As well as rarity due to the small release, (estimated to be between 6,000 and 7,500), the majority had to get to an active war zone and back before being encased by the likes of PSA. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Currently, listings on eBay value this card around the $2000 mark but they have been known to fetch more than triple that at auction. The 1990 Topps baseball card set went to great lengths to pay tribute to Nolan Ryan's achievement of surpassing the 5,000 career strikeout mark. Collectors were more eager than ever to own a piece of Bos cardboard, making his 1990 Topps issue an exciting pull. And he nearly won the batting title with his .325 average, narrowly losing out to George Brett (.329) on the final day of the season. The 1997 Skybox E-X2000 Essential Credentials was ahead of its time in many respects, with a small serial number, an iconic image selection, and a luxurious border design. A vast improvement over previous Bowman releases, the set has held its value better than most of its contemporaries thanks largely to the fact that it was printed to dealer order, meaning a much lower print run than the rest of the market that year. While his 1992 Bowman rookie is one of the iconic cards of the 1990s, it's actually his 1992 Fleer Update card that earns a spot on this most valuable list. Thanks , Your email address will not be published. Cal Ripken 9 Vintage Kartenlot, 1987 -1992, Topps, Punktzahl All Star Like wow like comic books have (something I first realized while reading a post from Night Owl Cards). And, even among the overproduced cards from the first year in a decade noted for, well, overproduction, 1990 Fleer baseball cards seem especially plentiful. And, although Murphy struggled in Philly and Colorado before retiring in 1993, hes still a hobby heavyweight all these years later, and this card reflects a solid hunk of 1980s baseball history just as an era was about to end. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. The next couple seasons were lean, though, as Sammy struggled for playing time, especially after a 1992 trade to the Cubs. As many sets had excessive print runs, (think millions, although nobody knows for sure) the majority of 1990s options are worth little more than the cost of the materials that they were printed on. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! We love the '80s (and '90s) baseball cards: The top 15 sets of the era | Sporting News Astros +400 Dodgers +600 Mets +700 Yankees +700 Braves +900 Padres +1000 Phillies +1200 Blue Jays +1300. This time, the team couldnt overcome the dip in production and fell quickly to the Reds, 4-0. We had an avenue toward Smiths first Cards card, and this was it (Topps division). And also like Grissom, DeShields managed to put together a fine career that left him short of the Hall of Fame but still popular enough among old-time collectors to keep his rookie card out of the commons bin. For many in the hobby, we have a shorthand when a young player starts hitting home runs at a rapid rate. I do have Chipper Jones, Ken Griffey, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Barry Sanders, Barry Bonds. Recommended Reading: Baseball Practice Plans For 10 Year Olds. You could argue he was a better center fielder than others (like Lloyd Waner, for example) who made it to the Hall of Fame, too. Even if it's not in pristine shape, it can still be worth thousands of dollars. At 36, Gary Carters best days were behind him in 1990, but he still put up a solid season at the plate for the Giants that summer. This one is scarce enough that pics are tough to come by, though PSA has a few on its Auction Prices Realized tool for this set. Still known as David Arias when his rookie cards were printed, it wasn't until he made his MLB debut late in the 1997 season that he informed the Twins that he preferred David Ortiz. Over the years since this card was issued, NNOF has become a one-name wonder that lets collectors know right away what youre talking about, sort of like Uribe these days, but with the chops to back it up. Our list of the most valuable 90s baseball cards has a few surprising names, as well as a host of legends from the sport. 1990 Topps Baseball Cards 25 Most Valuable Plus Bonus Listings! It was sold at an auction in 1966. Read our methodology. Griffey Jr. can be found on hundreds of different cards, but few can match his 97 Skybox price-wise. For example, PSA 10 copies of his 1991 Upper Deck were selling for roughly $40 in 2017, but they now go for almost 10 times that amount. His other high . It was an underwhelming season for the team overall and Ripkens numbers werent the greatest either as he batted just .250 with 21 home runs, 84 RBI, and 78 runs scored. He was playing against the Cleveland Naps after the Philadelphia Athletics made an exchange in 1910. Is it a Thomas back on a Ripken front, or some other configuration? Don Mattinglys career was almost a tale of two decades. 