1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr Rookie Quietly Approaching $5K
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On September 22, 2025, just over a month ago, three 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey, Jr., PSA 10 cards sold through the high-volume (former) eBay seller Probstein. Their prices were $3800, $3800, and $3950. Collectors not closely following the market for gem mint Junior rookies might look at those numbers and wonder how on Earth the price of this card ever got so high. Of course collectors closely following Griffey sales will more correctly remember September 22 as the last day Junior's PSA 10 Upper Deck rookie sold for less than $4000.
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Fast forward to today, and the Griffey card shows no sign of dropping below $4000 any time soon. On the contrary, the card appears headed to a level considered anywhere from ridiculous to impossible, even among the Kid's biggest fans. If recent sales and current bidding activity is any indicator, the Griffey may soon be a $5000 card. Just how close is the Hobby today to a $5000 Griffey, or G5K for short? Here are three indicators that suggest the card may get there very, very soon.
Recent Sales
Predicting the future is a notoriously difficult and often costly endeavor, as any Wander Franco super-collector can tell you. More reliably, however, the Hobby has come to lean on recent sales as "comps" that indicate current card value.
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According to the Hobby sales tracking site Card Ladder, the four most recent sales of the Griffey have ranged from a low of $4415 to a high of $4699. These sales and others have led to a "Card Ladder Value" of $4550 for the card. While the CL Value and even the highest of the four sales is still a ways away from $5000, the trendlines are certainly pointing upward.
Current Listings
Another gauge of a card's value is what the lowest price is today for which one can purchase the card. The good news, at least relatively speaking, for buyers is that eBay has a current listing for the card at "only" $4500 or best offer. But now for the bad news. As the card is in Canada, current Trump tariff policies mean a law-abiding U.S. collector is looking at a 35% markup on the card!
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Restricting focus to U.S.-based listings, the best available jumps to $4750. After that, the next best is $4995 or best offer. And after that, $5555 or best offer. In other words, we are only a few sales away from no available inventory under $5000, at least until some new sellers emerge.
Current Auctions
The final indicator of where the Griffey is heading comes from auctions currently underway, particularly those nearly complete. At the moment there are three auctions on eBay with less than a week remaining. While none are particularly close to the $5000 mark, it's often the case that eBay auctions see the most action in the final minutes. Therefore, each of the three auctions is worth tracking as a possible G5K. (UPDATE: The first of the auctions just closed at $4535.)
Deja Vu All Over Again?
While the Griffey hitting $5000, provided it happens, will be a significant event in the Hobby, the truth is that it's happened before, at least twice. This past September 27, a Griffey sold at Goldin Auctions for an eye-popping $5002. However, the sale was completely unsupported by comps, either prior to the sale or following it. In other words, it was an outlier, hence unindicative of any larger trend.
Backing up four years, the Griffey also topped $5000 at the very peak of the pandemic-fueled buying bubble. While that particular G5K involved more than just a single sale, it didn't last long at all. Almost before you could sneeze, a common occurrence back then, the card was back below $3000 and making its way into the one thousands.
Back to the present, it's still too early to declare G5K or even guarantee that it's on its way. However, the data are certainly compelling enough to regard G5K as a distinct possibility and something that may even happen quite soon. Now whether the card holds that value or comes back to Earth is a completely different matter and one the Hobby will be sure to follow.
Jason A. Schwartz is a collectibles expert whose work can be found regularly at SABR Baseball Cards, Hobby News Daily, and 1939Bruins.com. His collection of Hank Aaron baseball cards and memorabilia is currently on exhibit at the Atlanta History Center, and his collectibles-themed artwork is on display at the Honus Wagner Museum and PNC Park.