The 1987 Donruss Opening Day baseball card set was one of the most highly anticipated card releases of the late 1980s. After years of producing traditional designs focused mainly on player photography, Donruss took a bold step with their 1987 flagship set by incorporating unique artwork and borders around every card. The set included cards for all 26 Major League teams at the time and highlighted the beginning of the 1987 MLB season with its “Opening Day” theme.
The biggest draw of the 1987 Donruss Opening Day set was the distinctive borders and backgrounds used on each team’s section of cards. Donruss hired artist Ron Wilson to design colorful illustrations reflecting different aspects of each city or franchise. For example, the Chicago Cubs cards featured ivy-covered brick walls and wrought iron fences emulating Wrigley Field. The San Francisco Giants cards contained vibrant depictions of the Golden Gate Bridge and cable cars. Wilson’s artwork injected visual excitement across the entire checklist in a way that had never been done before in the cardboard culture.
In addition to the striking team-specific designs, Donruss chose a creative photography formula for the 1987 Opening Day set. Rather than stale posed headshots, most cards displayed action images of players in the midst of delivering a pitch, swinging a bat, or fielding a ball. Moreover, Donruss had photographers capture candid shots during spring training workouts to give cards a fresh “behind the scenes” flair. Notable examples included Darryl Strawberry of the New York Mets stretching in the outfield and Dennis Eckersley of the Boston Red Sox mid-windup on the mound.
From a stats and checklist standpoint, the 1987 Donruss Opening Day release encompassed a whopping 660 total cards after updates/variations. Besides base rookies and common players, the set featured coveted rookie cards for future Hall of Famers Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux, as well as highly sought-after stars like Jose Canseco, Dwight Gooden, and Ozzie Smith. At the time, the staggering total card count made Donruss Opening Day one of the most complete MLB releases in the hobby.
When the 1987 Donruss Opening Day cards arrived at local card shops and hobby stores in March of that year, they were met with tremendous fanfare and collector anticipation unmatched by other brands. Not only was the unique bordered artwork praised, but card conditions also tended to be in excellent shape since Donruss used higher quality stock paper compared to competitors like Topps. As a result, graded gem mint copiesFetch premium modern prices. Even well-worn intact examples from original wax packs remain staple affordable vintage cards three decades later.
In the ensuing years,Donruss attempted to match the creativity and appeal of their 1987 flagship set but were never able to fully recapture that same lightning-in-a-bottle mix of presentation, photography, and popular players. Some criticize later Donruss releases as becoming too cartoonish or gimmicky in trying to replicate the success of Opening Day. Regardless, the 1987 edition stands out as a true innovative milestone that expanded the artistic possibilities of sports cards and ignited collector enthusiasm during baseball’s golden age of the late 1980s. Today, the 1987 Donruss Opening Day cards remain a revered flagship release and capture a nostalgic snapshot of the pastime from a pivotal year.
The 1987 Donruss Opening Day baseball card set broke the mold with its distinctive team-specific borders and action-packed photography to become a true collector favorite upon release. Between hall of fame rookies, star players, and pristine production quality, the 660+ card checklist cemented it as a premiere release of the era. While later imitators fell short, the original 1987 Donruss Opening Day cards endure as an icon of late 80s card culture that still fosters nostalgia and demand from vintage enthusiasts decades later. The innovative design paved the way for more creative liberties in the hobby going forward.
