The undisputed most valuable card from the 1992 Upper Deck baseball set is the Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. Griffey was one of the most talented players of his generation and his rookie card is undoubtedly the most iconic from the early 1990s. In pristine mint condition, Griffey’s rookie now fetches well over $10,000 and has sold for as much as $25,499 in a private sale. Even well-worn near-mint copies can sell for $2,000-3,000 showing just how beloved this card remains. Griffey was already showing signs of his future stardom by hitting .264 with 16 home runs as a 21 year old rookie and his sweet left-handed swing made him a fan favorite immediately. His boyish good looks and incredible all-around talent translated to massive popularity and demand for his rookie card among collectors. While prices have fluctuated over the years, Griffey’s 1992 Upper Deck rookie has proven to be one of the best investments in the hobby and remains the most sought after card from the set.

Another enormously valuable card is Frank Thomas’ rookie. Like Griffey, Thomas would go on to have a Hall of Fame career and his rookie card is the second most valuable from the set, although still much lower than Griffey. In pristine mint condition, a PSA 10 graded Thomas rookie has sold for over $6,000. Even well-worn copies still sell for $500-1,000 showing his card’s lasting popularity. As a rookie, “The Big Hurt” hit .289 with 10 home runs and helped lead the White Sox to the AL West title. His impressive combo of huge power and ability to hit for average made him a star from the beginning. While not as iconic or visually striking as some other cards, Thomas’ rookie remains very desirable for collectors due to his outstanding 21 year career and status as one of the best right-handed hitters of all time.

After Griffey and Thomas, the next most valuable cards are the rookies of Bobby Bonilla, Mark McGwire, and Moises Alou. Bonilla had a solid 17 year career where he hit .279 with 179 home runs but his career was not spectacular enough to push his rookie past the $1,000 mark even in mint condition. Still, for die-hard Pirates and Bonilla fans, his rookie holds value. McGwire’s rookie may seem surprisingly low in value today considering he would go on to break the single season home run record multiple times. The steroid era taints his legacy and his on-card stats as a rookie (9 HR in 55 games) were unremarkable. Nonetheless, a PSA 10 graded McGwire can still fetch $600-1,000 due to his huge popularity at the time and historic power numbers later in his career. Moises Alou’s rookie has also cracked the $1,000 price point PSA 10 thanks to his strong 17 year career where he hit .303 with 335 home runs while showing excellent plate discipline and defense. Alou was a highly regarded prospect who lived up to expectations.

While not true “rookies”, the Derek Jeter and Tom Glavine cards hold value as well since they captured these future Hall of Famers very early in their careers. A PSA 10 Jeter can reach $500-700 as collectors love owning one of the first Jeter cards. Meanwhile, Glavine near-mint copies sell for $300-500 given his impeccable stats and consecutive Cy Young awards later in the 1990s for the Braves. Randy Johnson also has a valuable card from the set showing his blazing fastball as a young Mariner. While not his true rookie season either, a PSA 10 Johnson has cracked $500 before.

While the Griffey and Thomas rookies smash all records for value from the 1992 Upper Deck set, there are several other valuable rookie and early career cards that continue to entice collectors and lift prices. The combination of fantastic photography, player likenesses, and capturing the early stages of future legends make many cards from this incredible set highly sought after to this day by both investors and fans.