Revisiting one of the most popular sets of the 80s: 1989 Upper Deck factory sealed set

DeutscherGeist

I remember buying packs of these cards in my teens and being really impressed with the quality. I had my eye on this set for quite a while, but never bought one because I always feared tampering unless I saw in person a factory sealed case being opened up and take one on the spot. Dealers have told me that while there is a factory seal on there, the Griffey could still be missing. Apparently, Upper Deck had security features on their cards against counterfeiters, but they did not have the best tamper proof seals.

Being on this message board since 2003 taught me about BBCE. With my recent uptick in activity regarding this hobby, I decided to check out how much a factory sealed set was. There were plenty on eBay, but I feel even more skeptical about the factory seal not being tampered with at some point in the set's life. Luckily, BBCE still had a couple sets left. If it were not for them, I likely would not have bothered purchasing a factory sealed set. They do not do the BBCE wrap on those sets since it is already factory sealed, but one can be assured of its seal being untampered or they would not bother selling it. So, I ordered it along with some other small sets like the 1991 Topps Traded, 1989 UD High Number, 1991 UD Final Edition, 1991 Score Traded, etc. The prices of those small update sets were as low as I remember them to be. The UD factory set was only $125. That is the price point of sometime in the past as well. It seems as though the sets I bought have not yet been taken over by the tidal wave of the recent surge in prices.

While the Griffey rookie is the star of this set, I would also include fellow HOF Randy Johnson in there as well. Apart from that, the Gary Sheffield rookie card is another notable one with the potential to reach even more greatness as a HOF candidate. Then there are other cards such as John Smoltz and company which deserve honorable mention.

What do you guys think of the price point that I finally got in regarding this very popular set and any key cards I missed talking more about? From a set known for really one coveted card, it now has 2, but it could very well be three. Even if Sheffield does not make the HOF, his card is already priced close to being an actual member. The set also has many star cards that are simply beautiful works of art and photography.

JoeBanzai

Iconic set. $125.00 is fine, it's only going to go up.

Getting a set you feel is untampered with also a big plus.

Have FUN collecting.

76collector

This is in my top 3 sets of the 80's with 1980 Topps and 1984 Donruss. I don't think you will regret that purchase at all. Another iconic card from this set is the reverse negative Dale Murphy.

DeutscherGeist

Oh yeah, the reverse negative Dale Murphy. I think the factory set would have the corrected version only, right? That is a nice non-rookie card of an outstanding player.

BLUEJAYWAY

Around 1991-92 that set had a Beckett Book price of $210.00. I paid $165 for a factory sealed set and thought I got a great deal. It left my collection in the late 90's. Mine had the UD factory set seal and was not shrink wrapped.

DeutscherGeist

BLUEJAYWAY,

It appears there were two variations of the factory sealed set, one had a sticker seal and the other, the factory shrink wrap. I think the set I ordered has the shrink wrap.

Thanks for sharing those previous prices/values on the set. I knew the set sold for more sometime in the past.

DeutscherGeist

I just realized the high numbers are inside this factory set. The high numbers (Cards 701-800) are also sold as a separate factory sealed subset on its own.
That means, this set also includes the Omar Vizquel RC and Jim Abbott RC. There is also a nice Nolan Ryan card in the high numbers that has been fairly collectible.
I am even more happy about this purchase than initially. Maybe I should have bought two.

In4apenny

I bought 3 sets when they first came out. 2 are shrink wrapped still, the other one I opened back in the day. I was offered 100
UD Griffey Jr. rookie cards for $700. I passed, what if he is another Sam Horn? Oh well.

DeutscherGeist

I was at the Long Beach Expo last week and noticed considerably more sportscard tables than in years past. The hobby resurgence is quite visible.

In any case, in holding true to the topic thread, I did see the 1989 UD factory set in shrink wrap for $135. Its similar in price to what I paid last year by ordering from BBCE. Sure, I would like a second set, but I worry about tampering issues. The set has been on the market for decades and has gone through many hands, potentially, so I am not sure of its provenience. The seller probably does not know either. With the BBCE, I know they are a trustworthy dealer with a long reputation, so I feel much more at ease getting it from there. The piece of mind is worth it. I am also not that knowledgeable about what to look for in terms of tampering of factory sealed sets, so I am conservative about purchasing them.

Cakes

If you do a search you will see some great posts on this set and the potential to hit on a nice Griffey Rookie. Good Luck!

Nathaniel1960

Don’t sleep on the Gary Varsho variation.