Top 1990 Topps Football Cards to Collect

1990 Topps Football was released during a time of growth in the hobby, and collectors flocking to their local card shops, shows, and retail stores to get their hands on packs. It was a time when cards were looked at as somewhat of an investment, not too far off as to how some view collecting today. Despite all of this, the demand of collectors did cause overproduction to occur, leading many sets to decrease in value. The 1990 Topps Football set does get caught up in this trap, but there are still key cards that have stood the test of time. The 1990 Topps Traded set will also be included in this list, for one key reason. With that being said, let's look at the top cards to collect from the 1990 Topps Football set.

Honorable Mentions:

Throughout the base set, there are numerous 1st flagship cards of key stars of the era, such as Troy Aikman and Barry Sanders. They are not considered to be rookie cards, even though it does say "Topps Super Rookie" on them, in the case of the Aikman card. These cards certainly can be collectable, but are not included on this list since they are not their official rookies. Other key cards of Joe Montana, John Elway, and Dan Marino are highlights of the set, but will typically only sell for a $1 or less.

1. Emmitt Smith RC (Traded Set, Card #27T)

The first card to make the list comes from the traded set, and it is of Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith. Smith was a major running back and star of the 1990s for the Dallas Cowboys, winning 3 Super Bowls during the decade. At the time of his retirement (and now), he became the all time leading rusher in the NFL, a record that may very well stand the test of time. The value of this card is dependent on how a collector wants to obtain it. Ungraded copies have sold recently for $8-$12. If someone wants to buy a PSA 10, one recently sold on eBay for $200. A PSA 10 that was also autographed sold on Aug 16 for $1,200, showing the range that Smith's rookie can sell for.

2. Junior Seau RC (Card #381)

The top rookie to obtain in the flagship set is Junior Seau's rookie card. Seau was a dominant defensive player for the Chargers, emphasizing big hits and toughness. Seau is also a member of the Hall of Fame, playing 20 seasons in the league. During that time, he would rack up 56.5 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, and 1,522 tackles. Seau's rookie sells for $2-$5 ungraded, depending on condition.

3. Deion Sanders (Card #469)

As was mentioned earlier in the article, this is not considered a rookie card of Deion Sanders, despite the fact it says "Topps Super Rookie". This could be part of the reason why the value of this card is how it is right now, but it could also be due to the popularity of Sanders, not only as a player, but as the current HC of Colorado. Copies of this card sell in the same range of Seau's RC, hitting the $2-$5 mark. This mark does also outsell most of the rookie cards in the set, which is another interesting market trend to note.

Despite the 1990 set being released during the "junk wax" era, the Topps Football release from that era does still contain cards that have stood the test of time. The traded set contains the rookie of one of the best running backs of all time, while the flagship set contains some sneaky good cards. The conclusion can be made that 1990 Topps Football is indeed worth the time of collectors, despite the arguments that may go against that.