1991 CHIPPER JONES UPPER DECK TOP PROSPECT ROOKIE BASEBALL CARD MLB BRAVES. It was futuristic for the time, but Jeters SP RC is a clear cut above the others found on this list. . Under manager Frank Robinson, the 1990 Baltimore Orioles finished fifth in the AL East with a 76-85 record. But theres still a certain cynicism among many when we hear about a rookie being the next big thing. His 1991 Topps Desert Shield was given the designation as it was a gift for US troops who were serving during Operation Desert Storm. 1990 Classic card list & price guide. A PSA 10 gem mint condition version of his 1997 Fleer Ultra Platinum card sold at auction for $4,238. This time hes on his own, but its still a great option even without the help of Mickey Mantle. . Even today, though, there is still some mystique to those McDonald RCs that once sat near the top of the hobby mountain. His first Topps card didn't come until the 1998 flagship set. The value of this card is always on the up. Fast forward a year and a half, though, and Thomas was one of the best hitters in baseball, well on his way to becoming the Big Hurt and, ultimately, a Cooperstown denizen. Even if you werent born at the time, youve probably watched The Last Dance and know something about Michael Jordans hiatus from the Chicago Bulls in the early 90s. Back in the late 80s and early 90s during their time with the Pirates, he and Bobby Bonilla became known as the Killer Bs as one of the most feared hitting duos in the league. At one time, this 1990 rookie card sat near the top of the new-card mountain and still pulls decent collector interest today. The former president was presented with one hundred copies of his very own baseball card from his days as captain at Yale in 1990 by Topps. What would be the value of a Topps Ripken card with Frank THomas name on it by mistake? Are you ready for a stat thatll probably make you sick to your stomach? You May Like: Baseball Tournaments In Southern California. In spite of the steroid allegations, Rodriguezs RC was always going to be high on any list of the most valuable 90s cards. So there you have it, the ten most valuable 1990 Topps cards. Everyone wanted Don Mattingly cards when I was a kid. The higher the grade, the more valuable a card will be, so were typically looking at PSA 9s and 10s only. His standard rookie (which we'll get to later) is the key rookie card in this set, but the version without his name on the front is an incredibly rare error and collectors are willing to pay up big time for it. Even cards in less-than-perfect condition can go for hundreds, maybe even thousands, and a professionally-rated card is darn-near mythical. Hes widely regarded as one of the best baseball players to come from the Dominican Republic and was a great all-round athlete who had a long-spanning career. Disclaimer: Please note none this is meant as investment advice purely for entertainment and informational purposes only. By the end of the season, Justice had smashed 28 home runs, driven in 78 runs, scored 76 of his own, and hit a solid .282. That was old for a prospect, and he hadnt exactly torn up the minors, either. Prices for 1990 Fleer Baseball Cards 1990 Fleer card list & price guide. Marquis Grissom was one of what seemed like an endless string of Expos prospects in the 1980s and 1990s. 1990 Fleer Most Expensive eBay Sales Baseball Cards - February 2023 I think it was a great way to salute Ryan and these cards remain one of my favorite subsets of all-time from any set. The checklist includes rookies of Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, David Justice and John Olerud, along with a second-year card of Ken Griffey Jr., but the most sought-after card in the set without question is the Frank Thomas rookie card. Despite the bad press, the list proves that the 1990s wasnt the worst time to begin investing in baseball cards, as long as you knew where to look and only went for the best of the best. On the baseball field, Jackson had a cannon for an arm and a compact, powerful swing, which is on full display on this card. All told, the sparkplug centerfielder pretty much held up his end of the bargain, playing for 17 years and accumulating 2251 hits, 227 home runs, 967 RBI, 429 stolen bases, and 1187 runs scored. Dimensions: 1-1/2 x 2-5/8. It wasnt often that a base card of an individual player landed card #1 back in those days, but Ryan was entering bonafide legend territory, and