Even More Impossible Cards of the Junk Wax Era
The first article in this series looked at five impossible baseball cards of the early Junk Wax Era, focusing on the years 1987-1990. More recently, we looked at these five impossibly tough cards from 1990 and 1991.
- 1990 Donruss Diamond Kings Brian Downing (SIGNED)
- 1991 Upper Deck Michael Jordan PSA 10
- 1991 Pacific Prototypes Rickey Henderson
- 1991 Topps Desert Shield Chipper Jones
- 1991 Donruss Legends Series Nolan Ryan
In this article we keep the Junk Wax hits coming with a look at some of the toughest and most sought after cardboard from 1992-1994.
1992 Donruss Bozo T. Clown
If you grew up watching WGN-TV in the early 1990s, you know doubt became a fan of Ryne Sandberg, Andre Dawson, Shawon Dunston, and the rest of Chicago's "lovable losers." Of course, if you were looking to get rich off cardboard, who knew the WGN-TV celebrity to collect was none other than Bozo T. Clown?!
RELATED: Five Impossible Baseball Cards of the Junk Wax Era
Bozo had Donruss cards in both 1991 and 1992, both of which sell for a premium. Of the two, the 1992 card appears to be the more scarce...and pricey.
1992 Score Joe DiMaggio (SIGNED)
Following the success of Upper Deck and Donruss with autographed inserts, Score joined the party in 1992 with five different signed cards, each serial numbered to 2500, of "Baseball's Greatest Living Player."
On one hand, a total of 12,500 signed cards sounds like a lot, but remember: This was the Junk Wax Era. With 1992 Score printing presses running 'round the clock, these DiMaggio chase cards were the ultimate needle in a haystack.
1993 Upper Deck SP Derek Jeter
Though he entered the Hobby with far less hype than his pinstriped predecessors Kevin Mass (1990) and Brien Taylor (1992), this Yankees rookie had definite staying power, leading the Bronx Bombers to five World Championships while racking up 14 All-Star selections and nearly 3500 hits.
Thanks to the utterly insane production levels of the Junk Wax Era, there are plenty of Derek Jeter rookie cards out there for budget collectors, but the 1993 Upper Deck SP Foil is definitely not one of them. Find this beauty of Mr. November in a high grade and all those weekend trips to Goodwill won't feel so dumb after all!
1993 BBM Ichiro Suzuki
Perhaps officially, Ichiro's rookie card came in 2001. However, Ichi's most ardent collectors know not to sleep on his early Japanese cardboard, in particular his 1993 BBM.
In PSA 10, this Japanese rookie recently sold for nearly $2000, but even in lower grades this card is a tough get. And of course, one can only wonder what Ichiro's upcoming induction into Cooperstown will do to the values of his hottest cardboard.
1994 Upper Deck Mickey Mantle/Ken Griffey, Jr. (DUAL AUTO)
In 1994 the baseball card scientists at Upper Deck came up with the formula for one of the hottest cards of all-time. Why not combine the undisputed King of the Hobby, Mickey Mantle, with the most popular baseball player on the planet! But wait a minute, how about a small twist...
In all, Upper Deck stuffed 3000 of these cards into packs. However, only 1000 were signed by both Hobby icons, while 1000 each were signed by just one of the two players. Adding to the scorching hot nature of the dual signed card is that the Mick passed away the following year, meaning there would be little opportunity for future dual signed items.
While this brings us to the end of this current Impossible Cards installment, the good news is there's plenty more still to come. Keep checking back at Collectibles on SI, and keep digging through those shoe boxes!
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.