Five rare and affordable Ken Griffey Jr. baseball cards
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The recent surge in sports card prices has extended to the hobby's most beloved players. There is no player currently more beloved in the hobby than Ken Griffey Jr. While his famous 1989 Upper Deck rookie card is on a run, there are other good-looking and scarce options that won't break the bank.
The Ken Griffey Jr. 1989 Upper Deck Star Rookie in PSA 10 is up an astounding 37% in the past three months. The average sale price in the past three months is $3,410, according to Card Ladder. With a high population count of 4,326, it's natural to wonder if the market is experiencing a bubble. For Griffey collectors on a budget, the prices may seem discouraging.
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However, there are great-looking and affordable Griffey options with more scarcity than his 1989 Upper Deck rookie card, graded PSA 10. One place to look is his inserts. Refractors and serial-numbered inserts are making a comeback, and unlike his UD rookie card, they'll never increase in population because only a limited number were manufactured. This article highlights a sample of the amazing and relatively affordable options out there.
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5. 2000 Topps Chrome Power Players
There are regular Power Players inserts (1:8 packs) and refractors of the insert (1:40). The refractors were five times more difficult to get and more expensive. But these are beautiful turn-of-the-century inserts. The color pops out with the shiny gloss from the chrome.
The regular ungraded inserts sell for $10 - $25 on eBay. However, the refractors command a premium. Ungraded versions of the refractor sell for about $150. A PSA 10 refractor recently sold for $999.
4. 1996 Pinnacle Starburst 41/100
A wonderful insert with ungraded versions selling for $10 - $30. The parallel has a Dufex finish, which gives the card extra shine. Griffey's card tends to pop because of the bluish/teal background that complements his Mariners jersey. It's a fun, great-looking card.
There is also a much rarer Starburst Artist's Proof parallel which have an insertio ratio of 1:47 packs. The reguar Starburst inserts were 1:7 packs.
3. 1994 Flair Showcase Hot Gloves
According to Baseballcardpedia: "This set highlighted ten of the game's top defensive players. The set was notable for employing a die-cut "glove" design, which was revolutionary for the time and is the foundational inspiration for all die-cut cards in The Hobby today."
One Hot Gloves insert was included in every hobby box, making for odds of 1:24 packs. Griffey's card is the most graded from the subset, with 918 PSA submissions. There are 442 Gem Mint 10s and 321 PSA 9s. Listings on eBay have ungraded cards that sell for $99. However, ungraded versions can be bought for about $70, and PSA 9s sell for a little more than $100.
2. 1996 Pinnacle Summit Big Bang /600
This card is numbered to 600, making it more scarce than Griffey's 1989 Upper Deck rookie card in PSA 10 condition. The card sells for $180-$200 on average, and features Griffey at the tail end of his swing with bright, holographic rays emanating from the background. They don't pop up often on eBay.
According to Baseballcardpedia: "In addition, there is a "Big Bang Mirage" parallel, also serial-numbered to 600 copies. When a Big Bang Mirage card is held in direct sunlight or under a light bulb, a floating baseball that seems to levitate could be seen in the background." The insertion ratios for the Big Bang inserts was 1:72 packs, with 18 packs per hobby box.
1. 2000 Pacific Crown Collection In the Cage
An interesting die cut insert, 'In the Cage' cards had odds of 1:145 packs. All the cards were written in Spanish and English. The last three sales for ungraded cards were for $115 - $126.
Horacio is an avid sports card collector and writes about trending card auctions and news across several major hobby sites, including Sports Collectors Daily and Collectibles on SI.
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