Everyone obsesses over the 1989 Upper Deck Star Rookie. You know the one—the high-gloss, pristine smile of a 19-year-old "Kid" who was about to change baseball forever. It’s the Mona Lisa of the junk wax era. But because everyone is staring at card #1, they completely ignore the ken griffey jr upper deck 1990 release.
Honestly, it’s a little tragic.
While the '89 rookie card gets the six-figure auction headlines and the gold-medal treatment, the 1990 follow-up is actually the better-looking card. There, I said it. It’s got that classic 1990s Upper Deck aesthetic—cleaner, sharper, and it captures Junior in his first real stride as a Major League superstar.
If you’ve got a stack of 1990 Upper Deck sitting in a shoebox in your parents' attic, you aren't holding a lottery ticket, but you might be holding a piece of hobby history that’s finally starting to get its due.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Ken Griffey Jr Upper Deck 1990 Card
The biggest mistake collectors make is assuming "second-year cards" are worthless. In the late 80s and early 90s, the "rookie or bust" mentality took over the world. If it wasn't a rookie card, people used them as bike spoke noisemakers or just left them in the common bins.
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Because of that, everyone took care of their 1989 Griffeys. They put them in screw-down holders and safes. But the ken griffey jr upper deck 1990? Not so much.
Thousands of these were handled with sticky fingers and thrown into rubber-banded piles. This created a weird paradox where finding a truly perfect, Gem Mint PSA 10 of the 1990 card is actually tougher than you'd think compared to the massive population of 1989 rookies.
The Spelling Error Nobody Mentions
There is a funny little quirk on the back of card #156. If you flip it over and look at the biography section, Upper Deck’s editors had a bit of a rough day. They misspelled the word "simultaneously" as "simultaniously."
You’ll see eBay sellers listing this as a "RARE ERROR!!!" for $500.
Don’t fall for it.
Basically, every single 1990 Upper Deck Griffey has this misspelling. Upper Deck never actually bothered to correct it. So, while it's a fun piece of trivia, it doesn't add a dime of value to the card. It’s just a sign of the times when card companies were printing millions of cards faster than they could spell-check them.
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The Numbers: What Is It Actually Worth in 2026?
Let's talk cold, hard cash. You aren't going to retire on this card, but it’s a solid "Blue Chip" for a mid-tier collector.
As of early 2026, the market for 1990 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. has stabilized after the post-pandemic hobby boom. According to recent auction data from PSA and Card Ladder, here is the breakdown:
- PSA 10 (Gem Mint): These usually trade between $85 and $110. It’s a low-barrier entry for someone who wants a "Perfect" Griffey without spending $4,000 on the 1989 version.
- PSA 9 (Mint): You can snag these all day for $15 to $25. Honestly, for the price of a decent lunch, you get a graded piece of the 90s.
- Raw (Ungraded): If you’re digging through a bin at a card show, expect to pay $1 to $3.
The population report is the real story here. While there are over 170,000 graded copies of his 1989 rookie, the 1990 card has a much smaller graded footprint—only about 11,000 to 12,000 total copies at PSA. It’s "rarer" in a graded slab simply because fewer people thought it was worth the grading fee.
Why the 1990 Set Still Matters
Upper Deck changed the game in '89, but 1990 was the year they proved they weren't a fluke. The 1990 set featured the "Find the Nolan" search for autographed Nolan Ryan cards—the first-ever major "chase" insert.
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Griffey was the face of that era.
When you look at the ken griffey jr upper deck 1990 card, you’re looking at the height of the "Mariners Teal" aesthetic. The photography is classic Upper Deck—natural lighting, no goofy 90s neon borders (looking at you, Fleer), and a high-quality card stock that felt premium compared to the grainy Topps cardboard of the same year.
Spotting a "Faker" or a Reprint
Counterfeits aren't a massive issue for the 1990 card because the value isn't high enough to justify the effort for most scammers. However, keep an eye on the hologram on the back. A real Upper Deck card has a crisp, 3D-effect hologram that's flush with the card. If it looks like a flat sticker or is peeling at the edges, walk away.
Actionable Steps for Collectors
If you’re looking to add this to your collection or you just found one, here is what you should actually do:
- Check the "Simultaniously" Error: Just for fun. It’s a great conversation starter, even if it’s not a money-maker.
- Evaluate the Corners: 1990 Upper Deck is notorious for "white chipping" on the green borders of the back. If the corners aren't needle-sharp, don't bother grading it.
- Buy the Slab, Not the Raw Card: If you want a "10," just buy it already graded. The cost of shipping, insurance, and grading fees ($20-$40) often exceeds the value of the card itself if it comes back as a 9.
- Look for the "Comic Ball" and "Best" subsets: If you like the 1990 Upper Deck look, check out the hologram inserts and the "Baseball Heroes" sets from that same year. They are dirt cheap and look incredible in a display case.
The ken griffey jr upper deck 1990 might always play second fiddle to the rookie card, but it’s the quintessential 90s collectible. It represents the moment Junior went from a "prospect" to the most exciting player in the history of the game.