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Best Ken Griffey Jr. Starter Buys: Singles, Lots, the Father-Son Card and Supplies

The simplest ways to start a Ken Griffey Jr. collection on Amazon — a rookie-year single, a Mariners lot, a Griffey family card and the supplies to protect them — and when buying the single on eBay is the better move.

By Cal Whitmore Updated October 6, 2026

Our Top Picks at a Glance

1
1989 Donruss Baseball #33 Ken Griffey Jr Rookie Card - Rated Rookie
6 reviews $16.99 In Stock at Amazon

Casual collectors and gift giving

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2
1992 Upper Deck #85 Ken Griffey Sr./Ken Griffey Jr./Craig Griffey NM-MT Seattle Mariners Baseball
9 reviews $9.75 In Stock at Amazon

Casual collectors and gift giving

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3
1990 Topps #336 Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball Card - Topps All-Star Rookie
148 reviews $8.75 In Stock at Amazon

Casual collectors and gift giving

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4
1991 Topps #790 Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball Card - Seattle Mariners
19 reviews $5.85 In Stock at Amazon

Casual collectors and gift giving

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5
1996 Upper Deck #200 Ken Griffey Jr. NM-MT Seattle Mariners Baseball
2 reviews $10.99 In Stock at Amazon

Casual collectors and gift giving

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6
2000 Bowman #122 Ken Griffey Jr - Cincinnati Reds
$2.05 In Stock at Amazon

Casual collectors and gift giving

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7
Ken Griffey Jr Rookie Card 1989 Topps Traded Update #41t Seattle Mariners PSA 9
28 reviews $74.95 In Stock at Amazon

Investors and display collectors

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8
Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card 1989 Fleer #548 PSA 8
10 reviews $34.00 In Stock at Amazon

Investors and display collectors

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9
200 Card Sleeves Top Loaders for Cards, 35pt 3"x4" Clear (100Soft+100Hard)
566 reviews $13.99 In Stock at Amazon

Protecting your collection

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10
9-Pocket Baseball Card Binder Album Holds 900 Sports Trading Cards
162 reviews $22.99 In Stock at Amazon

Protecting your collection

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11
RONMONG Baseball Card Binder, 440 Pockets, Protective Trading Card Album
1,199 reviews $13.59 In Stock at Amazon

Protecting your collection

Buy on Amazon Prime Eligible

Griffey retired in 2010 and his rookie cards are from 1989, so there’s no box to rip that will hand you a Griffey rookie. Starting a collection is about buying singles well — and Amazon carries enough Griffey cards and supplies to make a sensible first order. Here’s what’s worth putting in the cart, and when to go to eBay instead.

Start with one rookie-year card

The easiest real Griffey rookie to own is the 1989 Donruss #33 Rated Rookie — one of his six core 1989 rookies and usually the most approachable of them. A raw copy is a perfect first card: 1989 Donruss #33 on Amazon. Check the dark side borders for chipping in the photos.

If you’d rather start with a slab, our catalogue also carries graded copies of other rookies — for example a PSA 9 1989 Topps Traded #41T and a PSA 8 1989 Fleer #548. Match the certification number to the photos before you buy any slab, wherever it’s listed.

Add a lot for variety

A mixed lot is the quickest way to own several different Griffey cards at once. The Ken Griffey Jr. Mariners 5-card lot is exactly that — assorted Seattle-era cards, ideal for a first binder page. Treat a lot as a starter, not a source of key cards: the contents are assorted.

Single base cards from across his career fill in the story: a 1990 Topps, a 1991 Topps and a 1996 Upper Deck from his Mariners years, and a 2000 Bowman from his first season in Cincinnati. Mixing eras is the point — see Mariners vs Reds-era cards for how his two main teams split his market.

The family card

Griffey and his father, Ken Griffey Sr., played together on the 1990 Mariners, and cards that picture the family are a niche of their own. Our catalogue carries a 1992 Upper Deck card picturing Ken Griffey Sr., Ken Griffey Jr. and Craig Griffey. The headline father-son card from his rookie year is 1989 Bowman #259, shared with his father; for that one, and the rest of the family cards, see father-son Griffey cards.

Supplies: protect them on day one

  • Penny sleeves and top loaders — the 200-piece sleeves and top loaders set covers a first collection.
  • A binder for base cards and lots — the 9-pocket binder or the 440-pocket binder.
  • One exception: 1989 Bowman cards are taller than standard (2.5 × 3.75 inches), so standard 3x4 top loaders and nine-pocket pages don’t fit them. Buy tall-card holders for those.

When eBay beats Amazon

Amazon is convenient for a starter order. For anything specific, go to eBay:

  • A particular card in a particular grade — eBay has the full range of his rookies, inserts and graded copies.
  • Certified autographs — see the autographs guide.
  • Checking the market first — the Ken Griffey Jr. card value checker opens eBay’s own sold listings for the exact card and grade you pick. It doesn’t price your card; it shows you what’s actually sold.

We don’t quote prices on this site. Availability below is checked daily.

Where to go next

All Products in This Roundup

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I pull a Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card from a new box?
No. His rookie cards are from 1989, so the only way to get one is to buy the single (or a vintage factory set or sealed pack, which is a different and riskier purchase). For a specific Griffey card, buying that exact single is the reliable route.
What's the easiest first Griffey card to buy?
A raw 1989 Donruss #33 Rated Rookie is the classic first Griffey: a genuine rookie-year card from his core six, and the most approachable of them. A mixed Mariners lot is the other easy start if you'd rather have several different cards.
When should I buy on eBay instead of Amazon?
When you want a specific card in a specific grade. Amazon carries a handful of Griffey singles and lots; eBay is where the full range of his cards, grades and certified autographs actually trades, and where you can check sold listings before you buy.
What supplies do I need for Griffey cards?
Penny sleeves and top loaders for anything you care about, and a binder for base cards. One exception: 1989 Bowman cards are taller than standard, so they need tall-card holders rather than standard 3x4 top loaders.