the following years would only solidify that standing and boost his card values across the board. Those who remember the mass hysteria surrounding the Y2K bug saga at the end of 1999 will know what Im talking about. Its a novel card and extremely rare so it has a decent value. David Ortiz is one of the greatest hitters of all time and holds the Boston Red Sox record for the most home runs in one season with an impressive 54. The 1997 Bowman set was one of the most popular of the late 1990s. Many thought there were no limits to where his first cards might go. The Soaring Stars #6 Ken Griffey, Jr. card is one of the few 1990 baseball cards valued at more than a few hundred dollars. Common as dirt. For his efforts, Canseco earned a trip to his fourth All-Star game and picked up the second Silver Slugger of his career at that point. Even with that honor under his belt, though, Boogers cards like this 1990 Topps rookie never exploded in popularity or value and offer the chance to own some Cooperstown cardboard on the relative cheap. The only Leaf card to make the list, their 1996 set is one of the best the company ever released. But rather than the couple of frames a Sportflics card gives. Griffey Jr. is casually jogging across a leaf-green background like the legend that he is. Seen as a parallel to the main collection, each card has a print run of 100 only and can be identified by the holographic foil found at the top of the card. Things started to look up the next summer, though, as 24-year-old Sosa connected on 33 long balls, the first of 11 straight full seasons (he cracked 25 in strike-shortened 1994) when he hit 30 or more. The Most Valuable 1990s Baseball Cards: Summary, As well as rarity due to the small release, (estimated to be between 6,000 and 7,500), the majority had to get to an active war zone and back before being encased by the likes of, (Okay, we said that you wont find any of these cards hidden down the back of the couch, but this is the exception!). Highlighting Reggie Jackson, the "Heroes of Baseball" set that originated in 1990 would. Sandberg reached 30 home runs (exactly) for the first time in 1989 as he helped the Cubs win their second division title, and first since 1984. 1990 Topps #414 Frank Thomas Rookie Card Estimated PSA 10 Value: $175 Check prices on: Amazon Now, this is what Thomas's rookie card is supposed to look like when his full name appears at the bottom of the card. As if collectors needed more reason to chase Kirby Puckett, the Minnesota Twins fire hydrant of a centerfielder had won his first (and only, as it turned out) American League batting title in 1989. Valuable Baseball Cards 1990's - BaseballLoveClub.com The blue and yellow borders on this card matched up perfectly with the Mariners uniforms back then. And then there are some pretty interesting subjects, from draft picks to error cards to scads of Nolan Ryans. The young, toolsy prospect made a decent showing in his new climes, cracking double-digit home runs and stealing 32 bases. You May Like: Red White And Blue Baseball Jersey. I used to love watching him play--he was a class act. The Yankees won three World Series to further cement their position as a legendary team and globally recognized brand it was difficult to go almost anywhere in the world without seeing a Yankee hat on someones head. The most expensive baseball card in history just sold for $12.6 million. Both players are shown side by side, wearing caps that help to denote the team they play for. However, the following types of cards are likely to hold more value: Error cards are often more valuable when the manufacturer corrects the error. The second, however, showed its value by nearly doubling the price of the former record holder. Just in case that came to pass, Donruss was ready, anointing the young lefty swinger as a Rated Rookie in their bloody 1990 set . Its perhaps one of the most valuable cards of the 90s and definitely, one to be kept as its value is likely to continue to soar. The autographs themselves are found on the chest of each player, signed in black ink, and the background has a blue-green hue. 1990 Fleer Baseball Cards - 25 Most Valuable - Wax Pack Gods This card from 1992, showing Piazza in a crowded catchers stance, is worth a fair amount of money within collectors circles, often going between $200 and $300. What seemed to start out as a sort of cheap attempted knockoff of the classic 1975 Topps set actually has some character of its own. That means the card needs to be basically flawless. There are RCs and special editions, so its highly unlikely that youll find one stuffed down the back of the couch. Guide to Valuable 1990's Sports Cards - The Cardboard Connection