25 Most Valuable 1989 Bowman Baseball Cards
After more than 30 years of being shelved, the Bowman brand was brought back into the spotlight with the release of the 1989 Bowman baseball card set.
Topps had bought out their once competitor way back in the 1950s but now looked to revive the brand with this release.
Clearly, the baseball card bubble was afoot and companies like Topps were doing whatever it took to satisfy a bloated market…
Headlined by a solid Griffey Jr. rookie, the 484-card checklist features many other rookies and stars of the era on oversized 2 1/2″ by 3 3/4″ cards.
One thing I always enjoyed about these cards was the team-by-team statistical detail included on the backs which was very helpful in the pre-Internet days:
Overall, this is a unique set in a lot of ways.
And in this guide, I’ll run through the 25 most valuable to look for.
Let’s jump right in!
1989 Bowman Baseball: Market Analysis and Value Guide
1989 Bowman Baseball Set Snapshot
Next Set:
1989 Bowman Grading Analysis
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1989 Bowman #220 Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card
PSA 10 Value: $450
Total PSA Population: 32,733
PSA 10 Population: 2,650
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 8.1% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
Ken Griffey Jr. leads off our list as the clear key card to own in this set.
Like many of his rookie cards, this one has held up very well in value over time despite being part of the “junk era”.
The base version will set you back over $100 in top grade while the Tiffany version can be worth around $2,000 or more, which might shock you.
Tiffany cards will always cost more than the base cards due to their relative scarcity and higher quality but what helps drive up the value in this case is that there were only 6,000 Tiffany sets produced of 1989 Bowman.
That number is substantially other than other Tiffany sets, by comparison.
Regardless of which version you’re talking, it’s a great-looking card as Griffey looks extremely confident and primed to take the baseball world by storm.
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1989 Bowman #126 Bo Jackson
PSA 10 Value: $85
Total PSA Population: 841
PSA 10 Population: 116
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 13.8% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
Though he didn’t have nearly the baseball career that Griffey Jr. did, Bo Jackson was and still is one of the most popular players in any late 80s or early 90s set.
There was just so much hype surrounding Jackson back in the day as fans and collectors couldn’t get enough of his two-sport stardom in baseball and football.
Despite not being a Hall of Famer in either sport, there’s no questioning how talented and exciting this guy was as he has both an NFL Pro Bowl and MLB All-Star appearance to his name to prove it.
Collectors certainly haven’t forgotten about Bo Jackson and the love for his cards in high grade remains strong today.
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1989 Bowman #259 Ken Griffey
PSA 10 Value: $70
Total PSA Population: 4,218
PSA 10 Population: 704
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 16.7% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
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1989 Bowman #225 Nolan Ryan
PSA 10 Value: $65
Total PSA Population: 1,293
PSA 10 Population: 475
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 36.7% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
While his 1989 Topps card features him still throwing heat in his Astros uniform, Ryan is shown posing in his new Rangers uniform on his Bowman card.
It’s nearly the same pose that was showcased on his 1989 Topps Traded card.
And I don’t mean how they’re cropped differently from the waist up on his Bowman card versus from his stomach up on his Topps Traded card.
The angle is slightly different…
For years, Topps had used the same image on cards from one year to the next so I wonder why they chose a slightly different one for these two cards.
I’ve spent way too much time thinking about it…
All of Ryan’s cards are always in demand, especially in top grade, and this one is no exception.
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1989 Bowman #284 Greg Maddux
PSA 10 Value: $55
Total PSA Population: 262
PSA 10 Population: 95
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 36.3% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
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1989 Bowman #290 Ryne Sandberg
PSA 10 Value: $55
Total PSA Population: 165
PSA 10 Population: 72
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 43.6% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
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1989 Bowman #337 Fernando Valenzuela
PSA 10 Value: $45
Total PSA Population: 61
PSA 10 Population: 21
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 34.4% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
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1989 Bowman #387 Darryl Strawberry
PSA 10 Value: $45
Total PSA Population: 96
PSA 10 Population: 27
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 28.1% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
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1989 Bowman #426 Barry Bonds
PSA 10 Value: $45
Total PSA Population: 596
PSA 10 Population: 139
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 23.3% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
Barry Bonds may have been the most gifted player to ever set foot on the field.
