Ken Griffey Jr Baseball Card Value

Ken Griffey Jr #193psa 10 Sold For $233

1989 Classic Travel Update II baseball trivia game

As mentioned above on the #18 card, the Classic Travel trivia game came in three series. This is update II also known as Travel Purple. The sealed pack containing this version has Griffey on the front as the first card. This leads to more damage from exposure to sunlight and potential damage from the plastic opening. Furthermore, the Update II appears rarer than the first series card.

PSA Population Report

PSA graded 1,778 of the Update II Griffey cards. Of those submitted, 264 graded gem mint 10. This leaves the supply low and forces the price up. Even the PSA 9 population is low, with 639 however, the value is not there. PSA 9s sells for $20, while PSA 10s fetch upwards of $200.

Ken Griffey Jr Rookie Card Value

Of course, one of the biggest questions collectors have when it comes to Junior is how much are his cards worth.

And, while we included much of that info in the discussion above, sometimes its helpful to have pricing information pulled together in one place.

Here, then, is a quick rundown of Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card values for copies in PSA 10 condition:

• 1989 Mothers Cookies Ken Griffey Jr. Arms Folded $200

• 1989 Classic Travel Ken Griffey Jr Update I $100

• 1988 Star Ken Griffey Jr. Silver Edition $100

• 1989 Score Traded Ken Griffey Jr. $200

• 1989 Bowman Tiffany Ken Griffey Father and Son $200

• 1989 Donruss Ken Griffey Jr. $400

• 1988-89 Star Nova Edition Ken Griffey Jr. Career Stats $500+

• 1989 Baseball Cards Magazine Repli-Cards Ken Griffey Jr. $1200+

• 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. $2000

• 1989 Fleer Glossy Ken Griffey Jr. $4000

• 1989 Topps Traded Ken Griffey Jr. Tiffany $4000

• 1989 Bowman Tiffany Ken Griffey Jr. $10,000+

Ken Griffey Jr Score Rookie & Traded Card #100t

Somehow, Score and Topps missed out on Griffey in their flagship offerings and included him in their Traded set. Being not a true rookie card , its value is a tick below most of the other Griffey rookie cards, making it another option for price-conscious fans.

The fact that 1989 Score sports an underrated set and nicer-than-average card stock for its era doesnt hurt any.

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Most Valuable Ken Griffey Jr Rookie Cards And Early Releases

The following list highlights the most valuable 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. cards. Rankings are based on the Beckett Baseball online price guide.

1. 1989 Topps Heads Up Ken Griffey Jr. #52. 1989 Bowman Tiffany Ken Griffey Jr. #2203. 1989 Fleer Glossy Ken Griffey Jr. #5484. 1989 Topps Tiffany Ken Griffey Jr. #41T5. 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. #1 RC

Below is a detailed look at every Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card. But we dont stop there. We also delve into some of his other 1989 releases that might not be quite as well known.

Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr Star Rookie Rc

Year: 1989

Price: $6,999.00

Another outstanding nomination for any Sports Trading Collector is this Upper Deck Baseball Trading Card with our noticeable star of the day Ken Griffey Jr in the 1989 Season where he played for The Seattle Mariners. This card also credits the iconic Rookie and is numbered #1 as its Card No. This Gem Mint label is graded 10/10 by Professional Sports Authenticator . For only $6,999.00 on eBay, it is worthy to be in any collectors collection.

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Upper Deck A Piece Of History 500 Club Ken Griffey Jr Bat Relic

With its elegant design and cross-generational checklist, Upper Deck’s Piece of History 500 Club is one of the greatest insert sets the hobby has ever seen. How appropriate then that Griffey, the face of the company since the beginning, was added to the set in 2004.

Inserted randomly in boxes of 2004 Upper Deck Etchings, regular versions with a game-used bat piece are limited to 350 copies. Autographed bat versions are numbered to 25.

Top 20 Ken Griffey Jr Rookie Cards

As one of the most significant drafts of all time, Ken Griffey Jr.s rookie cards carry some value. The 1989 Upper Deck or Donruss Rated Rookie cards are some of the most iconic Griffey cards, but are they the most valuable? Lets look at how the market values Ken Griffey Jr rookie cards and which ones collectors favor the most.

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Topps 40 Years Of Baseball All Star #790 $13000

This baseball card by Topps came up for auction on an online platform in 2022. The seller didnt have much to say about it: the description read simply Ken Griffey Jr Card Don Russ.

The card showed signs of age, looking less crisp around the edges than many of those on this list. It hadnt been professionally graded. It wasnt even in a rigid plastic case, kept instead in a simple soft-sided pocket.

The front showed Ken Griffey Jr in action at a game. And the reverse carried key details of his life and career, including his complete major and minor league batting record. It also noted that, in 1990, he and his father became the first father-son duo ever to play together as teammates.

The card and its description might have looked humble but this was a rare item. It sold for a staggering $13,000.

