The 1987 Donruss baseball card set was the 20th edition released by the Donruss Company and included cards of players from the American League and National League. A key product released alongside the base set that season was the iconic 1987 Donruss baseball cards wax box, which featured a factory-sealed box containing complete wax packs from the 1987 set. These wax boxes provided collectors a unique opportunity to open unsearched packs straight from the manufacturer.
Donruss had emerged as a leader in the growing baseball card industry during the late 1970s and 1980s. Known for innovative designs and photography, the Donruss brand attracted many collectors. In 1987, Donruss strengthened its product line with the introduction of wax boxes containing untouched wax packs from the new series. These boxes offered an authentic experience of randomly searching packs for rookies and stars from the current Major League Baseball season.
Each 1987 Donruss wax box contained 24 factory-sealed wax packs with 8 cards per pack. The wax boxes themselves featured colorful graphics paying homage to classic baseball with portraits of Babe Ruth and other legends of the game surrounded by cardboard stadium seats. Upon opening the wax securely wrapped around each pack, collectors were greeted with the familiar smell of the thick recycled pulp material that the cards were sealed within. The throwback experience of tearing into fresh packs straight from the factory provided a nostalgic connection to the era when kids across America first started collecting cards as a hobby in the 1950s and 1960s.
Key rookies included in the 1987 Donruss set that fans hoped to pull from the wax packs included slugger Mark McGwire of the Oakland Athletics and pitcher Greg Maddux of the Chicago Cubs. Other notable young stars included Will Clark of the San Francisco Giants, Ozzie Smith of the St. Louis Cardinals, and Wade Boggs of the Boston Red Sox. Veterans featured on the cards ranged from all-time greats such as Nolan Ryan to active legends like Mike Schmidt and Rickey Henderson. Staple players that had been in the league for over a decade like Tony Gwynn and Tim Raines also made appearances in the base set.
In terms of design, the 1987 Donruss cards featured clean black borders surrounding colorful action photography of the players. Statistics from the previous season were listed on the back of each card along with a short biography. The minimalist template allowed the sharp portraits to take center stage. Inserted randomly in wax packs were special “Star Rookies” parallels featuring border colors instead of the standard black. Other chase cards included framed photo variations, turn-backs showing the previous year’s stats, and league leader cards highlighting top hitters and pitchers.
While individual 1987 Donruss cards can still be purchased on the secondary market today, the wax boxes have taken on great significance for collectors due to their relative scarcity and original packaging selling them as true unopened relics of the era. In the decades since their release, the wax boxes have increased significantly in value as fewer factory sealed boxes from the late 1980s remain untouched. Serious collectors covet finding a pristine 1987 Donruss wax box to add to their collections, knowing they hold 24 fresh packs waiting to be explored just as excited kids first did over 30 years ago.
At card shows, it is not uncommon to see 1987 Donruss wax boxes listed for thousands of dollars depending on grading and state of preservation. While the cards themselves inside have likely been thoroughly sorted through the decades, owning an complete unsearched box fulfills the dream of recapturing the surprise and thrill of the initial card busting experience. As one of the most collectible vintage wax products, 1987 Donruss boxes continue to entice nostalgic collectors and athletes featured as rookies that year who enjoy seeing the packaging that featured some of their earliest widely distributed sports cards.
The legacy of the 1987 Donruss set endures through online communities where collectors swap stories and photos of their prized pulls from childhood as well as the modern release of high end replicas mimicking the original product. Whether searching for favorite players, valuable vintage cardboard, or a connection to baseball history, the allure of the 1987 Donruss wax box burns bright some 35 years later. As one of the most iconic unopened products in the industry’s past, these boxes ensure the fun, surprises and nostalgia of the 1987 season live on through dedicated collectors pursuing a fresh piece of the era in the form of a factory sealed box.
