In November of 2023, I interviewed @JunkWaxHeroes for the podcast and we spent a full episode discussing what in my opinion is the best era of trading cards. Yes, yes, I know. Junk Wax Era cards “aren’t worth anything”.

But the thing is they are worth something. It’s hard to have a conversation with anyone in their 30s and 40s who doesn’t have a connection to collecting cards from that era. Memories are worth something. Jordan, Jeter, Griffey, Bonds, Shaq, and Barry Sanders were in their primes, and collectors are still tracking down their stuff. Their cards are still worth something.

The JWE was my collecting prime, so I wanted to search my collection and pull out 10 of my favorite cards from the era.

1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr.

I’m pretty sure there is some kind of rule that you can’t write an article about the junk wax era and not mention the ‘89 Upper Deck Griffey (eBay link). This was a card I never had has a kid, but boy did I always want it. I had two problems. At $1 or more per pack, Upper Deck was double the cost of Topps, Donruss, and Fleer. When I was 12, that was a big deal. Upper Deck and their foil wrappers and holograms were out of my price range. The other problem was that even if I did a few more chores, my small town gas stations and grocery stores didn’t ever have them in stock. I only saw them at the occasional show or trip into the LCS in the city that was 45 minutes away.
It wasn’t until probably 2016 or 2017 that I finally obtained a couple copies in some of the collections I was buying. This was one of those two, and I had it graded by CGC at the 2023 National. This 9.5 will be staying in my collection!

1986 Topps Garbage Pail Kids Adam Bomb

The second series of the original Garbage Pail Kids were the first ones that found their way into my collection. But I was kind of a dorky kid, and I didn’t like how the Rappin’ Ron (eBay link) card was making fun of the president so I didn’t buy too many. Over the years, my appreciation for GPK grew and I started seeking out the full run of the original series. Adam Bomb (eBay link) has become the signature card of the series. The standard Topps OS1 card brings some pretty hefty prices, but Topps also released a smaller version of the series 1 stickers in the UK in 1986 and they are much more affordable. I picked up this SGC 9 in 2022. Maybe someday I’ll find a matching 1985 US version pair it with.

1986 Donruss Jose Canseco

As I mentioned earlier, I grew up in a small town and in our town we only had Topps. In fact, I don’t remember being able to buy anything from the other companies until 1988. So by the time I learned about Jose and McGwire bashing up Oakland in 1988 and 1989, this 1986 Donruss Rated Rookie #39 (eBay link) card was legendary to me. It was a grail that my friends and I only dreamed of owning. Just like the Griffey, I had to wait almost 30 years before I was finally able to add one to my pc. When you combine that sweet Rated Rookie logo and the sweet stache above Jose’s lip, you get a card I can’t imagine letting go of.

1989 Fleer Billy Ripken Error

The 1989 Fleer Billy Ripken error card (eBay link) was the stuff of legends for me and my friends. We couldn’t believe there was a card with the “F” word right there for everyone to see. Not just that, but it was even funnier that it was combined with “face” to introduce a whole new playground term to throw around. The corrected black box version was the only one I ever pulled from a pack, but I have since added the original error and a handful of the other “corrections” such as the white out and black scribble versions.

1989 Score Football Update Bo Jackson

1989 Score Supplemental Football Bo Jackson

The 1990 Score “Bo Knows” baseball card is one of the most iconic cards of the Junk Wax Era. I love that card, but I think I like the 1989 Score Football Supplemental version even more! (Check them out on eBay at the above links) It isn’t nearly as well known. It’s from the first year of Score Football, and it still shows Bo with a bat and shoulder pads. I also like that it has a vertical orientation. Bo was one of my favorite athletes growing up, and this dual sport card is a great representation of what made him so awesome.

Nolan Ryan/Robin Ventura Broader

Unlicensed Nolan Ryan and Robin Ventura card

Nolan Ryan was tough, and Robin Ventura found out just how tough when he decided to charge the mound on August 4, 1993. Ryan took him head on and landed several shots before the scrum got all sorted out. This broader card came out a while later and does a great job capturing the moment. Plus there’s “only” 15,000 of them! You can pick them up for about $5-$10 on eBay.

1993-94 Topps Stadium Club Beam Team Mark Price

I played basketball all through Jr. High and High School. As a skinny guard, Mark Price was a player I connected with. He was one of the first players I sent a “through the mail” autograph request to, and I was thrilled when he returned the signed card and a letter to go along with it. The Stadium Club Beam Team cards were one of the first “premium inserts” I was after and I still pick them up when I see them tucked in show boxes. In this photo on his 1993 Stadium Club Beam Team (eBay link) card he is being guarded by another JWE fan favorite Muggsy Bogues which makes it even sweeter.

1986 Topps Richard Dent

The 1985 season was my introduction to football, and in central Illinois, the Bears were all the rage. You could say I as a bit spoiled when my team wins the Super Bowl the first time I actually paid attention!

Richard Dent was one of the defensive monsters I cheered for, and when I started collecting football cards in 1986, his was one I kept in my special binder. Well after the ‘86 season he made an autograph appearance at a local mall and I took this card for him to sign.

He seemed larger than life to my ten year old brain, and I’ll always remember that day.

1986 Topps Bears Team Card

The story for this card goes right along with the one for Richard Dent, but I love the shot of Walter Payton in this 1986 Topps Chicago Bears Team card (eBay link).

When it came to the offensive side of the ball, Payton was my favorite and Jim McMahon was a close second. In my mind, Payton hit every hole and could score at will. This shot takes me back to those Sunday afternoons watching games with my dad.

1989 Fleer Michael Jordan

I didn’t start collecting basketball cards until the 1989 season. You could only find baseball, football, and the occasional Garbage Pail Kids box on the shelves of my little town between 1986-1988. It wasn’t until 1989 or 1990 that basketball cards started showing up.

My first packs were 1989 Fleer, and this 1989 Fleer card (eBay link) was the first Michael Jordan I ever pulled from a pack. I love the photo, and this design holds a special place in my heart.

It was tough to limit myself to just 10 cards. There was so many great ones from this era! Maybe I’ll have to build on this topic in some future articles and podcast episodes!

Do you have any Junk Wax Era favorites in your collection?

10 of My Favorite Cards From the Junk Wax Era