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One of the most iconic modern day baseball cards is arguably the Ken Griffey Jr. Upper Deck rookie card despite the big print runs.
In addition to being a first ballot Hall of Famer, Griffey Jr. aka “The Kid” had a storied career ever since he came into the league in 1989.
That coincided with the inaugural set of Upper Deck Baseball, which featured Griffey Jr. as card #1. If you want to know everything about this iconic Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card, check out the video below.
Needless to say, this card is in our top 3 picks, and while there was mass production of this particular baseball card, a gem mint graded card is still relatively rare (hence the current dollar value).
But for those who want alternatives to his now iconic Upper Deck baseball rookie card, we gave you a couple more choices below.
1. 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Rookie Card
Not much further to add than the intro of this post other than if you’re a Griffey Jr. fan, then this baseball card in your personal collection is a must.
You can see below from the links how much PSA 10 cards are going for today.
2. 1989 Donruss Baseball Rated Rookie Card
A cheaper alternative to the Upper Deck rookie card is from the Donruss set.
It featured these Ken Griffey Jr. cards under their very popular Rated Rookie subset.
3. 1989 Topps Traded Tiffany Rookie Card #41T
For high-end collectors, this is one of few Griffey Jr. rookie cards that came out in limited quantities.
Don’t confuse it for the regular Topps Traded (sans Tiffany) card, which is far more affordable.
MORE INFO ABOUT KEN GRIFFEY JR.: Ken Griffey Jr. was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016 with an amazing 99.3% of the vote.
His popularity isn’t all that surprising considering his exceptional career, which spanned 22 seasons, from 1989 to 2010. Over the course of his career, he hit 630 home runs, 1,836 RBIs, and a career batting average of .284.
He was also a 13-time All-Star, 10-time Gold Glove winner, and won the 1997 American League MVP award.
Griffey quickly became a fan favorite with the joy he brought to the field every time he played. His signature backwards cap, super smooth swing, and highlight-reel catches in center field will be remembered as hallmarks of his career.
Griffey’s legacy extends into the hobby with the popularity of his rookie cards and the impact they have had on the sports card industry.
He was a card almost every collector wanted or had during the junk wax era in the 1980s and 1990s. Griffey’s rookie cards from 1989, produced by Upper Deck, are some of the most iconic and valuable cards of this era.
They are still highly sought after by collectors, both for their historical significance and their aesthetic appeal.
The value of Griffey’s rookie cards has risen steadily over the years including the #1 card in the 1989 Upper Deck set and for some collectors, the nostalgia became the reason why card collecting was fun again.
Check us out on our YouTube channel for video presentations on popular card sets and about the hobby! And to see more of the iconic Upper Deck rookie cards currently listed for sale on eBay, check out the dedicated blog post here.