Free shipping on many items . It gives Fleer, Topps, and Upper Deck a severe run for their money. I still feel Upper Deck products are among the highest quality baseball cards produced. The design is much brighter than the flagship issue and features a great action shot of The Kid at the plate. Ken Griffey Jr., Seattle Mariners. 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. The 1989 Donruss Ken Griffey Jr. Another rookie card features a photo of Junior without his most fearsome asset his bat. The front of the card shows a young Junior getting ready to swing for the fences. The eBay advanced search is our preferred option, or you can also drop us an email, and we will do the work for you (which is the easiest way, in our opinion). And if you know anything about the controversy surrounding the Billy Ripken card in this set, you'll realize this is the only set in which Griffey's card isn't the major highlight. Griffey is shown following through on a swing in a great action shot. Still, many agreed that the COVID-19 virus had much to do with it as collectors had ample time to sit around and browse baseball card listing on eBay (the stimulus check didnt hurt either). center fielders in the history of professional baseball. We may earn an affiliate commission if you On that note, investing in a player of Griffeys credentials and caliber is wise. Not surprisingly, this is one of the most valuable Ken Griffey Jr. cards released during his rookie season. Ken Griffey Jr. [Star Rookie] prices (Baseball Cards 1989 Upper Deck) are updated daily for each source listed above. Card backs on the Tiffany cards are also much brighter. They have a yellow background on front but the back is blank. @William The price guide can be accessed here (subscription required): https://www.beckett.com/opg. Ms drafted him No. Copyright 2023, Beckett Collectibles, LLC. 1989 was really the perfect storm for Griffey and his cards. It helped define a generation of collecting. We use cookies to help personalize content, tailor and measure ads, and provide a safer experience. Meanwhile, across the room there were single cards of card #1 being bought and sold quickly at $4-6 each. Bowman had not released a set since 1955 after they were bought out by their largest competitor, Topps. #1, 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. Ken Griffey Jr. Fun Fact: He attended Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati. FREE shipping Add to Favorites 1989 Ken Griffey Jr Rookie Card - Starting Lineup - Sports Figure Vintage Ad vertisement by . Griffey signed a nine-year, $112.5 million deal with the Reds. . As popular as Ken Griffey Jr. Theyre extremely tough to get, even straight from a pack or factory set. However, it still commands a reasonable price in the three-digit range. 1 pick of Seattle in 1987.I signedout 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 2nd pro season.Dad played in Majors for Reds, Yankees, and Braves.. @Char The price guide can be accessed here (subscription required): https://www.beckett.com/price-guides/baseball. Rookie Card joins Fleer, Bowman and Upper Deck as being his only mainstream pack-inserted RCs, but it's all kinds of drab. Its importance to the hobby cannot be understated and it's arguable that this is the most important modern baseball card you can find. Since 1981, Topps, Donruss, and Fleer had released standard card sets in wax packaging. The owner, and some of his partners came together with the backing of California Angles players Duane Buice and Wally Joyner to create Upper Deck, the card company. But thats not the only one. Still more expensive than either of the regular 1989 Bowman Ken Griffey Jr. cards, its much cheaper than Griffeys solo Tiffany card. When you get the Gem Mint version, you have one of the best Ken Griffey, Jr. rookie sleeper cards. Also box after box after BOX of cards mostly baseball I seen some football some basketball. And if you wonder if being the #1 card maters? There are still many unopened factory sets for sale, and likely in your very own closet. