The world of trading cards, known affectionately as “The Hobby”, underwent a considerable shift in 1989 when Upper Deck packs first made their way onto the shelves. Unlike the run-of-the-mill cards that were often casually tossed away, these new cards were described as being “premium,” or “investor grade.” Furthermore, they were priced in a manner befitting their newfound status – and it was a hefty enough amount to raise eyebrows at the time.
This introduction by Upper Deck was perfectly timed to capitalize on the knife edge of a rising trend in card collecting at the time – rookie card frenzy. For many card collectors, in 1989, rookie cards held a fascination unlike any other. For some, it was their predominant, if not solitary, focus.
Upper Deck cards didn’t just bring something new to the table – they revolutionized card collecting as a hobby. Their cards came with anti-tampering packaging, slicker card stock, hologrammed backs, and superior quality photography. However, all these new features somewhat played the chorus to the real star of the show – the first card in the set that became essentially the face of 1980’s card collecting: the Ken Griffey, Jr., rookie card.
However, current standards for rookie cards now stipulate that cards must only be issued after a rookie has achieved Major league status.
For instance, consider the card of Ken Griffey Jr. issued by Upper Deck in February of 1989 – which was a whole month earlier than his official major league debut on April 3, 1989. This means that according to the strict rules that categorize rookie cards, even cards from the same year of a rookie’s debut do not qualify as official rookie cards unless they are released after the player has made his major league debut.
This leaves a conundrum, though – with 177 different Griffey cards issued in ’89, how does one identify his true rookie card?
The task is more straightforward than one might assume. To improve simplicity, rookie cards must come from a “major release”.
This leads us to an unfortunate but unavoidable fact – the only major set in 1989 that featured Griffey and can be considered his rookie card was one that was almost universally snubbed by card collectors both then and now. This was the Bowman brand card that was released in July of 1989, which was well after Griffey’s Major league debut in April.
The sobering truth, then, is that Griffey’s sole legitimate rookie card is a Bowman – a card that was met with at best indifference and at worst outright derision.
This does raise an important question, though: Is it fair to retroactively apply today’s standards for rookie cards to those of the past? It is a question that has often resulted in heated debate among collectors.
The Bowman Griffey card may not boast the popularity or value of the Upper Deck Griffey card, but in terms of authenticity and adherence to rules, it is the original, true rookie card of Ken Griffey Jr. Regardless of its relative lack of prestige, the Bowman Griffey carries the distinction of being an iconic representation of the strict guidelines and nuances of card collecting.