Donruss The Rookies Ken Griffey Jr #3

As we explored earlier, some of the big card producers got Griffey into their flagship product, while others got them into their rookie/traded offering. Donruss put Griffey in both.

With by far the highest pop on this list, it sells for a solid $150-200 in PSA 10, but far less in PSA 9 and below.

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Upper Deck Reflections Dual Signature Ken Griffey Jr Ken Griffey Sr

Perhaps the greatest father-son combo to ever play the game, Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. even spent a little time playing together with the Mariners. Upper Deck paired up their signatures in 2005 Upper Deck Reflections. The card has several similar versions of varying rarity, including some with jersey swatches. There are also other father-son autographs out there for the Griffeys, if you can’t locate this exact one.

Do you have a favorite Ken Griffey Jr. card? Feel free to comment below.

Topps Update Ken Griffey Jr Turkey Red Chrome Superfractor

Year: 2020

Price: $8,500.00

This Baseball Card Captures a beautiful position of Ken Griffey as he was about to score in the 2020 Major League Baseball precisely Topps set where Ken played for the Cincinnati Reds team. This Card is graded 10/10 by the Professional Sports Authenticator and it is named turkey red chrome. Its extra attribute is that it has Parallel/Variety, Rookie, it has a Serial Number, and it is Short Print. It sells on eBay for $8,500.00

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Ken Griffey Jr #1psa 10 Sold For $1426

1989 Upper Deck Star Rookie

The 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card was once regarded as his holy grail rookie card. However, with the introduction of third-party grading and population reports, collectors can see just how many of these cards were printed. PSA alone has graded 93,063, with 4,054 grading gem mint 10.

Anyone that views the numbers of his Upper Deck rookie card against his other cards, with a fraction of the supply, would say the Upper Deck has far too many and is overvalued. Especially considering PSA 10 prices have gone as high as $2,000. However, they would fail to realize the significance behind the card.

The baseball card that started it all

The 89 Upper Deck Star rookie #1 is the card that started the hobby hype. Grown men and kids were paying big money collecting these with the expectation that in 30 years, they would get an excellent return. However, they failed to realize how many cards Upper Deck printed.

The total amount is unknown, but some speculate that due to the simple design and thin card stock, some dealers printed these in batches creating fakes and selling them to capitalize on the hype. A tasteless technique we continue to see in the hobby today. Mass printing was enough for many collectors to get out of sports cards forever, but some stayed, and a lot returned. If you want to add this iconic Griffey rookie card to your collection, consider buying a PSA 9 or 8 at a discount.

Donruss Crusade Ken Griffey Jr Red Refractor Sample Rare $33100

Price: $33,100

Card manufacturers like Donruss started releasing Refractor parallels on the heels of the junk wax era in an effort to create scarcity and thus value in their cards. This Red Refractor from the 1997 Donruss Baseball set is one such example.

The 1997 Donruss Red Refractor has a print run of 25 cards. This rare sample card sold for $33,100 in a private sale on Ebay.

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Classic Travel Update Ii

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $175

Classic’s purple version is much more interesting to look at than the orange as Griffey Jr. is showcased in an action shot at bat.

I’m not sure if they’re necessarily more rare than the orange but they do command a higher price, on average.

Perhaps it’s just because they’re a bit more fun to look at.

Topps Heads Up Test #5

This set would make its official debut in 1990 however, a limited run was made and distributed to a few card shops in the Northeast. The 1990 version is identical, but a quick check of the copyright date will show it was produced in 1989. This die-cut card was originally meant to be stuck on or hung with a suction cup inside lockers or on walls. With a unique design and scarcity compared to every other Griffey rookie, this is a card that few collectors have.

This card is so rarely graded because of its size and limited release as a test card that a fair market price is hard to gauge. In the highest grade, this card could easily fetch $5,000.00+. As fewer high-grade cards make an appearance on the market this price can go higher.

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Topps Traded Ken Griffey Jr Rookie Card #41t

Youve heard the story before there are lots of these out in the wild. Lots. While thats hurt values to a certain extent, thats about all it hurts. The 1989 Topps Traded Ken Griffey Jr. is one of his most attractive early cards. Issued as part of the annual box set, its still easy to find.

Buy:

Fleer Brilliants 24k Gold Ken Griffey Jr

Price:

photo source: Goldin

The Fleer Brilliants 24k Gold Ken Griffey Jr. card received a grade of EX 5 by the PSA, making it only one of two examples of this card to get that high. This card was produced in a limited edition of only 24 examples, with this one being #14/24.

Its the 24k gold foil overlay that really makes this card stand out. Beware of listings on eBay for hundreds of thousands of dollars on cards like these they probably arent verified or even real foil. A real parallel foil or border foil card will sell more in the realm of $10,000-$20,000, depending on its condition.

The record for this card was set at a Goldin auction for $26,400.

