His first job was the monumental task of selecting the players in the company's first set and coming up with an order. The decision to put the Ken Griffey Jr. RC as the number one card was made by Tom Geideman, at the time 18-year-old who was a big fan of collecting baseball cards and had been hired as one of Upper Decks first employees. Mistakes were inevitable because the 1989 baseball cards were Upper Decks first on the market. Some people will always cling to tradition, which was no different in the card industry. Free shipping for many products! "He was the team's No. Stallbaumer represents an entire generation of collectors and baseball fans, although to a more extreme degree, who fell in love with the altered portrait of Ken Griffey Jr.s sly smile printed with a quality that had never been seen before. Coming off of two Minor League Player of the Year Awards, how could he not be? Period. Another member of the "Star Rookies" subset, Gary Sheffield, did turn out to be one of the biggest stars of his era. Wagner is not only famous for his baseball skills but also because he is pictured on one of the most famous baseball cards ever. Your Account has been confirmed and activated successfully. But the story of how Griffey became the centerpiece of the set has rarely been told. Two-time minor league player of the year. The internet is ridden with speculation of a Ken Griffey Jr. 1989 Upper Deck error card. Griffey currently has the seventh most home runs in MLB history and captured Americas heart. They were so hyped. Everyone wanted a piece of the action. 1 at Upper Deck. KEN GRIFFEY Jr. 1989 Upper Deck Star Rookie #1 RC Rookie New - eBay One collector recently plunked down a cool $2,000 for a BGS 10. As you can see, this iconic set is packed with some fantastic rookie cards, stars, and errors to keep things interesting. How many of those could your non-collector friends identify? In the spring of 1989, a few months later than first hoped, arrived 1989 Upper Deck Baseball a foil-wrapped, tamper-evident pack contained high gloss cards on high quality white paper stock, with images on both sides, and a hologram. I swapped him for two cards of little value and made this young lads day, week, year, which was so worth it to see he could barely contain himself. The solution to this problem came from a smiling headshot of Griffey Jr. in a San Bernardino Spirit uniform, taken by Sports Illustrated photographer V.J. Before using this information to make a buying or selling decision, confirm the data by consulting the actual sales catalog and prices realized. When you have the regular and the Tiffany next to each other, its easy to tell. Griffey had to look like a long-shot to anyone in that position. By navigating the site, you agree to the use of cookies to collect information. Over 96,000 Upper Deck Griffey RCs have been graded by PSA. (The 1985 Topps Mark McGwire is close to passing the Fleer Griffey for third place. All of this sprung on a hungry, growing hobby looking for a star to throw money at. $150.00 $ 150. If you were sculpting a sports cards Mount Rushmore, its safe to say those three cards would be on there, right next to Billy Ripkens bat. Geideman called V.J. Donruss and Fleer were the new kids on the block, but they were significant because they broke the monopoly that Topps had held on baseball cards for nearly thirty years. Unlike the Honus Wagner T206 card, the 1989 Upper Deck Griffey Jr. card is not unique because of its rarity. 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. Upper Deck Rookie Card (Ultimate Guide) 1989 Upper Deck #1 Ken Griffey Jr. 87 #1 Pick RC Rookie On Card PSA 9/10 Auto. The Upper Deck Company, LLC (colloquially as Upper Deck and Upper Deck Authenticated, Ltd. in the UK), founded in 1988, is a private company primarily known for producing trading cards. It has that "classic" look and features a baby-faced Griffey Jr. at the dish, ready to pummel a pitch past the fences. They were so hyped. A post shared by David Gonos (@davidgonos). The story of how Ken Griffey Jr.'s rookie card became No. Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Cards Graded Total Over 100,000 That means the card needs to be flawless. 1. Staffed with great financial minds like Richard McWilliam, hobbyists like Jay McCracken and Bill Hemrick, combined with leaders in print technology like Paul Sumner, Upper Deck was on track to create a beautiful product like the hobby had never seen. Believing that card designs had grown a bit dull, the 1989 Upper Deck baseball card set kicked things up a notch to take the hobby by storm. There are nearly as many cards graded lower than a PSA 8, as there are graded higher than a PSA 8. The raw materials are the same as every other card in that set, yet at the same time, it is the complete opposite of every other card in the set. The 1989 Upper Deck No. $9.95 $ 9. 