The Legend of the Ken Griffey Jr Rookie Card (Complete Guide)


There’s a certain mystique to the Ken Griffey Jr rookie card that’s difficult to explain. If you are of a certain age, you know the status of this card because you were there when it hit the scene.

You were there when ‘he’ hit the scene. The Kid – Ken Griffey Jr.

As the number one draft pick in 1987 by the Seattle Mariners, Ken Griffey Jr. was on the radar of the entire baseball world before even putting on a professional uniform.

Once he was drafted, Griffey reported to the Class A minor league Bellingham Mariners.

The following year Griffey remained in the minor leagues, but this time with the class AA Vermont Mariners.

Speculation started to swirl that “The Kid” would report to the big leagues for the start of the 1989 season.

As Ken Griffey Jr began his minor league career, talk swirled around the baseball community that The Kid was ready for the big leagues.

Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card

Just around the same time, Griffey Jr’s class AA Eastern League Vermont Mariners season ended in 1988, the Upper Deck Company, LLC was founded.

Upper Deck was a private company entering the business of producing baseball trading cards. The timing was perfect.

Their goal was to create an expensive premium card with higher quality material, clear photos, and a hologram on each card to prevent counterfeiting.

Back in 1989, Upper Deck card packs were a mind-blowing $1 each for just 15 cards per pack. So they knew they had to deliver something new and exciting.

On December 23rd, 1988, Upper Deck was granted a license by Major League Baseball to manufacture baseball cards.

Immediately, the biggest question for the newly formed company became clear.

Who would be the Upper Deck baseball card inaugural set, featured card #1, for the 1989 baseball season?

ken griffey jr rookie card
1989 Ken Griffey Jr. Upper Deck Rookie Card

Tom Geideman Connects with Griffey

One of Upper Deck’s young employees, Tom Geideman, only a freshman at UC-San Bernardino, suggested using Griffey as a possible choice for the number-one card.

Historically, the famous Topps baseball card brand would feature the biggest stars in the MLB for their number one cards.

The Upper Deck Star is Born

Geideman’s reason for using Griffey as the feature card was that he was a top prospect.

Even though he hadn’t played in a pro game yet, it was fitting for Upper Deck to use him in the company’s first card set. A rookie ballplayer, a rookie employee, and a rookie baseball card company.

It makes perfect sense. As Upper Deck’s employee No. 1, Geideman selected the player featured as card No. 1. What would soon be known as “The Griffey Card.”

1989 upper deck ken griffey jr rookie card
The 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card

Tracking Down a Photo

The photo used for the card was a smiling Griffey in his San Bernardino Spirit uniform from the Minors of the California League.

Geideman called V.J. Lovero, a contracted photographer for Upper Deck. Lovero supplied a few pictures of Griffey from a Sports Illustrated shoot, and Geideman decided on one photo which stood out above the rest.

The only problem was the photo didn’t feature Griffey in a Seattle Mariners uniform, it was Griffey in his minor league uniform.

The Famous Griffey Upper Deck Photo

Geideman sent the photo to the Scitex machine, an ultra-expensive photoshop machine before software took over the world. Upper Deck changed the “S” color on the hat from silver to yellow.

Griffey’s navy turtleneck remained, but the color of the cap was changed from navy to royal blue.

The photo was complete and sent to the printing press, where an estimated 2 million Ken Griffey Jr. cards would be created.

There were other suggestions for the 1989 Upper Deck number one card. Griffey Jr., along with Gregg Jefferies, Gary Sheffield, and Sandy Alomar Jr., were the other considerations.

ken griffey jr rookie card upper deck
How much is a Ken Griffey Jr. Upper Deck rookie card worth? Depends on the condition – and if it’s graded or not. What would you grade this card?

Griffey Goes to Number 1

Geideman, who was a Seattle Mariners fan, decided it was Griffey who would be the featured card number one in the very first 1989 Upper Deck set.

Working at Upper Deck was Geideman’s first job, but the new kid hit one out of the park with his Griffey pick for Upper Deck’s first card.

