is the card to own from the 1990 set.
Frank Thomas Rookie Card (card #94) – Thomas emerged as one of baseball’s best power hitters throughout the 1990s. As a rookie in 1990, he showed flashes of brilliance. His rookie is the 2nd most valuable from the set, with PSA 10s bringing $1,000-1,500 and raw near mint copies selling for $300-500.
Nolan Ryan Record Breaker Card (card #210) – Commemorates Ryan breaking Sandy Koufax’s career strikeout record. Highly sought after by Nolan Ryan PC collectors. PSA 10s have sold for $600-800. Raw near mint copies in the $150-250 range.
Randy Johnson Rookie Card (card #500) – Johnson blossomed into one of the game’s most intimidating pitchers, but showed promise as a rookie in 1990 with Seattle. PSA 10s have topped $300-400 recently, with raw near mints at $75-150.
Chipper Jones Rookie Card (card #575) – Jones would become the face of the Atlanta Braves franchise for nearly two decades. His rookie is scarce in high grade due to centering issues. PSA 10s have sold for $250. Raw NMs around $50-75.
Edgar Martinez Career Stat Leaders Retrospective Card (card #662) – Honors Edgar’s excellence as one of the game’s best DHs. Popular card in Martinez PC collections. PSA 10s reach $150-200. Raw NMs around $35-50 range.
Beyond the big rookie cards, there are several other standouts that hold collector value:
Nolan Ryan (#28) – Iconic photo of Ryan’s windup. Near the upper end at $15-25 raw in NM.
Orel Hershiser (#62) – Celebrates Hershiser’s record 59 consecutive scoreless innings in 1988. $12-18 NM raw.
Rickey Henderson (#70, #71) – #70 is near the $10-15 mark. #71 which has Henderson stealing a base goes for a few dollars more due to scarcity.
Ryne Sandberg (#116) – Sandberg was one of the game’s best all-around players in the late 80s/early 90s. Brings $12-18 raw NM.
Cal Ripken Jr. (#166, #306) – Ripken was a superstar by 1990. #166 near $12 NM. #306 from ’91 All-Star Game over $15 raw NM.
Mike Schmidt (#180) – Portrait shot of Hall of Famer Schmidt. $10-15 range NM raw.
Ozzie Smith (#210) – Iconic backflip defensive wizard. $10-15 NM raw.
Roger Clemens (#351) – First season with Boston after trade from Red Sox. Near $10-12 NM raw.
Dennis Eckersley (#400) – First season as Oakland closer after transitioning from starter. $8-12 raw NM.
The market for high-grade vintage cards holds strong, making PSA/BGS slabs of 7.5+ or raw GEM/MT copies of the top rookies and stars the smartest long-term investments from the 1990 set. But for collectors who enjoy building complete sets or player collections, there are still solid low-end value options to be found throughout if purchasing raw near mint copies. The 1990 Topps set remains a memorable part of baseball card history full of Hall of Famers and stars from the eras of Griffey/Thomas to Henderson/Ripken/Sandberg. Its most prized rookie cards especially continue to appreciate in value decades later.
