- $88.42. As of May 2021, there are ~20 PSA 10 Ken Griffey Jr. Cal League prospect cards and the card value is ~$2,500. The 1989 Score, Masters Griffey Jr. RC artwork, is impressive and captures his trademark swing in a unique format. Rookie Card Estimated PSA 10 Value: $400 Check Prices On: Amazon The hype surrounding Griffey in 1989 was incredible and everyone was after this and his other rookie cards of the day. Beckett hasnt given any grades of 10 for this card, but there are 86 cards that have received a 9.5. The front of the card shows a young Junior getting ready to swing for the fences. PSA graded 1,497 of these rare cards, with 79 grading gem mint 10 and 403 grading mint 9. PSAs official website, only 156 copies of the Ge Mint version exist. Part of the sets Star Rookie subset, Griffey Jr. flashing that signature smile as a teenager is a jewel in anyones collection. As of May 2021, there are 156 PSA 10 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. His 1989 Upper Deck rookie is the crown jewel of Upper Decks groundbreaking inaugural baseball set. So, these arent the most challenging cards to find in near-perfect conditions; however, the value between a mint and gem mint example is substantial. Griffey Jr. is a baseball icon and will be remembered and collected for years to come. 1989 Bowman KEN GRIFFEY JR Seattle Mariners Baseball HOF Rookie Card #259 NM-MT. Consider buying a PSA 10 example on eBay to save time and money. He is one of baseballs all-time greats who profoundly impacts fans years after retirement. The lack of value on this card is because it looks like a base second-year card, and it is the Score brand. Try not to confuse the 1989 Topps Traded rookie cards with the Topps Tiffany version. Rookie Cards (2021). Bear in mind it still garnered the highest possible PSA grade. Both are relatively rare; however, the Platinum version is the rarest, with a reported print run of 1,300. If youre in the market for a PSA 10, plan on spending over $700; however, a PSA 9 will cost you less than $100. 1 in June 87 out of Cincinnatis famed Moeller HS, and 17-year-old Ken broke in with .320 and 14 HR at Bellingham that season.. Moreover, the population report is not growing by much, which means many cards may not have made it through the junk wax era times. Like most baseball cards from the junk wax era, the Topps Traded set was mass printed. Rookie Cards (2021). Ken Griffey Jr., also known as Junior or The Kid or The Natural, was a game-changer on the diamond and the card collecting hobby. PSA, only 410 copies of this card with the highest possible grade exist. Its one of very few Ken Griffey Jr. rookie cards to feature the artwork of the rising start and a must for true KG jr fanboys. Shop COMC's extensive selection of ken griffey jr. rookie related baseball cards from 1989. This throwback design came in Bowmans first season back in the hobby. 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. Upper Deck PSA 10 vs S&P 500. It shows him kneeling with a business-like look on his face. It reads, , out of Moeller High School in Cincinnati, famed for its football stars.The first pro hit was a triple.He batted .339 and hit 11 HRs in 1989, his 2. The front of the card shows a photo of Junior holding a bat with simple gray and white graphics in the background, The back of the card shows Griffeys minor league stats and some trivia. According to PSA, only 410 copies of this card with the highest possible grade exist. The card features Griffey Jr in a white jersey and blue hat framed by white boarder. On the other hand, the former commands a heftier price on the market. The PSA population report currently has 1,625 copies of this card with a Gem Mint rating. Griffey is shown following through on a swing in a great action shot. The popularity of the card has kept prices high despite the fact that there are more than 12,000 PSA 10 graded cards. While it isnt as rare as the 1989 Star Ken Griffey, Jr. Because they are wrapped in cellophane and sit loosely inside a thin cardboard box, many examples have soft corners. His legacy in the game is still evident, as he makes his presence felt annually at the All-Star game and Homerun Derby and is a leader in MLBs youth development efforts. The 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. Star rookie card is the card I think of as the standard Griffey Jr. rookie card. The PSA population report currently has 1,625 copies of this card with a Gem Mint rating. The card is one of two Classic Travel cards on this list with this one, the Update I being the more common and less expensive of the two. PSA graded over 26,000 Griffey rookies, with 2,268 gem mint 10. Griffey made a name for himself by crushing booming home runs. He was also won the American League MVP in 1997. Hobby dealers received one regular (non-Tiffany) Topps Traded set for each Tiffany set ordered. Sealed sets were distributed as factory sets through various retail chains. A PSA 10 version of this card sold back in 2015 for only ~$50, but in todays market it is hard to guess what the card value would be now. As of May 2021, there are less than 5 PSA 10 cards per card variation and a PSA 10 Silver Edition #4 sold for ~$620 in October 2020. Upper Decks first set was a hobby changer in its own right, with player photos on both sides, high quality white card stock, and the iconic foul line design. The front of the 1989 Topps Tiffany Ken Griffey, Jr. Remember, this set is from the junk wax era and has a massive supply. Most graded cards receive either an NM-MT 8 or a Mint 9 grade. It's one of a very few Ken Griffey Jr. rookie cards to feature artwork of the rising start. PSA graded 3,867 of Griffeys Baseball Best cards with 477 grading gem mint 10. Ken Griffey Jr.'s baseball cards are available in at least 43 sets. A great-looking card with a high-end price guide at high grades but worth it for the return on investment. The 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card was once regarded as his holy grail rookie card. This set came as factory-sealed sets. Read the full disclosure here. 1989 Donruss The Rookies is a 56-card set distributed exclusively through hobby dealers. But is that the case for this Griffey card? Of those graded, 5,115 are in gem mint condition, which is relatively small considering how many are graded. Unfortunately, there is no set formula for calculating card values, but historical prices typically give you a good indicator of future price in the short-term. With that in mind, this card isnt exactly the rarest Ken Griffey, Jr. card on the market. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. 1989 boxes are emerald green, similar to 1990. Griffeys minor league stats and some trivia. This card is no exception. Thank you! 1989 Score Traded #100T Estimated PSA 10 Value: $100 Like Donruss "The Rookies" and Topps Traded, Score also released this smaller box set outside of their main release. I was confused about your comment regarding the PSA rated 8 and a rated 10 card. When you get the Gem Mint version, you have one of the best Ken Griffey, Jr. rookie sleeper cards. I meant 1989. The 1988 San Bernardino Spirit Griffey Jr. prospect cards are extremely rare and as a result, very expensive. PSA 9s sell for $40, while PSA 10s sell for over $300. PSA graded 294 of the Platinum, with 17 grading gem mint 10 and 91 grading mint 9. The image of Griffey Jr. is boarded by a neon green and black boarder and includes the Ms logo on the top-right of the card. So, if you can get over the (OC) on most cards, this is a great Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card to buy now. There were reportedly only 6,000 sets printed. Due to the rarity, its safe to say these are some of Ken Griffey Jr.s rarest and most valuable rookie cards. Despite hundreds of Juniors rookie cards on the market, the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey, Jr. #1 Rookie Card emerged on top this not only is our favorite Griffey Jr. rookie card and is also on our shortlist for our best long-term baseball card investment you cant get much better than this card, especially for collectors/investors in their 30s and 40s. Rated Ken Griffey, Jr. Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card values range from $10 to $20,000+. When we talk about Griffey, were talking about a multi-dimensional player. PSA 10 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. Upper Deck rookie cards are a top-rated investment as they destroyed the S&P 500 in a head-to-head match-up over the last three years! 1990 Topps #336 Ken Griffey Jr. Like the base set rookie, it can be found in both the standard set and the more valuable Tiffany version (running in the low-$200 range lately.). The prices shown are the lowest prices available for Ken Griffey Jr. the last time we updated. The 1989 Classic Travel II is less common than the Update I and as a result, also more expensive. The 1989 Topps Traded Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card is among the most common and iconic Ken Griffey Jr. rookie cards. 1989 was the first year Topps revived the Bowman brand, They originally purchased it in the 1950s and never used the intellectual property. PSAs population report, there are 15 copies of the 1989 Fleer Ken Griffey Jr. at a PSA 10 grade. Check out as guest. Fleer made approximately 30,000 of these sets, making it considerably rarer than the 1989 Fleer set and the preceding years of Glossy parallels. 1989 Bowman. On September 14 that year, they hit consecutive home runs in the first inning against the California Angels. The features Griffey Jr. at bat with a grey and pink boarder. Because this set was unpopular upon release, many dealers did not order the product. 1989 TOPPS TRADED #41T KEN GRIFFEY JR. His image is framed by a black and grey boarder. I wasnt aware of any card from 1991 being considered a rookie card! 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. by Tyson Beck Topps Project 2020, 1989 Donruss Baseballs Best Ken Griffey Jr. RC #192, However, lets not forget he was also a 10-time. The color scheme makes the card pop, as does the great shot of Griffey taking a massive cut. The design is basic, so the action photo is what sets this card apart and gives it a slight value boost. SGC vs. BGS vs. PSA Grading: Who Is Best in 2023? Buy Ken Griffey Jr. baseball trading cards from Baseball Card Stars, the player collector's supersite. While it isnt as rare as the 1989 Star Ken Griffey, Jr. Seattle eventually traded him to the Reds for pitcher Brett Tomko, outfielder Mike Cameron, and minor league players Antonio Perez and Jake Meyer on February 10, 2000. It is also home to many cards having misspelled words, different poses, wrong statistics, and wrong information. The Ken Griffey, Jr. rookie card from this set is one of the most sought-after early parallels in hobby history and is often found off-center. As of May 2021, there are ~100 PSA graded cards with only three PSA 9 and eight PSA 8. $1.09. Like Bowmans cards from the 1950s, these are taller than standard cards 2 x 3 inches (standard 2 x 3 ). To top it off, finding one that is centered is a big challenge. It is always best to buy cards graded and authenticated by a third-party grading company such as PSA, BGS, or SGC. If you have any questions or need help buying a Griffey Jr. RC, please email us at [email protected] and title the email Griffey RC Advice, and we will expedite the response if you cite this write-up. Due to the cheap cardstock, many cards have uneven borders, soft corners, or chipping ink on the edges. All Topps Tiffany sets were printed in Topps Irish printing facility and have different print runs. Of the 484 cards in the set, only 46 are rookie cards. This is due to many factors, including poor cutting techniques, whitening on the dark borders, cheap cardstock, and overall cheap manufacturing techniques. Another example is the difference in price between the 1989 Bowman and 1989 Bowman Tiffany cards. 