When Ken Griffey Jr. is inducted this summer into the Baseball Hall of Fame, fans will undoubtedly remember his perfect swing and his spectacular home run-robbing catches. Collectors, meanwhile, will always remember his Upper Deck rookie card.
It was card No. 1 to the new kid on the block, Upper Deck -- a company cobbled together by Anaheim, California, businessmen in time to usher in the era of investing in the baseball card business.
There was no gum to ruin the stunning, glossy cardboard, and each card came with a hologram to prevent counterfeiting. Packs of 15 cards, packaged not in wax but in foil, retailed at an unheard of $1 each beginning in February 1989.