The Best 1990 Topps Baseball Cards
The 1990 Topps Baseball set – the company’s 40th flagship offering – pushed the boundary of card design with eccentric borders that ended up framing several cards that remain important to collectors more than a quarter-century later.
Most Topps sets between 1951 and 1989 featured plain white borders. Notable exceptions include the wood-grain borders of 1962 and 1987, the black-bordered 1971 set, and the two-toned, colorful borders used in 1975.
The 1990 set certainly carved out its own place on the list.
Using shades of orange, blue, purple, red, and green for the borders, every pack gave collectors a kaleidoscope of color that faded into a dotted pattern around the corners. The border selection was panned by a national newspaper columnist known as Babe Waxpak, who declared them a “dot matrix distraction” that reminded him of an ugly tie he received but never wore.1
But despite the borders, a pair of Hall of Fame rookie cards, a memorable All-Star Rookie card, and a very obvious printing mistake have made the 1990 Topps Baseball set one collectors will never forget.
What Are The Best 1990 Topps Baseball Cards?
From notable rookie cards to big-time superstars, the 792-card 1990 Topps Baseball set has it all, and the following are the best cards from the checklist.
1990 Topps #414 Frank Thomas RC
More famous than the base rookie is Thomas’ No Name On Front (NNOF) version, and there will be more on that card down the page.
Thomas’ rookie card was not the most desired by collectors in 1990, but among the dozens of rookies in the set, he had, by far, the most productive career. As the seventh overall selection in the 1989 MLB Draft, Thomas earned a Draft Picks card in the Topps set, which shows him with the Auburn Tigers and applying a tag on Seton Hall’s John Valentin during the 1987 College World Series. He debuted on August 2, 1990, and from there became a two-time MVP and slugged 521 home runs in a career that ended with a plaque in Cooperstown.
Shop for Frank Thomas’ 1990 Topps rookie card:
- On eBay
- On Beckett Marketplace
1990 Topps #336 Ken Griffey Jr.
Griffey delighted fans during his rookie season in 1989 but finished third behind Gregg Olson and Tom Gordon in American League Rookie of the Year balloting. Still, his season was plenty good enough to make the Topps All-Star Rookie Team and earn the gold cup emblem on his 1990 Topps card.
Griffey poses wearing road grays in front of a dugout on this classic offering, which is his first flagship Topps card. He had appeared in the 1989 Topps Traded set, but this card became the first in a run of flagship cards that continued through 2010 as Griffey piled up 630 home runs in his Hall of Fame career.
Shop for Ken Griffey Jr.’s 1990 Topps card:
- On eBay
- On Beckett Marketplace
1990 Topps #757 Larry Walker RC
Walker strikes a reflective pose on his 1990 Topps rookie card. Perhaps, he is imagining how his future will turn out.
If he was, he likely exceeded his own expectations. After a September call-up with the Expos in 1989, Walker became a regular in 1990. Two years later, he was an All-Star, and he added a trio of batting titles between 1998 and 2001. It took awhile, but the native Canadian was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020, giving the 1990 Topps set its second Hall of Fame rookie card.
Shop for Larry Walker’s 1990 Topps rookie card:
- On eBay
- On Beckett Marketplace
1990 Topps #1 Nolan Ryan
The 1990 Topps set begins with a tribute to 43-year-old Nolan Ryan, starting off with his first flagship Topps card in a Texas Rangers uniform.
Following the first card are four others that chronicle his career as the first pitcher in history to accumulate 5,000 strikeouts. The tribute cards show him with each the New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros, and Rangers, and the backgrounds are filled with the number 5,000 to recognize a feat that will probably never be duplicated. Ryan remained with the Rangers through 1993, and his 27-year career was an easy pick for Hall of Fame voters.
Shop for 1990 Topps Nolan Ryan cards:
- On eBay
- On Beckett Marketplace
1990 Topps #701 Bernie Williams RC
Williams came to the Yankees as a 17-year-old in 1986. The native Puerto Rican had a steady rise through the minors and established himself as a power-speed threat between Double-A and Triple-A in 1989, leading Topps to include him in the 1990 set.
Williams ultimately played all of 1990 in Double-A and did not debut until the middle of the 1991 season. But the fresh-faced 21-year-old ended up as one the key rookies from this set, especially as he built a reputation as New York’s long-time center fielder. Williams was a key cog during the late 1990s Yankees dynasty, winning four World Series rings over his 12-year career.
Shop for Bernie Williams’ 1990 Topps rookie card:
- On eBay
- On Beckett Marketplace
1990 Topps #692 Sammy Sosa RC
The Chicago White Sox were Sammy Sosa’s second team after he debuted with the Texas Rangers in 1989 and was promptly traded in the middle of the season.
In 1992, he got traded across town to the Cubs, and he blasted 33 homers in 1993 to establish himself as a power hitter. Then, in 1998, he battled Mark McGwire all season in the home run chase to break Roger Maris’ single-season record. Sosa’s rookies surged throughout the year. Even though performance-enhancing drug accusations have clouded Sosa’s power numbers and legacy, many collectors still remember chasing this rookie in the late ’90s.
Shop for Sammy Sosa’s 1990 Topps rookie card:
- On eBay
- On Beckett Marketplace
1990 Topps #USA1 President George H. W. Bush
On February 5, 1990, President Bush hosted Topps chairman Arthur Shorin in the Oval Office and received a special gift. Bush had previously stated that his grandson wanted to become a baseball player instead of a politician “because politicians don’t get their picture on bubble gum cards.”2 Shorin resolved that problem by bringing 100 examples of a glossy 1990 Topps card depicting Bush in his Yale University baseball uniform to the White House.