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Most Valuable Ken Griffey Jr Baseball Cards Worth Money

Many sports lovers enjoy collecting memorabilia. And for baseball fans, cards featuring legendary player Ken Griffey Jr are a great find.

But with lots of different designs on the market, how do you know which ones are valuable? And just how much could they be worth?

If youve been wondering about the answers to those questions, youve come to the right place! Were going to explore 15 of the most valuable Ken Griffey Jr baseball cards sold in recent years. And well tell you just what it was that meant they commanded such a high price.

So if youre ready, lets find out more!

Best Ken Griffey Jr Cards On A Budget

Hoping to an an autographed an amazing Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card to the collection? Look no further. This beauty from Score offers Griffeys signature at a shockingly affordable price. So if you have $500 to throw a card, you should be able to get the deal done. And thats not for a low graded or raw card either. Thats for a PSA GEM MINT 10. Talk about a BARGAIN.

In addition to the autograph, youll also be getting one of the coolest first year Griffey Jr. cards out there. While it appears hes either fouling one off or taking a warm up swing, you cant help but love the flailing gold chain. Nothing wrong with a little flare!

1989 Score Young Super Stars

While score was never the cream of the crop in the world of baseball cards, its Young Superstars collection from 1989 sure churned out a decent Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. As with most cards from this era it takes a simple approach. Nothing too drastic, just a photo of Kens ultra-smooth left handed swing enraptured my a purple border.

1989 Donruss Baseballs Best

1989 Classic Travel Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card eBay Rare Gem

Anyways, not only is the card rare its incredibly easy on the wallet. Have an extra hundred bucks or two? You should be able to haul in a PSA 10. Sure beats standing around looking at a new driver or iron set.

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Ken Griffey Jr Autographed Bowman

Year: 1989

Price: $4,750.00

Finally, on our list, today Is this Autographed Baseball Trading Card from the 1989 Bowmans Season. Ken Griffeys signature was beautifully featured in this Card. It was graded a Grade Mint 10/10 by Professional Sports Authenticator and DNA which confirmed that the card is authentic, and it comes in a tamper-proof holder. You can get this for $4,750.00 on eBay.

Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr Rookie Stars #1

When Upper Deck came to town in 1989 with its snappy, foil packs and premium-designed baseball cards, it changed the collecting game for good.

Collectors only knew the bare bones junk level cards from Topps, Donruss, Score, and Fleer.

1989 Upper Deck Griffey Jr Rookie Card

These new, higher-priced premium cards set the table for what would be a long line of incremental pushes toward higher-end cards in the hobby. And, of course, it worked. Upper Deck’s 1989 issue was a smashing success.

As a collector at the time, I can still remember breaking the foil packs apart and praying for a Ken Griffey Junior Upper Deck rookie card. It was THE hobby’s hottest rookie card and the ‘holy grail’ for kids at the time.

*Side note, if you want to read a great story about the Upper Deck company and its mark left on the hobby in the 1990’s, check out the book ‘Card Sharks’, which we listed here as one of the best baseball card books for collectors.

Everyone figured that since Upper Deck looked expensive and cost more, it had a lower print run than the Topps junk…right?

Well, sad to say, but Upper Deck’s perception as an issue with a limited print run was more folklore than anything else. I can’t say they exactly pulled the wool over our eyes. From an excellent Slate piece in 2008:

ICYMI: Ken Griffey Jr. recreated his famous 1989 Upper Deck rookie card for a Macklemore music video

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The Absolute Best Ken Griffey Jr Card Of All Time

Ken Griffey Jr. rookie cards are some of the best investments in the hobby and right now seem to be hotter than hotcakes. The retired outfielder spent the majority of his career with the Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds. A living legend, he made the MLB All-Century Team, and was a 13-time All-Star over two decades.

Heres a list that includes five of the best Ken Griffey Jr rookie cards options. If youre looking for the best ROI, that is! Also, dont forget to take a look at the checklist and speculation on what the cards may do going forward.

Skybox Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Ken Griffey Jr Bgs 8

Price: $46,800

While Skybox did not start producing baseball cards until 1998, they picked a great year to do so. The epic home run race between Ken Griffey Jr., Mark McGuire, and Sammy Sosa captivated the sports world. Skybox was able to capitalize on the spectacle.

Skybox did a print run of only 50 cards for each of the Precious Metal Gems parallels. Skybox Precious Metal Gems have slowly gained popularity but hit the big time when a Green PMG Michael Jordan sold for over $900,000 in 2020.

It is one of the most expensive Michael Jordan basketball cards ever sold.

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Ken Griffey Jr Donruss Rookie Card #33

The 1989 Donruss set is one of the junkwaxiest of the junk wax era. That being said, these orange stock cards were printed on thin stock, and finding them in top condition is a challenge. While over 40,000 copies of the Ken Griffey Jr. rated rookie card have been graded by PSA, fewer than 2,000 have been graded PSA 10.

Because of this, a PSA 10 will set you back more than Griffeys other non-UD rookie cards.