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1989 Upper Deck Grading

theczartheczar Posts: 1,590 ✭✭
in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum
How hard is it to get a 1989 UD Griffey graded a PSA 10?. I see these unopened factory sets selling in the neighborhood of $45 on ebay and I find that underpriced. Maybe I am just too dumb, but when Upper Deck came out the cards were almost in cookie cutter condition, and centering was not that big of an issue compared to other sets before it. How has anyone fared getting 1989 UD graded, especially those cracking open a factory set or wax box 15+ years later.

Comments

  • KnucklesKnuckles Posts: 2,512 ✭✭✭
    Pretty tough I think.. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think there's only like 120 10's out of thousands that have been sent in for grading.


    or maybe i'm thinking of another card.. hmm *waits to be corrected*
    image
  • SDSportsFanSDSportsFan Posts: 5,144 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I've heard from others that the factory sets are NOT the place to get PSA 10-worthy Griffeys. Reason being the way Upper Deck shrink-wrapped the cards. Since Griffey was card #1, his cards got dinged corners from the plastic wrap.


    Steve
  • 5STAT5STAT Posts: 835
    The cards a TOUGH out of factory sets!!
    Biggest reason being..it's the #1 card in the set....they put it 1st against a cardboard divider...the sets slop around in the bx from time to time..
    It makes it easy for even the slightest ding to occur.
    Also...this factor leads to the chipping on the hologram on the back of the card..

    Throw in the centering and it's a crap shoot...
    You can find high number wax for $55..that's a much better way to go.....IF it hasn't been picked!! Upper Deck ran sequentially that year...so if you open a pack with say #4 in it...you know Griffey is either 3 packs above or below the pack you opened.....open the middle pack from each row...and you can vertually bleed the box clean. TOO bad.....lots of people did it then....so if you buy wx..get it from a good source!!
  • 5STAT5STAT Posts: 835
    just a note....the sets aren't shrink wrapped inside as SDsportsfan said....but he was right...do to being #1...the cards are seldom mint!!
  • milbrocomilbroco Posts: 2,738 ✭✭✭✭
    I opened my factory set last year (I bought it in 1989) and #1 they are not shrinkwrapped, and #2 mine was not in sequential order. The Griffey was about 100 cards from the front. I also know for a fact the set was not tampered with.
    Bob
    ebay seller name milbroco
    email bcmiller7@comcast.net
  • HoofHeartedHoofHearted Posts: 2,537 ✭✭


    << <i>Pretty tough I think.. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think there's only like 120 10's out of thousands that have been sent in for grading.


    or maybe i'm thinking of another card.. hmm *waits to be corrected* >>



    Knucks,

    Here is the line from the Pop Rpt for Griffey's #1:

    1 KEN GRIFFEY JR. STAR ROOKIE (PSA1-2) 2 (3-4) 146 (5) 1250 (6) 2582 (7) 4778 (7Q) 22 (8) 23263 (8Q) 405 (9) 15298 (9Q) 234 (10) 1101 (Total) 49082

    The 1,101 PSA10s make up about 2% of the total graded Griffeys...

    hh
    imageimageimageSenators/Twins Type Collection
  • ldfergldferg Posts: 6,745 ✭✭✭
    some of the 89 factory sets (produced later in the year) were shrinkwrapped from the factory. the first batch of sets were sealed with a round upper deck seal.

    griffey's from the set are also notorious for having blue dye on them from the box. i don't think psa takes off for hologram chipping on the back.

    good luck.


    Thanks,

    David (LD_Ferg)



    1985 Topps Football (starting in psa 8) - #9 - started 05/21/06
  • phreakydancinphreakydancin Posts: 1,691 ✭✭
    What were these people thinking?


    << <i>1 KEN GRIFFEY JR. STAR ROOKIE (PSA1-2) 2 (3-4) 146 (5) 1250 >>

    image
  • 5STAT5STAT Posts: 835
    you're right....both the circle upperdek circle sealed the sets....and then some were shrinkrf wrapped on the outside...

    The post above had said on the inside...which was never the case..

    TRUST me....they do take off for the hologram...I had 2 that I fought over and over about...they still sit in 9 slabs...lol
  • helionauthelionaut Posts: 1,555 ✭✭
    There are 1101 10s as of today. Check out the 1989 UD set registry. The #1 set is up to 97.5% straight tens. Incredible. It's funny, though. Card #1, 1101 10s. Card #2, 1 10. Luis Medina gets no respect. Even Dan Firova, picked by one magazine as the player least desrving of a rookie card in the 1989 UD set, has 5 10s.
    WANTED:
    2005 Origins Old Judge Brown #/20 and Black 1/1s, 2000 Ultimate Victory Gold #/25
    2004 UD Legends Bake McBride autos & parallels, and 1974 Topps #601 PSA 9
    Rare Grady Sizemore parallels, printing plates, autographs

    Nothing on ebay
  • digicatdigicat Posts: 8,551 ✭✭
    Luis Medina! At a Griffey signing just before the 1990 season, they had a stack of signed Louis "Funky Cold" Medina 1989 cards for $1 each.

    This guy had some pretty nice minor league stats before he came to the majors as a wonder rookie (6 hr in 16 games) then lost it all.

    Was he ever hot in the hobby? I started collecting in the summer of 1989, and at that time, Medina cards were in the common bin.

    My Giants collection want list

    WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
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