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! DEAD CENTERED! In mint condition. See Also: 24 Ken Griffey Jr. Cards That Remind Us Why We Love Him. Its not expensive or hard to find either. The reason is that a considerable majority of the 1,397 copies of PSA received for grading have a centering issue. By far one of the most iconic cards in modern sports card times and is a childhood memory for many in the hobby. Available at almost anytime on eBay auctions in a variety of grades. What are they worth. He was also won the American League MVP in 1997. These are certainly one of the more odd Ken Griffey Jr. rookie issues. Because its believed to be slightly short printed, card #2 the one where hes holding a ball might cost a little more. Grades Prices 1989 UPPER DECK 1 KEN GRIFFEY JR. STAR ROOKIE Average Prices Most Recent Prices Auth PR 1 FR 1.5 GOOD 2 VG 3 VG - EX 4 VG+ 4.5 EX 5 EX+ 5.5 EX - MT 6 NM+ 6.5 NM 7 NM+ 7.5 NM - MT 8 NM - MT+ 8.5 MINT 9 GEM - MT 10 0 1k 2k Professional Sports Authenticator AUCTION PRICES REALIZED. $139.99 or Best Offer 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr RookieChamps 9.5- $169.99 0 bids $4.95 shipping 3d 7h or Best Offer The 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. Auth. And he admitted to still owning over 100 copies of the card. In top condition they can still go for over $500. Off the top of my head, I am not familiar with the error. It was actually an image of Griffey in a San Bernadino Spirits uniform, corrected with a graphics machine called Scitex. The Ken Griffey Jr Score Traded rookie card is an ideal starter card for kids or new collectors not looking to spend hundreds. I have a factory pack of 1989 upperdeck baseball still in wrapping,never open. Make sure you see 41T in the upper right-hand corner. Griffey is shown following through on a swing in a great action shot. He knew the photo was originally a San Bernadino shot. Rookie 1 update #700, 1989 Upper Deck - #1 Ken Griffey Jr (RC) FAIR CONDITION ICONIC CARD #1, 1989 Upper Deck KEN GRIFFEY JR. #1 Rookie RC Mariners MINT GRADING 8.5 NM-MT+ #1, 1989 Upper Deck #1 Ken Griffey Jr RC Star rookie card Seattle Mariners HOF Sharp, Ken Griffey Jr 1989 Upper Deck Baseball HOF Rookie Card RC #1 Mariners NMT/MNT+ #1, 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. Donruss is one of the most famous baseball card brands during Griffeys era. Upper Deck came out at $1.00 a pack. Growing up in the late 1980's, there was nothing more that my friends and I would rather pull from a pack than a Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. Issued in very small numbers as a test issue, its not really a baseball card in the traditional sense. Its success propelled Junior to become the spokesperson for the company. This card, and the 1990 Leaf Frank Thomas always came out when ya had a sure win hand :) For most, this is the Holy Grail of early Ken Griffey Jr. items. Any collector of cards from the 1970s and 1980s can point to some pretty ugly airbrushed efforts. Equally important was the price. I doubt it, though.. The back of the card reads, Ken made his professional baseball debut at Bellingham in 1987. Production estimates quickly doubled. Youve heard the story before there are lots of these out in the wild. Thanks for the article I have pretty much all of his 89 rookies cards but they are not for sell. This card isnt on the radar of most collectors but is a true beauty and is very underrated. On any given day you can find 500-1,000 copies listed on eBay alone. Upper Deck could not use minor league photos, and none existed of Griffey in Mariners garb. Rookie RC - PSA 9 MINT ! Any thoughts? And with more people buying more packs, production numbers ballooned. #1, 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. He played at San Bernardino and Vermont in 1988.. But we dont stop there. So if you come across a raw copy thats dead center, take it as a warning flag that it might be a fake. is one of the most famous baseball card brands during Griffeys era. At the first shows you could hear things like, One dollar a pack? The 1989 Score, Masters Griffey Jr. RC artwork, is impressive and captures his trademark swing in a unique format. 11. This is the best Bowman Ken Griffey, Jr. rookie card on the market. I still remember going to the flea market with my dad and purchasing one for $10. Thanks. He moved on to Classic Games until 1998, when he started SA-GE Sportscards with Robert Sadlak. He was tasked with putting the 1989 Upper Deck Baseball checklist together, a checklist that would be one of the most important to a generation of collectors. It was one of the few times I would cross paths with the pressmen. Ive seen 2 variations of the 89 Upper Deck Griffeys. Ryan M, The 90 Topps is cut out from the top of the wax box that the card packs came in. Theyre also much more common. He was also a part of the 1989 Donruss The Rookies set, the companys version of Topps Traded. Maybe even a case, or ten. Raw copies of the 1989 Upper Deck Griffey below can be found for under $10. We do not factor unsold items into our prices. This isnt one of them. The likes of Paul Blair, Gil Heredia