With 7 MVPs, 14 All-Star selections, 8 Gold Gloves, 12 Silver Sluggers and 2 batting titles…it’s hard to argue against that claim.
However, we’ll just never know how much of that was aided by his connection to PEDs.
Despite the controversy that surrounds him, Bonds is still popular among card collectors.
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1989 Bowman #121 George Brett
PSA 10 Value: $40
Total PSA Population: 261
PSA 10 Population: 120
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 46.0% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
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1989 Bowman #176 Don Mattingly
PSA 10 Value: $40
Total PSA Population: 379
PSA 10 Population: 142
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 37.5% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
If you had to put a face to the hobby in the 1980s, Don Mattingly would have certainly been a strong candidate.
As his career with the New York Yankees continued on a Hall of Fame trajectory throughout the decade, collectors everywhere were ripping packs in hopes of snagging his cards.
Things changed drastically for Mattingly in the 90s, though, as injuries would catch up to him and derail his dominance.
His cards, especially his rookies, still remain popular with collectors of that era.
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1989 Bowman #181 Rickey Henderson
PSA 10 Value: $40
Total PSA Population: 348
PSA 10 Population: 130
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 37.4% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
Henderson would be traded from the Yankees to the A’s about halfway through the 1989 season but is still shown in Yankee pinstripes on his 1989 Bowman issue.
His base stealing abilities are well-documented but one of the things I find most interesting was how he led the league every year in the 1980s except for 1987.
That year, he swiped “only” 41 bags while Harold Reynolds went on to put up 60 stolen bases.
The shortfall for Rickey wasn’t due to a drop-off in skill, it was because he played in only 95 games that year due to injury.
Had he been healthy he would’ve more than likely led the league every year over an entire decade which is just amazing when you think about it.
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1989 Bowman #266 John Smoltz Rookie Card
PSA 10 Value: $40
Total PSA Population: 1,378
PSA 10 Population: 547
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 39.7% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
Together with Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, John Smoltz formed a three-headed monster that would dominate opposing teams year in and year out.
All three of the Hall of Famers were extremely skilled at their craft but what I’ve always appreciated about Smoltz was that he was so successful as both a starter and closer.
Throughout the 1990s he was a dominant starter and even picked up a Cy Young for his efforts in the 1996 season, his best on record.
But after getting injured he spent four years in the early 2000s as a closer and even led the National League in 2002 with an eye-popping 55 saves.
Then he switched back to the starting rotation in 2005 and picked up right where he had left off in the 1990s, even leading the league in wins in 2006.
To be able to transition between two very different pitching duties and do so at the highest of levels makes Smoltz one of the most impressive pitchers ever.
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1989 Bowman #32 Wade Boggs
PSA 10 Value: $35
Total PSA Population: 122
PSA 10 Population: 48
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 39.3% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
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1989 Bowman #201 Jose Canseco
PSA 10 Value: $35
Total PSA Population: 143
PSA 10 Population: 27
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 18.9% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
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1989 Bowman #402 Mike Schmidt
PSA 10 Value: $35
Total PSA Population: 288
PSA 10 Population: 173
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 60.1% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
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1989 Bowman #436 Ozzie Smith
PSA 10 Value: $35
Total PSA Population: 157
PSA 10 Population: 57
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 36.3% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
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1989 Bowman #9 Cal Ripken Jr.
PSA 10 Value: $30
Total PSA Population: 845
PSA 10 Population: 254
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 30.1% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
A true legend of the game, Cal Ripken Jr. needs no introduction.
This card features a great image of “The Iron Man” looking off into the distance with a big smile on his face.
It must have been cold that day, too, as he’s sporting a turtle neck.
