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Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card Value: Every 1989 Rookie Card Compared
· By the Sports Card Value Scanner team
Quick answer
Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card value depends on which of his 1989 cards you have and its condition. The 1989 Upper Deck #1 is the most famous, at about $5,800 to $6,000 in PSA 10 according to Old Sports Cards, but raw and lower-grade copies sell for far less because so many exist. His Donruss, Bowman, Fleer, Topps Traded and Score Traded rookies are worth less in PSA 10, while the scarce glossy versions, such as the Bowman Tiffany #220, can be worth more than the Upper Deck.
Ken Griffey Jr. debuted with the Seattle Mariners in 1989, the same year Upper Deck released its first set, and the company made him card #1. That card became one of the best-known cards of the era and the standard Griffey rookie. It wasn't scarce, though. PSA has graded more than 130,000 copies, and about 3 percent have earned a 10, so ungraded and mid-grade copies are affordable while gem mint copies hold the value. Griffey also has rookie cards in 1989 Donruss (#33), Bowman (#220), Fleer (#548), Topps Traded (#41T) and Score Traded (#100T), all printed in large numbers. The real scarcity is in limited glossy versions sold as special sets: Bowman Tiffany, Topps Traded Tiffany and Fleer Glossy. These look almost the same as the regular cards but have far smaller print runs, and in PSA 10 they can outsell the Upper Deck #1. Values in this guide come from Old Sports Cards (June 2026) and will move with the market.
| Most famous rookie | 1989 Upper Deck #1 |
|---|---|
| Upper Deck #1 in PSA 10 | About $5,800 to $6,000 (Old Sports Cards, June 2026) |
| PSA 10 rate | About 3.2% of 132,000+ PSA-graded Upper Deck #1 copies |
| Most valuable version | 1989 Bowman Tiffany #220, about $17,000 in PSA 10 |
| Other rookies | Donruss #33, Bowman #220, Fleer #548, Topps Traded #41T, Score Traded #100T |
What are Ken Griffey Jr.'s rookie cards?
Ken Griffey Jr.'s main rookie cards are the 1989 Upper Deck #1, Donruss #33, Bowman #220, Fleer #548, Topps Traded #41T and Score Traded #100T.
| Card | Notes | PSA 10 value |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 Upper Deck #1 | First card in Upper Deck's first set | About $5,800 to $6,000 |
| 1989 Donruss #33 | Rated Rookie; edges are prone to chipping | About $1,025 to $1,100 |
| 1989 Bowman #220 | Base Bowman rookie | About $700 to $750 |
| 1989 Fleer #548 | Base Fleer rookie | About $375 to $400 |
| 1989 Topps Traded #41T | His Topps rookie, from a boxed set | About $300 to $310 |
| 1989 Score Traded #100T | Action photo | About $180 |
These are PSA 10 prices. A raw copy or a lower grade of any of these cards sells for a fraction of them, because high grades are a small share of the copies that exist.
Why is the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. #1 so famous?
The 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. is the card most people mean when they talk about a Griffey rookie. Upper Deck put him at #1 in its debut set, which introduced brighter photos, white card stock and a hologram on the back, aimed at making cards harder to counterfeit. The first 26 cards in the set carry a Star Rookie label, and Griffey's is the one everyone wants.
Old Sports Cards counts more than 132,000 PSA-graded copies, with about 4,250 in PSA 10. That's a 3.2 percent gem rate, well below the set average, so a sharp, well-centred copy carries a large premium over an ordinary one.
Which Griffey rookie versions are worth the most?
The limited glossy versions are worth the most: Bowman Tiffany, Topps Traded Tiffany and Fleer Glossy, all sold as complete sets through hobby dealers. They're the rarest Griffey rookies and, in top grades, the most valuable:
- 1989 Bowman Tiffany #220: about 6,000 sets printed, per CGC. Old Sports Cards lists it at about $17,000 in PSA 10.
- 1989 Topps Traded Tiffany #41T: about 15,000 printed, per CGC. About $6,250 in PSA 10, per Old Sports Cards.
- 1989 Fleer Glossy #548: about $6,000 in PSA 10, per Old Sports Cards.
To tell a glossy version from a regular one, compare the front gloss and the card stock on the back side by side. Glossy cards have a shinier front and a brighter back. Get any suspected glossy card graded before you price it as one.
How much is your Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card worth?
It depends on the card and its grade. In PSA 10, the Upper Deck #1 is about $5,800 to $6,000, while the other base rookies range from about $180 to $1,100, per Old Sports Cards.
- Identify the card. Check the brand and card number on the back. The table above lists all six main rookies.
- Check for a glossy version. Compare the shine and back stock with a regular card.
- Judge the condition. Look at centering, corners, edges and surface. Our PSA grading scale guide explains each grade.
- Compare recent sales. Search sold listings for the same card in the same condition, raw or graded.
For a sharp copy, grading can be worth it. Our article on whether it's worth getting cards graded shows how to decide.
Are there fake Griffey rookie cards?
Yes. Popular rookies attract counterfeits, and the Upper Deck #1 is no exception despite its hologram. Check the hologram, the print quality and the card stock against a copy you know is real, and buy expensive copies graded by a major company. Our guide on how to tell if a sports card is fake covers the checks step by step.
How can you tell which Griffey rookie you have?
Check the brand and card number on the back, or scan it. Sports Card Value Scanner identifies a card from a photo and shows its year, set and card number with a reference price range and rarity score. It's a quick way to confirm which Griffey rookie you're holding before you dig into sold prices. Save your Griffey cards to My Collection to keep their combined value in one place.
Frequently asked questions
What is Ken Griffey Jr.'s most valuable rookie card?
Among regular cards, the 1989 Upper Deck #1. In top grades, the scarcer 1989 Bowman Tiffany #220 is worth more, at about $17,000 in PSA 10 per Old Sports Cards.
How much is a 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. worth?
About $5,800 to $6,000 in PSA 10, per Old Sports Cards in June 2026. Raw and lower-grade copies sell for much less, since more than 132,000 copies have been graded by PSA alone.
Is the 1989 Topps Griffey a rookie card?
Yes, but it's in the 1989 Topps Traded set as #41T, not the base set. A Tiffany version exists too and is worth far more.
Sources
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