and Ricky Bones are among the sets second tier. While PSA received around 1,800 copies of this card for grading, only over 300 copies received the elusive Gem Mint rating. Boxes could be had at $14 to $16. Tom Geideman would go from high school and Rookie Card Stock Broker, to a card shop and card company executive in little over a year and a half. Reduced: $2,40399. Griffey had to look like a long-shot to anyone in that position. He's also got one of the most comprehensive collections of John Jaha cards in existence (not that there are a lot of them). Heres the story of the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card and its lasting impact on the hobby. Ken Griffey, Jr. made headlines in the major leagues for 22 seasons. Geideman just needed to convince his supervisors, including Jay McCraken. Info on Beckett Grading can be found at beckett.com/grading. -A Vermont in 1988 was cut short by a back injury. In doing research for this piece, there were stories published that estimated the initial print run of Upper Deck Series I at 1 million of each card. When we talk about Griffey, were talking about a multi-dimensional player. And Griffey's card, in particular, really captured his trademark swing in a unique format. The PSA population report currently has 1,625 copies of this card with a Gem Mint rating. 1989 Upper Deck #1 Ken Griffey Jr. Star Rookie RC NM PSA 7 Graded Baseball Card 4 $8800 $12 delivery Feb 1 - 6 Only 1 left in stock - order soon. Griffey signed a nine-year, $112.5 million deal with the Reds. Issued as part of the annual box set, its still easy to find. Please enter the verification code that you received on your email. He was named Northwest League Player of the Week, June 16-22, with 3 HR and 8 RBI.. Although he was the Mariners number one overall draft pick in 1987, he had never appeared above Doulble-A to that point. Channeling 1986 Topps Baseball with its design, a reported 5,000 sets were made making this card relatively hard to find. Chart shows the price of Ken Griffey Jr. [Star Rookie] at the end of each month going back as long as we have tracked the item. I cant find anything online on this but I found a 1990 Ken Griffey Jr. Topps all star rookie card but the back where the stats would be is completely missing only a black piece of unprinted cardboard. Rookie RC PSA 9 HOF Perfect Centered. Perfect!! The Bowman cards were more significant than usual, measuring 2 1/2 x 3 3/4, and featured a full-color photo of Ken on one knee (see below for a rarer version). While not as common as the main set, its still far from rare. I have never seen mention of this card with SPIRIT in white. The regular 1988 Vermont Mariners team set from ProCards has a silver border. On the other hand, the former commands a heftier price on the market. 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! Years later, the rest of the set became almost irrelevant. That comes into play here with a set of four Ken Griffey Jr. cards that were included in specially marked boxes of Mothers Cookies for a limited time. I have some Star promo cards from his early days. Rookie Card #41T shows a boyish-looking Junior holding a bat. Rankings are based on the Beckett Baseball online price guide. On that note, investing in a player of Griffeys credentials and caliber is wise. Free shipping for many products! It was never about the first card in our first set. In terms of price, it wont create a severe dent in your wallet. I remember when Upper Deck hit the shelves. Regardless, these cards will always hold a special place in the hobby and some of them are surprisingly still worth quite a bit. 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr # 1 $500.00 $4.99 shipping or Best Offer Authenticity Guarantee 1989 Upper Deck 1 Ken Griffey Jr. But how many of those are featured in mainstream sports publications and cable programs, TV commercials, web sites and music videos? Vintage 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr ROOKIE card #1 EXMT RS ad vertisement by MikesMagazines. The first card in the set shows The Kid posing with his arms crossed. It's one of a very few Ken Griffey Jr. rookie cards to feature artwork of the rising start. This is probably the most recognizable Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card of them all. New card spending was skyrocketing. I honestly never thought about that, said Geideman. It was released separately as a late-issue promo. PSA 10s can generally be found for $325-425. The price guide can be accessed in the link in the top menu of this page. 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