Bush played first base at Yale in 1947 and ’48 while studying economics at an accelerated pace that allowed him to graduate in 2½ years. The card features his stats from those seasons, and even accounts for small details like his home, which is listed as 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.
Numbered USA 1, these cards were never meant for public distribution, but a handful of examples have surfaced throughout the years. The exceedingly rare offering also commands a premium, as collectors of baseball cards, historical artifacts, and political memorabilia all battle for the winning bid.
Shop for George H. W. Bush’s 1990 Topps card:
- On eBay
Bonus Pick: 1990 Topps #396 A. Bartlett Giamatti
A long-time Yale professor and later the institution’s President, Giamatti always had a love for baseball. So, when the National League elected him President in 1986, he couldn’t turn down the job, and in 1989, baseball’s owners elevated the 51-year-old to Commissioner. Giamatti famously handed down Pete Rose’s lifetime ban for gambling about five months into his tenure, then died of a heart attack eight days later.
Topps and Donruss both recognized Giamatti in their 1990 sets. It’s a common card with little value, and even though Giamatti – the father to actors Paul and Marcus – is the shortest-tenured commissioner of all time, his tactful decision-making makes him worth remembering.
Shop for A. Bartlett Giamatti’s 1990 Topps rookie card:
- On eBay
- On Beckett Marketplace
Bonus Pick: 1990 Topps #743 Tom Candiotti
Candiotti was a serviceable pitcher for 16 seasons, finding most of his success thanks to the lost art of the knuckleball.
On his 1990 Topps card, Candiotti showcases the grip he used to make the ball float and flutter to the plate – and he still enjoys seeing the card today. “I love the grip that I’m throwing,” Candiotti once told MLB.com about this card. “It’s a knuckleball grip, and it has me looking in there like I’m getting the sign.”
Shop for Tom Candiotti’s 1990 Topps card:
- On eBay
- On Beckett Marketplace
1990 Topps Baseball Partial Blackless
During production, something briefly happened to a black printing plate.
There are many theories as to what may have transpired, but what is undeniable is that a limited number of cards from Sheet F were distributed with black ink missing.
For years, the Frank Thomas No Name on Front rookie card was the only “Blackless” card that collectors knew about, and it has routinely sold for hundreds and thousands of dollars, depending on condition.
In 2020, however, a collector realized more cards from Sheet F were missing black ink, and when he brought his findings to the public, the Partial Blackless checklist was born. It remains a dream of some collectors to open a sealed pack or box of 1990 Topps and find some of these “Blackless” cards, though very few find success.
In addition to the Thomas rookie – which has a recognized Partial Blackless card along with the NNOF issue – 12 other cards have some area of black ink missing:
- #141 John Hart
- #227 Kevin Tapani
- #302 Marcus Lawton
- #383 John Morris
- #385 Fred McGriff AS
- #386 Julio Franco AS
- #392 Carlton Fisk AS
- #395 Jeff Russell AS
- #404 Craig Biggio AS
- #406 Joe Magrane
- #414 Frank Thomas
- #624 Darrin Jackson
- #728 Jim Acker
Three Hall of Famers – McGriff, Fisk, and Biggio – were impacted, but the most obvious Partial Blackless card is Russell’s All-Star card, which has a big white streak behind him.
- Shop for 1990 Topps Blackless cards on eBay
1990 Topps Baseball Magazine
To celebrate its 40th year producing baseball cards, Topps introduced Topps Magazine in 1990.
The first issue, labeled as the Winter Issue and released prior to the start of the 1990 season, features Jose Canseco on the cover and included a perforated, six-card insert inside – much like the recently debuted Sports Illustrated For Kids magazine.
The quarterly magazine continued through the fall of 1993, ending its run with 16 total issues.
- Shop for 1990 Topps Magazine cards on eBay
What Are The Most Valuable 1990 Topps Baseball Cards?
The most valuable card from the 1990 Topps Baseball set is the Frank Thomas NNOF variation, and that is followed by the other partial blackless cards. But in terms of only the base set, here are the 10 most valuable 1990 Topps Baseball cards, based upon raw mint values from the Beckett Online Price Guide at the time of publication.
- Frank Thomas #414 RC – $4
- Sammy Sosa #692 RC – $2
- Bernie Williams #701 RC – $1.50
- Nolan Ryan #1 – $1
- Curt Schilling #97 – $1
- Barry Bonds #220 – $1
- Roger Clemens #245 – $1
- Juan Gonzalez #331 RC – $1
- Ken Griffey Jr. #336 – $1
- Larry Walker #757 RC – $1
The high-gloss Topps Tiffany versions of the same cards carry a premium. Click on a player’s name to shop for their Tiffany card on eBay.
- Frank Thomas #414 RC – $80
- Ken Griffey Jr. #336 – $25
- Nolan Ryan #1 – $15
- Curt Schilling #97 – $15
- Barry Bonds #220 – $15
- Roger Clemens #245 – $15
- Sammy Sosa #692 RC – $15
- Bernie Williams #701 RC – $15
- Juan Gonzalez #331 RC – $10
- Larry Walker #757 RC – $10
1990 Topps Baseball cards at a glance:
Cards per pack: Wax – 16
Packs per box: Wax – 36
Boxes per case: Wax – 20
Set size: 792 cards
This set means a lot 35 years later