When we think of late 1980’s and early 1990’s football cards we always come back to one product, 1989 Score. This was one of the first football products we ever had the chance to open. We will always have a soft spot for this product, even if it hadn’t become the hobby stalwart it is today. The simple design of the card and vibrant color (either Green, Red or Blue) just make this set immediately recognizable.
1989 Score Football features a 330 card checklist that is highlighted by Rookie Cards of 6 NFL Hall of Famers. The most notable of these rookies are Barry Sanders, Troy Aikman and Deion Sanders. They have long been favorites of football cards collectors and are truly iconic cards. The other Hall of Famers to have rookie cards in this set are Michael Irvin, Tim Brown and Cris Carter.
The set’s production run was much lower than the typical card releases of its time which has helped it hold value. Unopened boxes and packs have recently began to climb in value again as the PSA 10 Barry Sanders rookie has crossed the $1,000 mark in some auctions.
We decided to open a couple of packs we had in our collection on the hunt for the iconic rookie cards featured in the set. Here’s what we got in our two packs:
Pack 1:
Sammie Smith Rookie, Hart Lee Dykes Rookie, Keith DeLong Rookie, Steve Young, Joey Browner All Pro, Mark Rypien, Art Monk, Duane Bickett, Curt Warner, Merril Hoge, Chris Spielman, Hershel Walker, Wesley Walker, Chris Doleman, Bruce Matthews All Pro, Detroit Lions Trivia Card.
Pack 2:
Andre Rison Rookie, Sammie Smith Rookie, Jeff Lageman Rookie, Jim McMahon, Ozzie Newsome, Tim Krumrie, James Lofton, Jim Covert, Stephone Paige, Wesley Walker, Chris Doleman, Pat Swilling, Henry Ellard All Pro, Bruce Smith All Pro, Tim Brown All Pro, Atlanta Falcons Football Trivia Card.
Review:
While we fell short on getting any of the Hall of Fame Rookie Cards (the Tim Brown All Pro is not considered his rookie) we had a blast opening these packs. In a weird way, while the hobby is seeing such unprecedented success and growth right now, some days the hobby seems so different and hard to understand, that it can wear on you. This product truly brought us back to our childhood and was an uplifting experience.
Out of the 30 cards in our packs, 10 of them featured Hall of Fame players. You can never go wrong getting cards of that many Hall of Famers in two packs. We also pulled two rookies that were a big deal for different reasons, Andre Rison and Sammie Smith. The Rison card was very popular at the height of his very underrated career. Growing up in South Florida, Sammie Smith was supposed to be the back that finally gave Dan Marino the help he needed to balance the offense. While it holds no really monetary value, the sentimental value of pulling not one, but two was very high!
If you would like to try your hand and open a pack, you can find them on eBay for as low as $25 a pack. The chance to pull one of the three iconic rookies is the siren song of this product and when you actually get one, it’s an exhilarating feeling. If you can get a pack from a reputable seller on the lower side of the range ($25 and under) it’s worth trying, at least once.
We love opening older cards and getting the flood of memories rushing back to us. We hope you enjoy it too! Leave us a comment on the blog or on our Facebook post and let us know if you like these too!