The 1988 Donruss baseball card set is one of the most iconic and valuable sets from the late 1980s. Issued during the height of the baseball card boom, the 1988 Donruss set is notable for featuring special All Star cards showing players in their All Star uniforms from the 1988 MLB All Star Game held at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati.
The 1988 MLB All Star Game took place on July 12, 1988. The American League defeated the National League 2-1 in what was a pitching duel. Orel Hershiser of the Los Angeles Dodgers got the win for the National League while Rick Reuschel of the San Francisco Giants took the loss. Dennis Eckersley of the Oakland A’s earned the save.
Donruss seized the opportunity to capitalize on the All Star Game by issuing special parallel cards showcasing many of the players who participated. The All Star parallel set within the larger 1988 Donruss base set featured 84 cards showing stars from both leagues wearing their 1988 All Star uniforms. Some of the biggest names included were Ozzie Smith, Wade Boggs, Rickey Henderson, Tony Gwynn, Roger Clemens, Jose Canseco, and Kirby Puckett.
The All Star cards possess exciting photo variations that really pop compared to the standard team uniform shots found in the base 1988 Donruss set. Many photo variations show action shots of players batting, pitching or fielding. The All Star uniforms truly stand out with their classic white and gray designs featuring bright red piping and lettering. The red All Star logo stamped on the jersey really makes the parallel cards visually enticing.
In addition to exciting photo variants, the All Star cards within the 1988 Donruss set are distinguished by their unique serial numbering format. Where the base cards used the standard four digit numbering from 1-630, the All Star subset utilized code “A” prefixes ranging from A1 to A84 to denote their parallel status. This unique identification made the All Star cards very collectible and easy to chase as a subset.
Beyond their serial number prefixes, the All Star parallel cards possess the same design elements as the base 1988 Donruss issue. The iconic borderless photograph style and player silhouette/bio backs featuring offensive and pitching stats meshed the subset nicely into the overall aesthetic of the flagship release. This maintained set continuity while still highlighting the special All Star parallel status.
Grading and preservation has always been emphasized for the premium 1988 Donruss All Star subset due its bright white card fronts which show whisps and toning more readily than other sets. High graded examples frequently trade hands for hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on player, condition and scarcity. Raw near mint to mint specimens also still demand substantial premiums in the marketplace thirty plus years later.
The inherent scarcity of the 1988 Donruss All Star subset due to its limited parallel printing also contributes tremendously to its enduring popularity. With only 84 cards issued total across both the American and National League rosters, finding conditioned examples of some players can prove quite difficult. Copies of major stars like Barry Bonds, Wade Boggs and Ozzie Smith routinely sell for multiple thousands in high grades.
Beyond their immediate allure in the late 1980s, the 1988 Donruss All Star subset has maintained cachet because it commemorates a truly special season in Major League Baseball during the height of player salaries and offensive output. The 1988 campaign saw the single season home run record get eclipsed not once but twice as Kirk Gibson and Mark McGwire launched epic blast campaigns. Individual and team offensive exploits lit up scoreboards that summer. Nostalgia for this high flying “Steroid Era” period of the late 1980s continues to spur collector demand for related memorabilia like the iconic 1988 Donruss All Stars.
Three decades on, the 1988 Donruss All Star parallel set remains a singularly great vintage issue that nicely captures a pivotal moment in baseball history. With only a limited run of 84 cards showcasing the sports’ biggest stars in their annual Midsummer Classic uniforms, scarcity and historical significance underpin the value of these special cards. Grading services continue attributing strong grades to examples that present well, ensuring this premium subset maintains strong collector appeal for enthusiasts of 1980s sports and pop culture memorabilia. The exciting photography, serial numbering and nostalgia for a bygone period of MLB excellence make the 1988 Donruss All Stars perennially desirable trophies for the sets’ and players’ biggest fans.
