The 1990 Leaf baseball card set is one of the most highly sought after sets from the junk wax era of the late 1980s and early 1990s. While sets from that time are not generally very valuable compared to older issues, there are a handful of cards from the ’90 Leaf set that have stood the test of time and remain quite valuable for collectors today. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most noteworthy cards from that year.
One of the true star rookies from the 1990 Leaf set is the Ken Griffey Jr. card. Griffey was already generating huge hype leading up to his rookie season with the Seattle Mariners in 1989, and his rookie card from ’90 Leaf ( card #91) is one of the most iconic from the junk wax era. While production numbers on these cards were astronomical compared to older issues, Griffey’s talent and popularity has kept demand high for this card. Today, a nicely centered and graded Griffey Jr. rookie in gem mint condition could fetch over $1000. Even a PSA 10 example recently sold for over $3000.
Another huge star from the early 90s was Frank Thomas, and his rookie card from the ’90 Leaf set (card #248) is also quite valuable today. Like Griffey, Thomas would go on to have a Hall of Fame career and his rookie is one of the standouts from this set. A PSA 10 graded Thomas rookie has sold for over $800 in recent years, while even moderately played near-mint copies can sell for $100-200 depending on condition.
Beyond star rookies, there are a handful of valuable insert and parallel cards found in 1990 Leaf as well. One of the more desirable inserts is the Traded set, which featured players who had been dealt to new teams in 1990. The Nolan Ryan traded to the Rangers card (#T9) is one of the key cards from this insert set and can sell for $50-100+ in top condition.
The 1990 Leaf set had Gold parallels numbered to only 100 copies each. While these were mass-produced compared to modern issue parallels, the rarity still makes the gold versions notable today. High-grade gold parallels of star players can sell for hundreds on the secondary market. For example, a PSA 10 graded Ken Griffey Jr. gold parallel recently sold for over $3000. Other gold parallels that command over $100 even in well-worn condition include Frank Thomas, Barry Bonds, and Roberto Alomar.
Beyond base rookies and special parallels/inserts, there are a handful of unique error and variation cards that emerge from the 1990 Leaf set as well. One is the Andy Van Slyke error card (#109), where his name is misspelled as “Andy Van Slyde”. Only a small number of these seemingly minor errors are thought to exist, and they have sold for over $1000 in the past. There is also a Cal Ripken Jr. error card where the player’s name is spelled “Cal Ripkin Jr.” that has sold for over $500 in top grade.
1990 Leaf also saw the unusual printing of plates belonging to specific print sheets. Whole print sheet plates featuring players like Frank Thomas, Ken Griffey Jr., and Barry Bonds have sold for thousands to elite collectors. The Lonnie Smith checklist card variation (#211), where a stats block replaces the checklist text, has sold for over $250 in top condition due to its unusual nature.
While the vast majority of the base 1990 Leaf cards hold little monetary value today, there are still some standouts that have remained popular with collectors and hold real secondary market value. The star rookie cards of Griffey, Thomas and others lead the way, while special inserts, parallels, and errors round out the most notable valuable cards from this popular but voluminous junk wax era set. For those looking to build a solid vintage baseball collection on a budget, picking up higher grade copies of the keys from the ’90 Leaf issue offers an affordable approach to acquire some proven classics.
While production numbers were huge for 1990 Leaf like many other sets from that era, heightened demand for the rookies of future Hall of Famers like Frank Thomas and Ken Griffey Jr. have kept their rookie cards as standouts. Special parallels, inserts and notable errors from the set also emerge as worthwhile finds for today’s collectors. The 1990 Leaf baseball card set contains several cards that have proven to retain long-term collecting interest and secondary market value, making it stand above many of its junk wax peers.