The 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. card was a smash hit. Its fresh premium card was something never seen before. And the groundbreaking Upper Deck card company was the least of the reasons the card was on absolute fire.

Ken Griffey Jr. hit the major league scene as a true legend would. His very first at-bat in the major leagues against Dave Stewart, he ripped a double off the wall at the Oakland Coliseum.

Ken Griffey Jr. in his first major league at-bat, April 3rd, 1989. Facing Dave Stewart, who won 20 games the previous season and was the starting pitcher in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series against the Dodgers.
Griffey didn’t waste any time showing the baseball world he was not just hype.

Instant Legend On the Field

Legends do things that amaze and surprise spectators, even when they expect greatness. In April of 1989, “The Kid” Ken Griffey Jr. appeared before our very eyes, and he was an instant favorite among virtually every baseball fan.

Youngsters especially took to his mannerisms, spinning their hats backward and attempting to copy one of the smoothest left-handed swings in MLB history.

Instant Legend Off the Field

His constant smile and easy-going persona, along with his amazing feats on the baseball diamond, made Griffey one of the most popular athletes in the world almost instantly.

It’s hard to describe how huge of an impact The Kid was making on the game of baseball. At that time, kids wanted to “Be Like Mike” and swing like Griffey.

ken griffey jr career stats
Griffey Career Highlights

Griffey the Superstar

After winning the home run derby in 1994, Griffey’s star power went sky-high. Over the next couple of years, he continued to amaze baseball fans with his athleticism in the outfield and power at the plate.

Even with homerun sluggers like Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, and Barry Bonds growing in popularity, Griffey was on another level.

After winning the Home Run Derby in back-to-back years in 1998 and 1999, Ken Griffey Jr. became the only player to win the event three times.

Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez became superstars in the 2000s, but the 1990s belonged to Griffey.

Instant Classic Baseball Card

It was a perfect storm for the baseball card industry, sports cards, and sports memorabilia. The planets aligned.

Card collecting was on a roll in the late 1980s, and now Upper Deck debuted its first year of groundbreaking fresh cards with one of the brightest stars to play the game as their feature card #1.

The 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr rookie card was on every kid’s wish list.

Ken Griffey Jr hits his first major league home run on the first pitch of his first at-bat in the Seattle Kingdome. As I said, Legends do legendary things even when everyone is expecting greatness.

How Much is a Ken Griffey Jr Rookie Card Worth?

Unlike Upper Deck, most baseball card producers waited until their 1990 sets to print Ken Griffey Jr rookie cards after he was already a major superstar.

Therefore, the number of Griffey rookie cards in various makes and models is huge.

Over 130 Ken Griffey Jr rookie cards from various brands were made at the height of the baseball card craze. Even the most epic, the Upper Deck Griffey rookie, was printed in huge quantities.

Huge Quantities? Who Cares?

That doesn’t necessarily mean the Upper Deck baseball rookie card is worthless.

Huge production numbers of the 1989 Upper Deck Griffey rookie can’t keep the iconic card from reaching thousands of dollars per sale on eBay recently.

Some rumors confirm a print run of over 1 million of each base card for the 1989 Upper Deck set.

Ken Griffey Jr Rookie card psa 10 for sale
The Ken Griffey Jr Rookie card

In perfect condition, PSA GEM mint 10 cards are currently selling for over $2,000. A Beckett BCCG Griffey Upper Deck rookie with a 10 grade is valued at $4,000.

But even in excellent and near-mint condition, you can buy non-rated cards for under 50 dollars.

If you love this card, the best move might be to consider a top-condition, unrated Junior rookie card for your collection. Or, another idea.

The Most Affordable Epic Card Ever?

Drop down to a PSA 8-graded NM-MT Griffey rookie and values are just 60 bucks.

Even when rarity is one of the most important traits of iconic baseball cards, I’m going to make an exception here.

Even if everyone owns a 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr rookie card, which very well could be the case, there really is only one Ken Griffey Jr rookie card.

It’s the 1989 Upper Deck, and I would still say it’s one of my favorite cards of all time.

ken griffey jr rookie upper deck
The centering might be an issue on this one, but it doesn’t matter to me. I’ve owned this card since I was a kid. I don’t really care what the folks at PSA would say about it – it’s a perfect card in my opinion.

