Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Cards: Which to Buy and What They're Worth
From a glossy Tiffany Bowman rookie listed at $1,100 to a $14.99 Donruss, here's what Ken Griffey Jr.'s 1989 rookie cards cost today, and which one to buy for your budget.
What is Ken Griffey Jr.'s rookie card?
Ken Griffey Jr.'s rookie cards are all from 1989, the year before his first full big-league season. Unlike a modern rookie with dozens of colour parallels, his run is a handful of classic cardboard sets, and the 1989 Upper Deck Star Rookie #1 is the one most people mean when they say "the Griffey rookie." It was the very first card in Upper Deck's first-ever baseball set.
- 1989 Upper Deck Star Rookie (#1): the famous one, and the most recognized Griffey card.
- 1989 Bowman (#220): his Bowman rookie, plus a scarcer glossy Tiffany version.
- 1989 Topps Traded (#41T): his Topps rookie, issued in the year-end Traded set, plus a scarcer Tiffany version sold only in factory sets.
- 1989 Donruss (#33) and Donruss The Rookies (#3): the dark-bordered base card and the boxed rookies-set version.
- 1989 Fleer (#548), Score (#625) and Score Rookie & Traded (#100T): the affordable rookies that fill out the set.
The headline card: 1989 Upper Deck #1
Beckett and other hobby sites treat the Upper Deck card as the flagship, and its value is almost entirely about condition: a flawless copy graded PSA 10 is worth a great deal more than a worn one. Old Sports Cards puts PSA 10 copies at around $5,000, and PSA 9 copies at roughly $400 to $425, while a raw copy in everyday condition can cost far less.
- 1989 Upper Deck
Star Rookie
Card #1The iconic 1989 Upper Deck #1 rookie — the most recognized Griffey card and one of the defining cards of its era. Tough to find in top grade, which is where the value lives.
last sold $86 from $105Recent salesSee all 13 sales
Date Grade Sold for Oct 25 PSA 9 $430 Oct 23 Raw $76 Oct 22 Raw $85 Oct 22 Raw $86 Oct 22 PSA 6 $99.87 Oct 21 PSA 3 $111.53 Oct 20 Raw $124.50 Oct 15 PSA 5 $90 Oct 13 PSA 5 $80.72 Oct 12 PSA 6 $110 Oct 9 PSA 8 $157.50 Oct 7 Raw $157.50 Oct 5 Raw $76
On October 27, 2026, the cheapest live eBay listing the site matched for this card was $109.99. That is a price for a typical copy, not a top grade, so read the listing's condition carefully.
What's realistic at different budgets
Prices below are the lowest live eBay listings our site matched on October 27, 2026. They change daily, and the listing's condition decides most of the price.
- Under $50: Donruss (#33) from $14.99, Score Rookie & Traded (#100T) from $17, Fleer (#548) from $19.99, Bowman (#220) from $24.24, Topps Traded (#41T) from $39.95.
- $50 to $250: Donruss The Rookies (#3) from $85, Score (#625) from $99.99, and the Upper Deck Star Rookie (#1) from $109.99.
- $250 and up: the Topps Traded Tiffany (#41T) from $599.99 and the Bowman Tiffany (#220) from $1,100.
- 1989 Upper Deck
Star Rookie
Card #1The iconic 1989 Upper Deck #1 rookie — the most recognized Griffey card and one of the defining cards of its era. Tough to find in top grade, which is where the value lives.
last sold $86 from $105Recent salesSee all 13 sales
Date Grade Sold for Oct 25 PSA 9 $430 Oct 23 Raw $76 Oct 22 Raw $85 Oct 22 Raw $86 Oct 22 PSA 6 $99.87 Oct 21 PSA 3 $111.53 Oct 20 Raw $124.50 Oct 15 PSA 5 $90 Oct 13 PSA 5 $80.72 Oct 12 PSA 6 $110 Oct 9 PSA 8 $157.50 Oct 7 Raw $157.50 Oct 5 Raw $76
The Upper Deck #1 is the one to buy, in a grade you can live with
It is the flagship Griffey rookie and still lists in the low hundreds of dollars for a typical copy. If the budget is tight, the Bowman #220 at about $24 is a real, licensed rookie from the same year.
About: 1989 Upper Deck Star Rookie #1 · #1 on our Ken Griffey Jr. list
- 1989 Bowman
Tiffany
Card #220The scarce, glossy Tiffany version of his Bowman rookie — printed in far smaller quantities than the base card, making it his premium rookie chase.
from $1,100
Graded vs. raw
For the Upper Deck #1, the grade is the price. Old Sports Cards lists PSA 10 at about $5,000 and PSA 9 at roughly $400 to $425, a gap of more than ten times for what looks like a tiny difference. If you want it for the display case, a PSA 8 or 9 is far cheaper and looks nearly the same. If you are buying it as a collectible you hope holds value, only the top grades move the needle.
The Tiffany versions follow the same rule. The Topps Traded Tiffany has sold as a PSA 10 for $7,500 on eBay (June 9, 2026), and a PSA 10 sold for $5,911 on October 31, 2025 per PSA's Auction Prices Realized.
- 1989 Topps Traded
Tiffany
Card #41TThe glossy Tiffany version of his Topps Traded rookie, sold only in factory sets and far scarcer than the base card. PSA 10 copies have recently sold for about $5,700 to $9,000.
from $599.99
How to avoid a wrong or fake listing
- Match the card number: Upper Deck is #1, Bowman #220, Topps Traded #41T, Donruss #33, Fleer #548, Score #625.
- Know the Tiffany versions are different cards with a glossy finish, and a plain copy sold as Tiffany is a mistake or worse. Ask for a close-up photo or a graded slab.
- Buy the expensive copies graded by PSA, BGS or SGC. For a card worth thousands, the slab is your authentication.
- Compare sold prices, not asking prices. A high ask on eBay is a weak signal of value.
Raw copies in this price range are fine to buy for fun, but photograph-based condition is a gamble: corners and centering decide the grade.
Quick answers
- What is Ken Griffey Jr.'s most valuable rookie card?
- The Topps Traded Tiffany (#41T) and Bowman Tiffany (#220) are his scarcest rookies, and a PSA 10 Topps Traded Tiffany sold for $7,500 on eBay on June 9, 2026. The 1989 Upper Deck #1 is the most famous.
- What is Ken Griffey Jr.'s actual rookie card?
- His rookie cards are all from 1989. The 1989 Upper Deck Star Rookie #1 is the best known; his Bowman (#220), Topps Traded (#41T), Donruss (#33), Fleer (#548) and Score (#625) cards are also rookies.
- How much is a Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card worth?
- On October 27, 2026, matched live listings ranged from $14.99 for the Donruss to $109.99 for the Upper Deck #1 and $1,100 for the Bowman Tiffany. A PSA 10 Upper Deck #1 is around $5,000 per Old Sports Cards.
- What's the cheapest way to start a Griffey collection?
- The 1989 Donruss (#33) was listed from $14.99 and the Fleer (#548) from $19.99 on October 27, 2026.
- Are Ken Griffey Jr. cards a good investment?
- Sports cards are collectibles, not guaranteed investments. Values move with hobby demand and can fall as fast as they rise. This guide is for research, not financial advice.
Where this comes from
Prices shown come from eBay listings and refresh daily, so they may be up to a day old. Sports cards are collectibles, not investments — this guide is for research and enjoyment, not financial advice.