Owning a Troy Aikman rookie card is an absolute must for any football card collector or Dallas Cowboys fan.
From the early to mid-90s, Aikman was one of the biggest names in sports.
With six trips to the Pro Bowl and three Super Bowl rings to his name, it's easy to understand why...
And he racked up all of his Hall-of-Fame accolades as the leader of one of the most recognizable franchises in all of sports.
Aikman made his cardboard debut in the 1989 Pro Set, Score and Topps Traded sets, so there are multiple to choose from.
Each has its own unique characteristics.
And you may look one more than the others.
In this article, we'll take a look at the good and bad of each of them.
Let's jump right in!
1989 Pro Set #490 Troy Aikman Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $60
Through 1988, the only major players in the football segment of the hobby were the Fleer "Team Action" and Topps flagship sets.
But hobby pioneer Ludwell Denny changed everything when he released the 1989 Pro Set.
Denny's dream was to disrupt the hobby and keep his Pro Set checklists as "live" as possible.
Pro Set helped collectors stay updated by releasing cards as things changed during the season.
The brand was also known for including unique promo and insert cards, most notably the Santa Claus card year after year.
Eventually, the company went bust and Denny's dream died with it.
But Pro Set will always have a special place in the hobby.
And the 1989 Pro Set checklist is easily one of the best.
The design is instantly recognizable.
The multi-colored borders, striped sides, and fantastic imagery produce some memorable classics.
And the 561-card checklist is loaded with superstars and 15 Hall-of-Fame rookie cards.
Not surprisingly, Aikman's rookie ranks among the keys to the set.
1989 Score #270 Troy Aikman Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $475
Though it debuted during the "Junk Wax" era, the 1989 Score football card set is anything but.
During a period of massive print runs and speculation in the hobby, most sets of the late 1980s and early 1990s have sharply declined in value because of how many there are on the market.
But 1989 Score football is one of the few exceptions.
Since it was Score's first entry into the football card market, they may have held back on the print runs to ensure demand was there first.
Whatever the reason, it's a good thing they did.
And when you add in that the 330-card checklist contains an eye-popping 11 Hall-of-Fame rookie cards, it makes sense why collectors flock to this set.
The result: some 1989 Score cards can be worth quite a lot.
The Troy Aikman rookie card is one of them.
Only the Barry Sanders and Deion Sanders rookie cards outpace Aikman's in value.
The design of the set is straightforward and basic.
But the multi-colored borders and photography generated some great-looking football cards.
If you're looking for an Aikman rookie card, this is the one that you want to own.
1989 Topps Traded #70T
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $65
The Troy Aikman Rookie Card Review
Now that we've gone through the list, here are some of my thoughts on Troy Aikman's rookie cards:
Most Valuable: Troy Aikman's most valuable rookie card is his 1989 Score, which can be worth over $475 in PSA 10 condition.
Least Valuable: Both the 1989 Pro Set and Topps Traded rookie cards are typically considered his least valuable. Each can bring around $60-70 in a PSA 10 holder.
My Favorite: I prefer his 1989 Score rookie and not just because it's his most valuable. I think the set itself is iconic and the imagery is top-notch. The '89 Pro Set is also a great card and the set itself is iconic in its own right. But the '89 Score Aikman is my favorite.
My Least Favorite: None of them are terrible but I'd have to go with the 1989 Topps Traded card. The set itself doesn't have the excitement as either the '89 Score or Pro Set do.
Troy Aikman's Rookie Season Recap
The Dallas Cowboys threw Troy Aikman into the fire in 1989.
Unsurprisingly, the big-armed rookie got burned.
After seemingly bottoming out in the final year of the Tom Landry era, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones spent the first overall pick of the ‘89 Draft on the 6-foot-4 UCLA quarterback.
Aikman was coming off of an All-American breakthrough and a third-place finish in the ‘88 Heisman race.
Under former University of Miami head coach Jimmy Johnson, Aikman was expected to lead a still questionable roster to a marked improvement in 1989.
Instead, Aikman floundered.
With little skill-position talent to work with, the 23-year-old pressed and threw bad ball after bad ball.
Missing five games due to a broken finger, Aikman finished 0-11 as a starter and looked even worse than that record indicates.
The future Hall-of-Famer completed just 52.9% of his passes for 1,749 yards with nine touchdowns against a cringe-inducing 18 interceptions.