This baseball card set was massively over produced and because of that most collectors don’t pay too much attention to it. But the fact is the 1990 Score series if filled with Hall of Famers, and soe notible rookies.
The design was colorful but respectable.
There were plenty of draft picks and rookie cards to chase.
And what kid didn’t like those little, holographic trivia cards that were inserted into every pack? KIds who camge into our card shop and bought Score packs seemed to love expanding their knowledge about significant baseball milestones and achievements by reading the hologram trivia.
Make no mistake, the 1990 Score is the junkiest of the junk wax years, massively over produced. And while many cards in this set aren’t worth anything, there are some that still do stick out in terms of value.
And in this guide, we’ll take a look at the 30 most valuable.
Let’s jump right in!
Let’s be clear: most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days.
Like the 1990 Donruss
, Bowman, Fleer, Topps and Upper Deck sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values.
So, for the cards on this list to be worth much, they’ll have to be graded to be in perfect, gem mint condition.
That means the card needs to be flawless.
Now that we got that out of the way, let’s take a look at the list:
1990 Score #697 Bo Jackson
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $250
PSA 10
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PSA 8
This card is arguably one of the most iconic cards of the “junk” wax era. Most every collector from
this time, wants a Mint Jackson, baseball/football in their collection.
It perfectly illustrates just what made Bo Jackson so such a gifted athlete, his ability to play both baseball and football professionally and have success with both sports.
There’s no mention of the Raiders or Royals anywhere on the front, the two pro teams he was playing for at the time. We just get a straightforward, black and white image of Jackson sporting gear from both sports.
What a simple way to get a big point across.
One of Bo Jackson’s rookie cards, produced by Classic, used a similar concept of Bo wearing gear from both sports but this is the one from the 1990 Score series everyone remembers.
1990 Score #250 Nolan Ryan
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $65
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There is a huge collector base out there for Nolan Ryan cards.
His rookie card is one of the hobby’s most sought-after cards in general while the rest of his cards are always among the most-demanded in any set in which he appears.
This one is no exception.
And while it may not be worth even close to what his rookie card is, it’s a really great-looking card nonetheless.
The red borders perfectly complement his Texas Ranger uniform and you gotta love that action shot of him ready to throw some major heat.
1990 Score #663 Frank Thomas Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $55
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This may not be the most expensive Frank Thomas rookie card, but it’s a design favorite among many collectors of that era.
What’s not to like about this card?
The big bright smile on Thomas’s face paired with a bright blue sky gives the card huge eye appeal.
I love that old White Sox logo, too.
Again, there are Frank Thomas rookies that fetch much bigger price tags but this is a classic that will always bring back great memories.
1990 Score #255 Tony Gwynn
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50
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1990 Score #586 Deion Sanders Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50
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PSA 9 (Huge Gap)
1990 Score #360 Rickey Henderson
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50
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1990 Score #566 Bo Jackson All-Star MVP
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50
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This is a fantastic card and a great tribute to Jackson’s 1989 All-Star MVP honor.
1989 would be the only season in which Jackson earned a trip to the All-Star game but this card (along with the other Bo Jackson cards in this set) of how much hype surrounded the two-sport star at the time.
The horizontal layout, blue borders and great action shot of Jackson’s compact, powerful swing make this one of the best-looking cards in the entire set.
1990 Score #280 Bo Jackson
Estimated “Watham” Error PSA 10 Value: $50
Estimated “Wathan” Correct Version PSA 10 Value: $40
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Bo Jackson appeared on four different cards in this set but this is considered his “base” card.
On the back side of the card, then Royals manager John Wathan was quoted as saying, “The more he plays, the better he gets. And I don’t have any idea when that will stop.”
However, there are fewer versions where Score misspelled Wathan’s last name as “Watham”.
They’re not too difficult to find, but in high grade they are worth more than the correct version.
Some have sold for as high as $70 or more but I think you could likely expect to pay around $25 for a PSA 10 copy.
1990 Score #1 Don Mattingly
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $45
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1990 Score #66 Dale Murphy
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $45
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1990 Score #560 Ken Griffey Jr.
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $45
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The blue and yellow borders on this card matched up perfectly with the Mariners uniforms back then.
And together with a great action shot of Griffey showing off his sweet swing, that color scheme makes this one of the best-looking cards from the set.
During the 1990’s, Griffey Jr. was one of the hottest stars in the sport and seemed destined to break all kinds of records. Unfortunately, injuries really bogged him down in the 2000’s but he still managed to put up monster career numbers and be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
No question “The Kid” became one one the most popular players in baseball history.
1990 Score #631 Larry Walker Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $45
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I’ll never forget Walker’s 1997 season…the guy was absolutely on fire. His 49 home runs, 130 RBI and .363 batting average were good enough to win MVP honors.
Some seasons, that would be good enough to win a Triple Crown, too, but not that year unfortunately. I also remember in 1999 when he had an outside shot of hitting .400 for the season.
He’d finish with a .379 batting average that year, which was still incredible. That’s pretty much what I’ll always remember about Walker: he was an incredible hitter.
1990 Score #696 Nolan Ryan ’89 Highlight
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $45
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1990 Score #650 Dave Justice Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40
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1990 – David Justice is wins the Rookie of the Year Award for the National League. Justice hit .282 with 28 home runs and replaced outfielder Dale Murphy in right field in August.
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1990 Score #672 Chuck Knoblauch Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40
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1990 Score #2 Cal Ripken Jr.
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
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1990 Score #245 Wade Boggs
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
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1990 Score #285 Ozzie Smith
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
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1990 Score #400 Kirby Puckett
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
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1990 Score #698 Rickey Henderson
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
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1990 Score #375 Jose Canseco
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25
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1990 Score #385 Mark McGwire
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $30
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1990 Score #581 Curt Schilling
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $20
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1990 Score #637 Juan Gonzalez Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $30
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1990 Score #687 Bo Jackson
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $30
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1990 Score #4 Barry Bonds
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25
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1990 Score #90 Ryne Sandberg
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $55
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1990 Score #558 Sammy Sosa Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $20
During the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, Sammy Sosa went on an absolute home run and RBI tear.
But we all know now that PEDs had a lot to do with it.
Despite that cloud that still hangs over his career, Sosa remains popular among many baseball card collectors.
Only worth about $10 in top condition, it’s not his most expensive rookie card by any means.
But, for Sosa fans, it’s a must-have card and features a great action shot of him running along the base path.
1990 Score #589 John Olerud Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $20
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1990 Score #619 Bernie Williams Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $20
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But like many sets of that era, 1990 Score was massively printed.
And that has severely hurt their value over the years: they’re just not that hard to find.
But, for those of us who grew up collecting these as kids, they’ll always have a huge nostalgic factor to them despite not having the highest monetary value.