From Rookie Card to Hall of Fame

As a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame and one of the greatest players to ever play center field, Griffey’s career is loaded with incredible stats, records, and highlights. He has the seventh-most MLB career home runs with 630.

He was his team’s number-one overall pick and didn’t look back. Now, a member of the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame, and the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.

The Kid was a 13-time All-Star and voted first-ballot HOF, with 99.3% of eligible votes.

From his high school years as a future phenom to his All-Star rookie season to his retirement as a Hall of Famer, the baseball card business may never see anything like “The Kid” again.

Other Griffey Rookies

There are minor league cards that can be worth good money, and others are virtually worthless. The 1987 Bellingham Mariners Ken Griffey Jr. baseball cards are some of my favorite minor league rookie cards.

A BGS 9-rated card sells on Amazon for just over $400. eBay shows a BGS 9.5 rated Bellingham Mariners Griffey rookie card selling for $1,200.

most valuable ken griffey rookie cards

Nearly every baseball card shop in the country featured Ken Griffey rookie cards as their premier merchandise in the early 1990s.

Other than the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card, I can’t remember a more prominent card at the time.


The Best Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Cards

The 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card is one of the most important sports cards in the hobby.

But if you’re wondering what other Griffey star rookies are out there, look no further. There’s a boatload of alternatives to the Griffey Upper Deck rookie card.

Remember, this was during the card-collecting boom of the late 1980s. Nearly every manufacturer had multiple series and sets for each year. This means there are dozens of Griffey rookie cards to collect.

Ken Griffey Jr Baseball Card Values

You don’t need to have a Ken Griffey Junior Upper Deck rookie. There are plenty of other options.

Some Griffey junior rookie cards below in pristine condition are valued in the thousands of dollars.

Many others can be had for a reasonable price. Even if you don’t have much money to spend, you can still add great Griffey rookies to your collection.

1989 Bowman Tiffany Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card – $13,000

The most valuable Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card is the 1989 Bowman Tiffany #220. At nearly $13,000, what makes this card special is the extra large size, and the extremely low print runs.

PSA reports a population of only 156 PSA 10 graded cards.

1989 Bowman Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card

1989 Topps Heads Up Test – $9,000

With only one single PSA 9 graded card, and zero PSA 10 cards, the Topps Heads Up is the second most valuable Ken Griffey Jr. card out there.

1989 Topps Heads Up Test

1989 Fleer Glossy Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card – $3,500

One of the very first Griffey rookie cards showing the Seattle old-school logo. The glossy version of this card is rarer than many other Griff rookies, making it a great addition for any card collector.

1989 Fleer Glossy Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card

1989 Ken Griffey Jr Topps Traded Tiffany Rookie

You can’t possibly forget about another valuable Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card, the Topps Tiffany Traded from 1989.

1989 Ken Griffey Jr Topps Traded Tiffany Rookie

1989 Ken Griffey Jr SCD Baseball Pocket Guide #3

1989 SCD Baseball Pocket Guide #3

1989 Phoenix Collect The Stars Ken Griffey Jr Rookie Card

1989 Phoenix Collect The Stars

1989 Baseball Card Magazine Repli-Cards

1989 Baseball Card Magazine Repli-Cards

1989 Donruss Ken Griffey Jr Rookie Card

The 1989 Ken Griffey Jr Donruss Rated Rookie card value has steadily increased over the last few decades. Recently, there’s been renewed interest in the card, especially for the PSA 10 graded card.

Values for the 1989 Donruss Ken Griffey Jr. Rated Rookie card range from $400 – $500 for the GEM Mint PSA 10, while the PSA 9 card is valued at $30.

The population of graded 1989 Donruss Ken Griffey Jr. RC rookie cards is exceptionally high. Nearly 2,000 PSA 10s and over 11,000 PSA 9 cards have been graded by PSA alone, not including the other card rating companies such as BGS and SGC.

