A longtime systems engineer, Peter Bria has a passion for sports and coaches ice hockey. An avid collector of memorabilia, Peter Bria is licensed as a Professional Sports Authenticator and has an interest in everything from sports cards to game-worn uniforms.
For many in the card collecting sphere, a peak came in the late 1980s and early 1990s, as the extreme values of cards from the 1960s and earlier led many investors to purchase whole cases of cards. Unfortunately, the ensuing production ramp-up and oversupply meant that the current value of most cards from the era is lower than when they were first released.
There are some noteworthy exceptions, however, including the iconic 1989 and 1990 Upper Deck issues featuring future Hall-of-Famer Ken Griffey Jr. With 1990 rookies of power hitter Frank Thomas also sought after, one “slow burn” card of value is the 1992 Bowman rookie card of Mariano Rivera. Initially ignored, it held relatively little value until the late 1990s, when Rivera began his run as a New York Yankees’ closer who earned perennial All-Star Game selection and set the record for most saves in a career, with 652. In mint condition, the price of this card can exceed $500.
One highly sought-after issue is the 1991 Topps Desert Shield Chipper Jones rookie, which features a gold logo imprinted under the #1 Draft Pick graphic. This “shield” indicates that the card was only distributed to U.S. troops serving at the time in Iraq, and boosts the mint value of an otherwise common card to hundreds of dollars.
Peter Bria 