Did your mother throw out your baseball cards? Don’t be your mother. Even some cards in the 1985–1995 “junk wax” period, when the card industry pumped out millions more cards than anyone wanted, are valuable. A 1989 rookie card for Ken Griffey Jr. — in perfect condition — sold for $1,400 this year, nearly double its price from a year ago, according to the Wall Street Journal. In contrast, the Holy Grail of baseball cards — Mickey Mantle’s 1952 card — last sold for about $2.8 million. There are only three left in perfect condition. One reason: Lots of kids stuck baseball cards in the bike spokes to make noise, says Will Seippel, CEO of WorthPoint.