1 overall pick as a high schooler just a couple years earlier. The Upper Deck hologram has not gone anywhere and can still be found on many of their cards today, and the small card shop in Anaheim has turned into a large sports card and memorabilia company. 1989 upperdeck goes for 15 dollars a pack on ebay. 3.9 out of 5 stars 6. 3 with a syringe. Good Times. Geideman wanted to begin the set with one of the top prospects of the time. Hi Kim, Online price guide subscriptions can be purchased here: https://www.beckett.com/price-guides/baseball. After his tenth appearance on the Hall of Fame ballot, Martinez received 85% of the vote and rightfully earned recognition for his place among the game's greats in 2019. His rookie card continues to rise in popularity among collectors as it will now set you back over $50 in top grade. 1989 Topps was selling for $0.45 a pack. pic.twitter.com/Bl8TdV0eD2, Baseballer (@TheBsblr) January 11, 2023. But we all know a good look means nothing without collectible content. You may think that it was only the serious adult collectors who cared about the cards value, but you would be misinformed. Rookie Cards for New Collectors 1989 Bowman Ken Griffey Jr./Ken Griffey Sr. #259 1989 Scoremasters #30 1989 Score Young Superstars Series II #18 1989 Score Rookie/Traded #100T 1989 Classic Travel #131 Ken Griffey Jr. 1989 Bowman Tiffany #220 1 to the new kid on the block, Upper Deck -- a company cobbled together by Anaheim, California, businessmen in time to usher in the era of investing in the baseball card business. Leading off in the desirable number one spot would be Ken Griffey Jr., a rookie and former first-overall draft pick that was not locked to be playing on the Mariners big league roster that spring. I so remember this card!!! Geideman was keen on using rookies for the first cards since that was what everyone was chasing, and he was going to put the best card at No. By 1989, a young Mark McGwire was already one of the biggest sluggers in baseball and this card perfectly captured his intimidating size and presence. This card is quite susceptible to imperfectness. With over a million copies made, the card has never held an extremely high monetary value and ungraded cards can be found online for under twenty dollars. Photoshop was not released until 1990. There still are plenty in excellent condition in circulation for a variety of reasons. No other card from the 1989 Upper Deck set has ever held significant monetary value. Please read our, The 1980s were a great time to be a collector of baseball cards. Nobody played more career games at shortstop than Vizquel (2,709), and he also owns the records for the highest career fielding percentage (.9847) and most career double plays turned (1,744). Where do I find this information? Griffey was the hero of the league, his smooth swing knocking ball after ball over the fence, yet he was more than just a ballplayer as he exuded cool and his cards reflected that. Original Price 10.65 At the time, sports card collectors were loving what would eventually be known as the Junk Wax Era. Before 2022, Royce Lewis was the last high schooler chosen first overall, and he just made his MLB debut with the Twins late in 2022. Boxes could be had at $14 to $16. Between the two teams, Griffey batted above .300 with 13 home runs and 52 RBIs. His rookie cards are coveted by collectors across the globe and have been in the dreams of kids since 1989, particularly the legendary 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. Upper Deck Rookie Card. When you click on links to various merchants on this site, like eBay, and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. His decision to make Ken Griffey Jr. the number one card in the 1989 set was a gamble that made the companys set the most desirable in the industry, all while being the first set the company had produced. His candidates included Gregg Jeffries, a player who had been in the big leagues with the Mets the previous season, as well as Gary Sheffield and Sandy Alomar Jr. Geidemans gamble to put Griffey Jr. as the number one card is a decision that worked out great for Upper Deck and has gone down in baseball card history. This is an iconic card, and the scarcity combined with the pictured player makes it so special. Upper Deck mulled over several other choices for the first spot in their first set, including card-collecting favorite Gregg Jefferies, Sandy Alomar Jr., and