Ryan Barone (@ballcardgenius, Card Expert) is a lifelong member of the hobby. He has been quoted in PSA Magazine, and his content has regularly been mentioned in “Quick Rips” (the Topps RIPPED Newsletter) and across other hobby publications. hello@ballcardgenius.com; Last Time Ago LLC dba Ballcard Genius.
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While the best cards of the 80s give you that warm and fuzzy retro feeling, any mention of the 90s starts with a deep breath and soul searching. But while many immediately think 1991 Fleer and the worst of the decade, there is actually a lot to celebrate between the years of 1990 and partying like it’s 1999.
Chipper Jones and Derek Jeter rookies, Ken Griffey Jr. inserts, Tiffany and more—there is a lot to like.
So, with all of that, here is the list of the 100+ most valuable baseball cards from the 90s. As mentioned, this is from the last 365 days as reported by Market Movers. The list is searchable and sortable, with columns for the last sale (and the date), the average selling price of that one-year span, and the total number of sales for that card during the time.
Below the table is a gallery of some of the different groups of cards so you can take a visual look tp help identify cards in your own collection.
The links are eBay affiliate links, which means if you click them and make an eBay purchase, I’ll receive a commission.
One big caveat here. I removed all of the 1991 Topps Desert Shield cards from this list. Why? While 1991 Topps Desert Shield are absolutely some of the most valuable baseball cards from the 1990s, the list became a little bogged down by them. Meaning, any star or rookie is going to go for big bucks, and even the common players sell well.
? [VIDEO TIP] Here is a video tutorial on how I found all of these cards:
Another caveat here is that these are all raw cards. One, I wanted to level the playing field because this is a 365-day snapshot. So if one Puckett Provisions PSA 10 had been sold all year and for big bucks, it didn’t feel right to include that as one of the 90s most valuable. It’s about the card and not the grade.
Read More: Bo Jackson Black & White Card Values
That said, my goal with this list is to show you which cards from the 90s might be valuable so that you can head back into your stash to see if you have any. Then, from there and if you do, taking a look at the condition, building an understanding of what makes a card valuable and then hopefully grading it and increasing its value.
Rookie Card Parallels
While finding a Derek Jeter, Chipper Jones, or Vladimir Guerrero rookie card would be a boon, parallels are where the value is at. Notice the Jeter with the “Topps Gold” logo and gold foil finish on his nameplate. The Chipper Jones 1991 Topps Draft Pick might look run of the mill, but look closely at the palm tree and “Desert Shield” underneath the #1 logo. Last, while you can’t immediately tell from the front (unless held in good lighting) the back of the Vlad will say “refractor.”
Ken Griffey Jr. Inserts
When it comes to 90s inserts, Ken Griffey Jr. rules. Check out a few of the top inserts below, but as a rule of thumb, if you have a shiny Griffey, always double-check the value. While it probably won’t make the list of 100 most valuable sports cards, you just never know! Not to mention, Skybox Thunder is responsible for a lot of value, as is the case with these examples (Turbocharged and Hipnotized)
Base Rookies
Of course, it doesn’t always have to be a card that is over the top special. 1992 Bowman Mariano Rivera, 1997 Fleer and Fleer Ultra David Arias (Ortiz), 1992 Fleer Update Mike Piazza, 1993 Pinnacle Derek Jeter, and 1990 Leaf Frank Thomas are just a few.
Special Rookies
I say “special” because these aren’t rookies you’re going to find in an everyday pack of cards. Instead, you’ll have to check special “traded” and “tiffany” sets and other releases to find 1992 Nomar Garciaparra Topps Traded Gold USA rookie, or a 1993 Stadium Club Murphy Derek Jeter.
Read More: Rare Baseball Cards from the 90s
Others