Hobbies go through phases, and the early 1990s saw huge production numbers by card producers. This oversupply will keep a lid on Griffey cards unless it’s in perfect condition.

1989 Donruss Ken Griffey Jr Rookie Card

1989 Topps MLB Debut Ken Griffey Jr Rookie

1989 Topps M.L. Debut Ken Griffey Jr Rookie

1988 San Bernardino Spirit Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card

1988 San Bernardino Spirit Ken Griffey Jr.

1989 Classic Travel Purple Ken Griffey Jr.

1989 Classic Travel Purple Griffey Jr.

1989 Bowman Tiffany #259 Griffey Father-Son

Just four cards were printed featuring father-son major leaguers on the 1989 Bowman cards. Griffey Jr, along with his Dad, Ken Griffey Sr, was one of the Bowman cards.

Others were the Ripken father-sons duo, Sandy and Roberto Alomar, and Todd & Mel Stottlemyer.

1989 Bowman Tiffany #259

1989 Donruss The Rookies Griffey

1989 Donruss The Rookies Griffey

1989 Star Ken Griffey Jr. Yellow Border Promo

1989 Star Griffey Jr. Yellow Border Promo

1989 Fleer #548 Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card

1989 Fleer #548 Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card

2017 Topps Chrome Ken Griffey Jr.

2017 Topps Chrome Ken Griffey Jr.

2015 Panini Immaculate Ken Griffey Jr. Dual Materials

2015 Panini Immaculate Ken Griffey Jr. Dual Materials

A Few of My Favorite Ken Griffey Jr. Cards

Back in the 1990s, the baseball card market had plenty of supply. Every card producer was cranking out millions of cards, and that included Ken Griffey Jr.’s.

Many of Junior’s cards are just worth a buck or two, but they are still fun to look at.

Many of us remember trading and collecting Griffey’s back in the day, so here are a few of my personal favorites.

If you spot one you like, make me an offer!!

ken griffey jr rookie card upper deck
1989 Donruss The Rookies #3
1989 Upper Deck #1
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1989 Fleer #548
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1992 Topps Gold #50
1989 Donruss Rated Rookie #33
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1990 Donruss #365
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1995 MegaCards #17
1992 Promark #1
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1994 Starflics 2000 #181
Card Guard Gold Edition Signature
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1990 Topps Bazooka #18
1992 Classic #T40
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1990 Upper Deck #156
1992 Promark #2
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1992 Upper Deck Ted Williams Best Hitters #T15
1992 Upper Deck Diamond Skills #650
1996 Pinnacle #122
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1992 Upper Deck #424
1992 Donruss #553
1990 Fleer Super Star #710
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1991 Score Rifleman #697
1991 Fleer #450
1993 Leaf #319
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1990 Fleer Soaring Stars #6
1991 Score All Star #396
1994 Fleer Ultra #120
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1992 Topps Stadium Club #400
1993 Pinnacle #110
1992 Score Impact Player #28
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1992 Fleer #279
1993 Fleer #307
1994 Upper Deck Collector’s Choice #125
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1991 Arena Holograms #2
1994 Topps #PP6
1991 O-Pee-Chee Premier #56
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1992 Upper Deck Bloodlines #85
1992 Donruss of Stars #GS-8
1994 Topps Stadium Club HR Club #262
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1991 Topps #790
1993 Studio #96
1993 Topps Stadium Club #707
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1991 Leaf #372
1992 Donruss #165
1993 Upper Deck Pacific Sock Exchange #55
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1991 Donruss #77
1991 Topps All Star #392
1991 Score The Franchise #858
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1991 Score #2
1993 Score Dream Team #536
1993 Score #1
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1992 Score #1
1990 Fleer #513
1992 Pinnacle Team 2000 #47
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1992 Donruss #165
1990 Upper Deck Collector’s Choice #24
1991 Score Dream Team #892
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1990 Topps #336
1992 Score Impact Player #28
1991 Score All Star #396
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1992 Score #2
1992 Fleer #709
1992 Topps #50
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1993 Topps #179
1993 Topps Stadium Club Master Photo Winner
1992 Topps Stadium Club #400
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