(*5*)
For a long time, new gamers solely had one or two first-year difficulty playing cards. But gathering was booming within the late Eighties and early Nineteen Nineties. As a end result, collectors might decide and select which rookies they needed to accumulate. This was by no means extra true than in the course of the 1989 gathering season. And the large stud that yr was Ken Griffey Jr. Here are his 5 finest rookie playing cards.
1989 Bowman
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In the Forties and early Fifties, the Bowman gum firm produced a number of the business’s hottest playing cards. The model was bought by Topps and discontinued in 1956. In 1989, Topps determined to deliver again the playing cards in a larger-than-normal format. The are many key rookies within the set like Gary Sheffield, John Smoltz, Robin Ventura, and naturally, Ken Griffey Jr.
While the set was mass-produced, the bigger dimension made the playing cards much less probably to find yourself in a case or binder and so they had been extra probably to get nook dings. Still, the most effective funding for a Griffey Jr. rookie can be a PSA 10. Copies on this situation could be discovered on eBay for round $250.
1989 Donruss
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Based in Irving, Texas, the Donruss firm started producing playing cards within the Nineteen Sixties and Seventies, although these points had been centered on leisure. In 1981, Donruss joined Fleer and Topps as the three firms to produce baseball playing cards. Like the opposite firms, Donruss produced huge quantities of their playing cards hurting collectibility.
Like with different firms, it is strongly recommended that collectors buy Griffey Jr.’s first Donruss providing in a PSA 10. PSA graded 20,215 of the playing cards in an 8 and 12,541 in a 9. There are just one,926 of the Donruss Griffey Jr. rookies rated as a ten and they are often had on-line for round $325.
1989 Fleer
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Along with Topps and Donruss, Fleer was one of many largest producers of playing cards in the course of the 1980’s. Their 1989 set was famous each for its grey pinstripe design and its mass manufacturing. This is without doubt one of the most available first-year playing cards for the Mariners legend. In truth, there are greater than twice as many 89 Fleer playing cards graded in a PSA 10 as there are Donruss.
Still, collectors could also be keen to decide up one of many 5,149 PSA 10 Fleer Griffey Jr. rookie playing cards that exist within the market. You can decide one up for round $135.
1989 Upper Deck
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In the late Eighties and early Nineteen Nineties, this was the cardboard that each hobbyist wanted to have of their assortment. As quickly as he got here up, Griffey Jr. appeared to be the subsequent Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays. And as well as to his prodigious expertise, he injected enjoyable and swagger into the sport.
Like all the opposite base units from this yr, Upper Deck’s first providing was mass-produced. To at the present time, nonetheless, collectors don’t care when it comes to this card. Despite a plethora of provide, a PSA 9 Griffey rookie goes for $230 and a PSA 10 sells for just a little over $2,000.
1989 Topps Traded Tiffany
Image by way of PSA
The largest manufacturers all produced Ken Griffey Jr. rookie playing cards by the hundreds. So collectors searching for a extra unique model of the child’s first card ought to look to Tiffany variations. This variant, a part of the Topps model, options a lot decrease portions, higher card inventory, and a glossier end.
Griffey Jr. is card quantity 41 within the Topps Traded Tiffany set and PSA has solely graded 334 of the playing cards as a PSA 10. As a end result, they’re fairly costly with a gem mint copy going for round $3,200.
*Any perceived funding recommendation is that of the freelance blogger and doesn’t signify recommendation on behalf of GoCollect.
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