Double-A Player of the Year Gary Sheffield. Regular: $ 6,181 99. Back in 2010, when this book was published, Griffeys Upper Deck card was the most graded card in PSA history. It was Geideman, 18 years old at the time and an incoming freshman at UC-San Bernardino, who was hired as employee No. 1. In the days leading up to his 2016 Baseball Hall of Fame election, one photo consistently used online by writers was the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. But not for those higher end versions, of course. By then, the late adopters of the $1.00 price point had come around. Not only did collectors protect these cards like never before, but they were produced at the peak of the baseball card industry when cards were flying off the printing press. Turning off the personalized advertising setting wont stop you from seeing Etsy ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive. We've sent you an email to confirm your subscription. Learn more in our Privacy Policy., Help Center, and Cookies & Similar Technologies Policy. Geideman was only six months in age apart from Griffey Jr. and had watched him play for the, Today, this T206 Wagner card is the most valuable baseball card in the world when looking at the price. Although card companies don't reveal the size of their runs, it's estimated that more than 2 million of the Griffey rookie cards were distributed by Upper Deck. Disappointed with his 1991 Topps card, Stallbaumer would investigate why his classmate desired the Upper Deck card so much. Like the Topps "Future Stars" and Donruss "Rated Rookies," Upper Deck wanted to include its own version of a rookie subset and so they landed on a 26-card "Star Rookie" subset to kick off the set checklist. Find out more in our Cookies & Similar Technologies Policy. This added to the commitment required to have him included in the set. There was a time when the Griffey might run you $140 and you could buy a factory set for $150. There arent many sports cards in the world more iconic than the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. It would be the equivalent of Topps using Jackson Holliday as the top card in the 2024 Series 1 set. FREE shipping Add to Favorites 1989 Ken Griffey Jr Rookie Card - Starting Lineup - Sports Figure Vintage Ad vertisement by . Sadly, his athletic brilliance was derailed by an unfortunate hip injury that he suffered against the Cincinnati Bengals in 1991, but his legend lives on to this day and his cards remain in high demand. Public collections can be seen by the public, including other shoppers, and may show up in recommendations and other places. If you do not receive the verification code within 60 Seconds, we will send you the activation link again. Read the full disclosure here. Learn more. Many people, hardcore baseball card collectors or not, may have heard the story about the famous WagnerT206 card. Original Price 28.74 1989 Upper Deck #1 Top Five Ken Griffey Jr. The Top 3 most-graded sports cards at PSA are all Griffey Jr. RCs, The next two most graded cards at PSA are also Griffeys, including the 1989 Topps Traded and 1989 Fleer. Please read: PSA Grading vs Beckett Grading vs SGC Grading. 1989 Upper Deck #1 Ken Griffey Jr Rookie Card BGS BCCG 9 Near Mint+. 1 at Upper Deck. It has sold for over 3 million dollars in the auction, and copies have been owned by celebrities such as, Tom Geideman was asked about the large quantity of off-printed cards on the, Upper Deck was the first to put these autographs into packs with the, PSA Grading vs Beckett Grading vs SGC Grading, 20 Best 1986 Topps Baseball Cards To Buy Now, Mega Charizard EX Pokemon Card (Ultimate Buyers Guide), The 10 Most Expensive Hockey Rookie Cards of 2023, 2023 Topps Series 2 Baseball Card Checklist, Key Cards, & Parallels, 2023 Panini Prizm UFC MMA Cards Checklist & 10 Key Cards, Anthony Davis Rookie Card Guide and Checklist, Gold Card Auctions | Sports Card Investing. 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. Like any stock broker, Geideman didn't always make the right calls. Griffey, of course, started the 1989 season in Seattle and never looked back, and he became the star of the sports card world. Many kids who pulled the Griffey cards from packs would immediately put them in plastic sheets or cases thinking they would eventually be worth a fortune and pay for college educations. Ken Griffey Jr. shares the stories behind his 1989 Upper Deck rookie card Lucas Stallbaumer may have the largest collection of 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. cards in the world with at least multiple hundred kept in safety deposit boxes. And, it may seem crazy now, but at