Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. Father-Son Cards

Few cards in the hobby carry a story like the Griffey father-son cards. Ken Griffey Sr. was still playing when his son — the #1 overall pick in the 1987 draft — reached the majors with Seattle in 1989, and in 1990 the two became Mariners teammates. The card companies noticed before that: Junior’s rookie year already included a card the two share. This page covers the father-son cards that matter, and how to buy them.

The headline: 1989 Bowman #259

1989 Bowman #259 is the Ken Griffey Jr./Ken Griffey Sr. card, issued the same year as Junior’s solo 1989 Bowman #220 rookie. It’s the father-son card most collectors start with: a rookie-year card, a major set, and the cleanest expression of the story.

Bowman also issued a limited glossy Tiffany version of its 1989 set, so there is a 1989 Bowman Tiffany #259 as well. Tiffany cards are scarcer than the regular issue and trade separately — see the Tiffany and oddball guide for how to tell them apart.

Card numbers confirmed against CGC and the Baseball Almanac card list.

The family card: 1992 Upper Deck #85 Bloodlines

Upper Deck’s 1992 set included a Bloodlines subset, and card #85 pictures Ken Griffey Sr., Ken Griffey Jr. and Craig Griffey together. It’s a widely available, affordable way to add a Griffey family card to a collection, and it pairs naturally with the 1989 Bowman.

Card number and subset confirmed against the COMC catalogue and the Beckett Marketplace listing of the same card.

The 1990 Mariners

Father and son played together for Seattle in 1990, and that season is the reason the father-son theme runs so deep in his catalogue. Beyond the dedicated shared cards, collectors build father-son pairings from the two players’ individual 1990 Mariners cards — a cheap and satisfying mini-project, and a good use of a binder page.

How to buy father-son cards

• Know which card you’re buying. “Griffey Sr. and Jr. card” in a title could mean the 1989 Bowman, its Tiffany version, the 1992 Upper Deck Bloodlines card, or a later tribute card. Confirm the year, set and card number in the photos.
• Grade drives the price. These were printed in large numbers. A raw copy is an inexpensive pickup; a top-grade slab is a different market. Check centering with the card centering calculator before you pay up for a raw copy you plan to grade.
• Tiffany means glossy. If a listing claims Tiffany, the photos should show the glossy finish — or, better, buy it graded, where the label names the variety.
• Signed father-son cards need authentication for both signatures. Buy them slabbed or certified; see Ken Griffey Jr. autographs for how authentication works.

We never quote prices. To see what a specific card sells for, use the Ken Griffey Jr. card value checker, which opens eBay’s sold-listings search, or read how to price a Griffey card.

Where to go next

• His solo rookies: Ken Griffey Jr. rookie cards.
• The full timeline: Ken Griffey Jr. cards year by year.
• The team: Seattle Mariners cards.

Use the eBay buttons below for live father-son listings.