While he’s widely-known as the record holder for most consecutive games ever played, he also played those games at a high level going down in history as arguably the greatest shortstop of all-time.
His consistency and dedication should serve as an inspiration to not only baseball fans, but to people in general.
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1989 Bowman #144 Robin Yount
PSA 10 Value: $30
Total PSA Population: 137
PSA 10 Population: 83
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 60.6% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
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1989 Bowman #162 Kirby Puckett
PSA 10 Value: $30
Total PSA Population: 296
PSA 10 Population: 151
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 51.0% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
Before being forced to retire after the 1995 season due to loss of vision in one eye, Kirby Puckett was one of the game’s best on both offense and defense while earning 6 Gold Gloves and 6 Silver Sluggers.
His power and run production in 1989 were a bit lower than usual but he did go on to win his only batting title that year.
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1989 Bowman #197 Mark McGwire
PSA 10 Value: $30
Total PSA Population: 797
PSA 10 Population: 108
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 13.6% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
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1989 Bowman #276 Dale Murphy
PSA 10 Value: $30
Total PSA Population: 135
PSA 10 Population: 83
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 61.5% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
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1989 Bowman #461 Tony Gwynn
PSA 10 Value: $30
Total PSA Population: 193
PSA 10 Population: 83
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 43.0% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
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1989 Bowman #142 Gary Sheffield Rookie Card
PSA 10 Value: $25
Total PSA Population: 962
PSA 10 Population: 207
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 21.5% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
Sheffield’s time with the Brewers was a bit slow but after heading to the San Diego Padres for the 1992 season, his career burst into overdrive.
Possessing incredible bat speed, Sheffield was able to hit for both power and average as he’d pick up 5 Silver Slugger awards over his career.
Had he not been connected to the PED scandal, he’d very likely be in the Hall of Fame right now as he certainly had the resume to prove it.
Despite not being in the Hall, his rookie card can still be worth some decent money in high grade.
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1989 Bowman #476 Will Clark
PSA 10 Value: $25
Total PSA Population: 115
PSA 10 Population: 71
PSA 10 Grade Rate: 61.7% (Set Avg.: 17.4%)
Many out there believe the real 1989 N.L.
MVP was not Kevin Mitchell, but his teammate, Will “The Thrill” Clark.
Clark was undoubtedly a more complete player than Mitchell, flashing Gold Glove-caliber leather at first base for the San Francisco Giants despite not winning the award.
The statistics also show Clark’s impact on the eventual National League champions, especially his 8.6 WAR, which trailed only Atlanta’s Lonnie Smith for the league lead.
He finished top five in the Majors in batting average (.333, #4), OBP (.410, #5), slugging percentage (.546, 3), OPS (.953, #2), runs scored (104, #3), hits (196, #5), total bases (321, #3), RBIs (111, #5), and adjusted OPS+ (175, #2).
Clark also led the Majors in multiple out-of-the-box advanced stats like runs created and win probability added, furthering his case as the baseball geek’s true NL MVP for 1989.
And to cap things off, Clark had an otherworldly performance in the NLCS against the Chicago Cubs, posting an unreal .650/.682/.1.200 slash line with two home runs and 8 RBIs in 20 at-bats, easily winning the NLCS MVP award. 1989 was the second of five straight All-Star appearances for Clark in a Giants uniform, and it still holds up one of the best non-MVP seasons in baseball history.
1989 Bowman Baseball Cards In Review
Overall, this set features a pretty decent checklist and a key rookie card in Griffey Jr.
And the Tiffany versions of these cards can add a bit of an added challenge in collecting high grade specimens given their relative scarcity.
One noticeable thing is that the set doesn’t feature nearly as many subsets as others of the era outside of a small run of father/son cards (#258-261) and the standard checklist cards.
There were several reprint cards of Hall of Famers like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson and others inserted into packs, though.
While the hobby may have mixed opinions on this set, there’s no doubting that it contains huge star power and a large amount of nostalgia.