the time, Upper Deck took somewhat of a gamble by placing Griffey at the front of the subset in the #1 spot. Try using a different browser or disabling ad blockers. Maybe I am wrong, but the reverse negative Murphy seems like a nod to the '57 Topps Hank Aaron: both were stud righties for the Braves and the Aaron error was such a high profile mistake. VinylDestiny (1,146) $189.99 FREE shipping 1990 Original SGC 84 NM Ken Griffey Jr Upper Deck MLB Baseball Card CAPITALINVESTMENTCo (8) $39.00 FREE shipping Ken Griffey Jr. 1989 Upper Deck Rookie Art 5x7 Oversized Jumbo Baseball Card Drawing Limited Print of 89 MaximusSportsArt (18) $10.00 Read our, Ultimate Guide to Ken Griffey Jr. It was card No. (10% off), Sale Price 40.01 The paper was imported from Europe as part of their plan to increase the quality of cards, but when it arrived in California, they did not have adequate means of storing it. 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. I find them interesting. This was another innovative decision by the company that showed that they were ahead of the curve in implementing different card technologies that could capture the publics attention. challengeair77 (266) 100%. Original Price 17.23 1, it was in the top-left corner of the card sheets, which meant it was more susceptible to dinged corners and getting cut poorly. Where they saw they examined the hologram on the card, impressed with the new technology that they had never seen before, and where hopefully, they perused through the cards and saw the altered image of the Kid, little did they know that would go on to one of the most extraordinary MLB careers of all time, all the while exuding confidence and charisma. 7. The "S" on the cap was changed from silver to yellow, and the star behind it was removed. 1, the Griffey card was in the upper-left-hand corner of each 100-card sheet and therefore susceptible to being off center or having bad corners. What had begun in the 19th century as an addition to a pack of cigarettes had evolved into a hobby that millions of Americans of all ages took part in. The most common Griffey Jr. grade is a PSA 8. This post may contain eBay affiliate links. I love the guy and he was one of the greatest and most dominant pitchers I ever had the pleasure of watching. 1 overall pick by the Orioles in 2022. But which one? Seattle-based rapper Macklemore had Junior appear in his Downtown music video. It was one of the few times I would cross paths with the pressmen. Where do you go to get the best quality grading on these and how can you trust that when you send it or give it to a dealer it wont be switched? It remained navy blue, and when examined, you can tell the difference that there is a difference in color between the turtleneck and the cap. The number one position in a set of baseball cards holds a certain sacredness to collectors and the choice of who would be the face of their first set was not easy for Upper Deck. The hundreds of 1986 Benito Santiago Fleer and 1988 Ron Gant Donruss cards that sit in his house to this day are reminders of that. Some say the junk wax era was the worst era, but we only think that now, in hindsight. Given how good he was and the fact that he is a Hall of Famer, I'm a bit surprised his card isn't worth a bit more. Wagner was a great player who played around the turn of the twentieth century and is known today as one of the greatest shortstops to play the game. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Griffey wasnt the obvious choice as the top rookie. Upper Deck got someone to airbrush the Seattle Mariners hat and uniform over Griffeys picture from when he was with the San Bernardino Spirit. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Heading into 1989 spring training, the locks for everyones rookie subsets were Gregg Jefferies, who already was up with the Mets in 1988, Sandy Alomar Jr. of the San Diego Padres or Double-A Player of the year, Gary Sheffield. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Those partners may have their own information theyve collected about you. Upper Deck was the first to put these autographs into packs with the 1990 Reggie Jackson card, limited to 2500 total copies. Buy a pack of cards today and you may find various cards, perhaps with a game-worn jersey insert or a replicated autograph to create a unique product. 41.38, 45.98 He may not have seemed like a "Star Rookie" heading into the 1989 season, but he quickly turned things around going 12-11 with a 2.94 ERA while earning his first of eight career All-Star appearances. (20% off), Sale Price 137.88 What had begun in the 19. century as an addition to a pack of cigarettes had evolved into a hobby that millions of Americans of all ages took part in. Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr 9.5 Graded Baseball Sports Trading Cards Ken Griffey Jr.'s Upper Deck rookie card, right, featured a photo of him in his Class A San Bernardino Spirit uniform that was altered. The 1989 Upper Deck baseball set began with cards numbered 1 to 26 consisting of the Upper Deck Star Rookie collection. While injuries in the mid-90s set his career home run trajectory off a bit, he would later get back on track to finish with 583 for his career. Do you know the history behind Griffeys rookie card? Which card would be the most valuable? Geideman continued as he told the story of their first print trial runs at Upper Deck. 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr # 1 Rookie Card RC Gem Mint PSA 10 Beauty. Because it was No. (15% off), Sale Price 13.78 Do you have some interesting facts to share about the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card? Upper Deck was awarded a license to produce MLB cards for the 1989 season, and they got to work. @John The Griffey RCs you see selling for large amounts have likely been graded and received top-tier grades. Ken Griffey Jr., Seattle Mariners. 1 overall pick in the 1987 draft. The 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. Upper Deck rookie card is unlike any other produced as it can transport an entire generation of people to better days, even if it is just for a moment. Like the impact of ESPN's documentary, The Last Dance, has had on Michael Jordan card values, ESPN'sLong Gone Summer has also boosted the value of McGwire cards, especially his rookie cards. . Stallbaumer brought the card to school the next day only to have his offer rejected by his classmate. The iconic 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. card is the most graded card in history and the strong values have largely remained solid despite huge production runs that inevitably doomed most of the cards of the time . $16.50. Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Cards - Topps Ripped Auction Results PRICES POP APR FACTS REGISTRY SHOP WITH AFFILIATES. Time will tell if Vizquel lands in the Hall of Fame, but there is no question that he was one of the best ever at his defensive craft. The card has been produced in porcelain, gold plated, Anniversary reprints, parallel reprints, buy backs, autographed buy backs, authentic signed reprints. The hologram was made from the same material used on passports and drivers licenses and is expensive to replicate. (15% off), Keep collections to yourself or inspire other shoppers! (88-92) for baseball cards (had the monthly copy of BBM for card value) with my dad and his friends/my friends. The 26-card Star Rookie subset photo call out asked for 50 players. Over 50,000 Griffey rookies from this set were graded at that point. Then High Series came out, which also included more of the first 700 cards. Rookie Card was one of the defining moments for a generation of collectors. Estimated SS Upside Down PSA 10 Value: $500. 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People of all ages had the idea that keeping this card in mint condition would be very important, and it resulted in a huge quantity of Ken Griffey Jr. cards being kept in excellent condition. 1.70, 2.01 Anyone that was collecting around that time had to own a set or three of 1988 Donruss. Rookie Card is one of "The Kid's" most recognizable and sought-after RCs. PSA 10s can generally be found for $325-425. So they printed full sheets of 100 Griffey cards! I'll never forget when I got my Junior. Just like any new product, some jumped on the new technology, and some poo-poo-ed the gimmicks. @Tina The price guide can be accessed through the Price Guide link in the top menu. Many Griffey rookies contain a factory wrinkle on the reverse, which can severely diminish the grade (usually no higher than a PSA EX-MT 6 if present) of an otherwise Mint card. In 1988, Griffey played 58 games of Class A ball in San Bernardino and 17 in Double-A Vermont before getting hurt . Rookie Cards More. So that leads us to the question, how many are out there? SGC vs. BGS vs. PSA Grading: Who Is Best in 2023? Donruss had Rated Rookies since 1984. But the most common grade is PSA 8, and those 37,000-plus make up about 40% of all the graded Upper Deck Griffey Jr. rookie cards. Securing photos for the 1988 first-round picks would be a challenge, so that idea was scrapped -- and Andy Benes, who was drafted first overall that year, lost his chance at being the very first Upper Deck card.

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