The 1987 Donruss baseball card set was one of the most popular and widely collected issues from the late 1980s. The set featured a total of 792 cards and had a very traditional and nostalgic design compared to some of the flashier sets released that same year by rival brands like Topps and Fleer. Some key things to know about the 1987 Donruss baseball card checklist and design include:
The base card design featured a classic vertical photo of the player along with their team logo and uniform colors prominently displayed across the top. Statistics from the previous season were listed on the bottom along with the player’s name and position. This straightforward layout harkened back to the look of many vintage baseball cards from the 1950s and 1960s. The simplicity was a welcome change of pace compared to some of the cluttered and cartoonish designs that had become popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
In addition to the base cards that comprised the bulk of the set at 660 total, there were also several special subsets included. The “All-Time Greats” subset featured 20 retired legends of the game like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and Hank Aaron. The “Rookie Prospects” subset highlighted 20 top rookie and prospect cards. There was also a 20-card “Team Leaders” subset recognizing the top player stats from each MLB franchise in 1986.
One of the most popular and valuable subsets was the “Diamond Kings” premium cards. This included 20 foil embossed cards of the biggest stars in the game like Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, and Rickey Henderson. The foil embellishments and regal crown logo made these cards really stand out in the set. Several of the Diamond Kings have proven to be the most coveted and valuable cards from the entire 1987 Donruss checklist when found in top condition.
In addition to the base cards and standard subsets, Donruss also included some experimental oddball parallel variations in the 1987 set. The “Action All-Stars” subset featured 20 additional cards with action photos instead of the standard vertical pose. There was also a “Glossy Sendbacks” parallel where 20 selected cards like Ozzie Smith and Dwight Gooden had an extra glossy photo variant included by sending away proof of purchase seals. Parallel and oddball variations like these added some spice of unpredictability for collectors to chase after in the set.
Some other key details that defined the 1987 Donruss baseball checklist include the use of team logo stickers that could be applied to the cards. This allowed collectors to customize and show their favorite teams. The set also included the first cards featuring some rookie debuts like Mark McGwire, Wally Joyner, and Bobby Thigpen. The design used a thicker, higher quality cardstock compared to some previous Donruss issues as well.
In terms of production, the 1987 Donruss set had a mammoth print run of over 63 million individual cards produced. This massive quantity helped the set achieve wide distribution and accessibility. It also means finding premium rookies or stars in pristine mint condition decades later can be a challenge. The sheer numbers also prevented most individual cards from gaining much value over time due to no real scarcity factors at play.
Still, the nostalgic design, fun parallels, and historical rookie debuts enshrined in the 1987 Donruss checklist have made it a very popular set for collectors even today. While individual card values remain modest, complete sets can still fetch $100-$200 USD depending on condition when found on the secondary market. The classic vertical photo style also makes the cards a blast from the past to look through and enjoy. The 1987 Donruss baseball card set remains one of the most iconic issues from the 1980s era and is still widely collected today.