1989 Score Young Superstars Series Two is a 42-card boxed set with five trivia cards. By far one of the most iconic cards in modern sports card times and is a childhood memory for many in the hobby. Griffey was also a 10-time American League Gold Glove Award winner, a seven-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and the 1992 All-Star Game MVP during his tenure in Seattle. PSA 10 graded versions of this card are very rare and limited historical sales data exists. While PSA received around 1,800 copies of this card for grading, only over 300 copies received the elusive Gem Mint rating. ROOKIE CARD USA 10 GEM MT. Ken Griffey, Jr. (November 21, 1969-) and Ken Griffey, Sr. became the first father/son duo to play in the Major Leagues at the same time, the same lineup at the same time and are the first to hit home runs in the same game when playing for Seattle in September of 1990. 1. Remember, this is a Tiffany card, so make sure the number on the back has a capital letter T after 41. The 89 Fleer set is home to the famous Bill Ripken vulgarity and Randy Johnson Marlboro ad cards. Nonetheless, the reason for its value comes down to supply and demand. This card is unique for a few reasons. So they are not rare by any means. The Seattle Mariners drafted Ken Griffey Jr. (11/21/1969) with the 1st pick in the 1987 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Archbishop Moeller HS (Cincinnati, OH). You must be careful when purchasing Tiffany cards because they are identical to the standard issued sets. In the number one spot for the most valuable Ken Griffey Jr Rookie card is the 1989 Upper Deck RC, from probably the most well-known Griffey card set. The most valuable Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card is his 198 Bowman Tiffany #220. Please comment below if you have any recommendations on which cards should make this list. Ken Griffey Jr. HOF Signed Autograph Auto 1989 Upper Deck Rookie Card # 1 PSA $499.99 Buy It Now for only: $499.99 Buy It Now Everyone figured that since Upper Deck looked expensive and cost more, it had a lower print run than the Topps junk.right? I believe his card prices will go as the sports card market goes: if new collectors and investors continue to enter the hobby, you will likely continue to see a steady increase in Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card values. The collection features a Warren Spahn puzzle and the outstanding rookies of the 1989 season, including Griffey, Sheffield, Johnson, and Deion Sanders. Each card features a blue boarder with the Star brand in the top-right, but the image on each card varies. Ken Griffey Jr RCs came off the presses in 1989 with a crazy amount of cards to choose from as they were released during the 'junk wax era'. Although the cards feature the same picture as the standard set, the front and back are both glossy, giving the card an ultra-smooth polish and feel. In addition to the glossy front, this card distinguishes itself from the standard set because of its white card stock instead of the traditional gray stock, which one can easily see on the cards back. The value between the two is substantial. His 1989 Upper Deck Rookie Card is one of the most famous cards in the hobby, ranking right up there with Jordan, Jeter, and Brady regarding popularity search on Google. Etsy Search for items or shops Close search Skip to Content Sign in 0 Cart Halloween Hub Jewelry & Accessories 1989 Fleer is yet another set printed in the junk wax era and tainted by a large print run. He is one of, Five (5) 1989 Upper Deck PSA 10, One (1) 1989 Upper Deck SGC Pristine, Two (2) 1989 Bowman Tiffany, Two (2) Donruss Rated Rookie, One (1) Topps Traded Tiffany Rookie Card, One (1) 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. Autograph Upper Deck RC #1. Like the Tiffany editions, this premium version of its standard card has a glossy finish and higher quality card stock. The card features Griffey Jr. holding a baseball bat over his left shoulder, eye-black beneath his eyes, while wearing a blue Seattle Mariners jersey. The card features the classic Donruss Rated Rookie logo which increases the appeal for many collectors and investors. PSA graded 46 of the Griffey #1 Prospect cards. The 1989 Griffey Jr. If youre looking to buy an affordable yet, iconic Ken Griffey Jr rookie card, look no further than his Topps Traded rookie. And it was an exceptionally limited run. 1 draft pick, its rare that a players on-field accomplishments live up to the hype. Griffey was also a 10-time American League Gold Glov, made MLB history by becoming the first father and son t. andem to play in the same game in 1990. 1989 Bowman is a 484-card set released by Topps on July 6th, 1989. 1) 1989 Upper Deck Rookie RC #1. Ken Griffey Jr . Little wonder Junior was a 13-time All-Star, the 1997 American League MVP, and a National Baseball Hall of Fame member. As of May 2021, there are ~1,100 PSA 10 1989 Score Ken Griffey Jr. Scoremasters rookie cards and the card value is ~$133. As a result, the cards do not fit into standard-sized 9-pocket sheets, top-loaders, or cardboard set boxes, and it briefly caused a run on 8-pocket sheets. A sure way to know if the set has one is if they contain 50 cards. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. Topps designed the set to resemble the 1953 Bowman Color set.