I remember buying $5 packs of 1989 Upper Deck a few years after it came out. Kind of speaks to the production run of cards in those days, that even with all the hubbub for this Griffey card (whose value peaked around 10 years ago), that there are still plenty of sealed boxes of these nearly 25 year old cards out there to be had to this day.

Look at how many different sealed non sports boxes from the last 15 years or so that can't be found for less than $150 a box (or more), and even then, can't be found in any real quantity. To name just a few:

Simpsons Mania, Marvel Masterpieces 2007, Marvel Legends, Marvel Silver Age, Marvel Creators Collection, Star Wars Galaxy IV and VI, 1997 Fleer Ultra Spider-Man, Groo Wildstorm, Marvel Masterpieces 1995 and 1996, and I'm sure there are many others.

I think the takeaway over the long run is that, as collectibles, cards are a better investment when tied to a subject (like Star Wars) as opposed to an individuals (like an athlete), since the popularity of the player card is so closely tied to performance on the field (and conduct off of it) of the individual depicted on the card.

A lot of people didn't like the Star Wars prequel trilogy, but that didn't hurt the original trilogy Star Wars cards. In a way, it made them even more beloved as collectibles.

Griffey's card value wasn't even diminished by cheating scandals (like so many others), but rather by injury which is unfortunate. If only he'd used steroids, he'd probably have hit 800 home runs, but then he probably would've been caught using steroids and his accomplishments would'be been greatly diminished.

He will instead, have been perceived to have gone out with honor, and, along with his superb final numbers despite the injuries, will be one of the few sluggers from his generation enshrined in the Hall of Fame when he is eligible. He was also a fine fielder.

His classic card should get a bounce when that happens, although really, how many of those 1989 Rookie cards are there out there to be had? 100,000? 200,000? Even those estimates might be low, but whatever the number, it's hard to imagine the demand will ever even approach the supply again.

Twenty years ago amid the frenzy, no one was sure exactly how many there were, and they didn't want to miss out, hence the crazy prices paid. The answer to how many exist will probably never be known, but I've never been more comfortable characterizing a print run as "a lot!" than I would for any of the first few Upper Deck baseball sets.

I bought a lot of them. They were beautiful cards. The print run finally did lower in the later 1990's, but unfortunately, most of the players who could help drive the shorter printed sets to popular hobby status have since been tainted by the use of performance enhancing drugs that pervaded the era.

This is an interesting thread. Although my collecting parameters are 1975 to 2000, without any doubt, for me the break point between "old" and modern is 1989. It was the year that I became a card collector and was the year of Batman the Movie, TMNT,Ghostbusters and New Kids On The Block. It really was a hoolah hoop market and I can remember reading in Time magazine around that period the stunning fact that trading cards in America were outselling coffee, toilet paper and ballpoint pens combined total!
Ahhh! those were the days!

As mainly an autograph collector for me the modern era began with the 1997 Fleer/Skybox Star Trek TOS set. That set started the 1 autograph per box model that's become the norm today.