The 1989 Donruss Baseball Traded Edition brought a unique twist to the traditional baseball card experience. Donruss incorporated a puzzle concept into the set which had collectors assembling pieces of player photos on the front of the cards to eventually reveal the complete image. This was the first baseball card set to utilize this type of puzzle approach.
Donruss produced two series for the 1989 baseball season, the standard base set as well as the Traded Edition which focused on highlighting player transactions and trades that occurred in the offseason. The Traded Edition cards featured artwork of players in the uniforms of their new teams from the upcoming year. This set paid homage to the volatile nature of major league roster changes from season to season.
Each Traded Edition card contained a small rectangular piece of the overall player photo on its face. Collectors had to obtain full runs of each player’s puzzle cards in order to assemble the complete image. Players were broken up across 4 to 9 different puzzle cards. This created intrigue for collectors to seek out their missing pieces. With 198 total cards issued, it took dedication to finish puzzles for every player.
Once a puzzle was completed, the image that emerged usually depicted the player in action shots swinging a bat or throwing a pitch, adding more visual interest than traditional static poses. Finishing the puzzles was a satisfying experience that brought the cards together in a memorable way. The photograph portions blended seamlessly together once all puzzle pieces were in place.
In addition to player names, teams, and stats on the front, puzzle piece information was listed such as “Puzzle Piece 1 of 9” to keep collectors organized. The card backs contained bios on players careers up to that point as well as highlights of their most recent transactions. This provided valuable context regarding the reasons for players switching teams that offseason.
While innovative, the puzzle element did come with some downsides. Cutting cards into multiple pieces degraded their condition making high grade specimens very difficult to obtain in complete form. The puzzles also didn’t lineup perfectly between cards at times due to manufacturing variances. Still, fans appreciated Donruss thinking outside the box to shake up the typical card design paradigm.
Distribution of the Traded Edition was done through the traditional wax packed bottoms of wax boxes from the flagship 1989 Donruss set as well as sold separately. This allowed for the puzzle cards to reach the widest possible collectors audience. While not truly rare in their own right, the scarcity of finding full puzzle runs combined with their unique multi-part nature causes completed Traded Edition puzzles to carry substantial significance and value today.
Key rookie cards in the 1989 Donruss Traded Edition included Ken Griffey Jr., Cecil Fielder, David Justice, and Mickey Tettleton. Griffey’s impressive career path makes his Traded Edition RC among the most valuable in the set. Fielder also emerged as a star slugger. Beyond rookies, highlights of the notable players featured were Nolan Ryan in an Angels uniform, Rickey Henderson as an Athletic, and Orel Hershiser as a Dodger after his 1988 Cy Young season.
The 1989 Traded Edition set focused entirely on MLB players that were dealt to new teams in the offseason. While some transactions like Hershiser’s move didn’t seem major at the time, in retrospect yielded interesting results included in the card subject matter. Other trades like Brett Butler going from San Francisco to Atlanta were bigger headline draws. Documenting these player movements captured a snapshot in MLB history through the unique prism of the puzzle concept cards.
Donruss took an intriguing gamble on making the Traded Edition puzzles integral to the card designs that year. While not a perfect system, collectors appreciated the company thinking outside the box to deliver a fresh spin on the traditional baseball card experience. Figuring out the image puzzles was a fun challenge and satisfying sense of accomplishment for fans. Even with minor production issues, the 1989 Traded Edition remains a standout in card history for its innovative puzzle styling. Three decades later, collectors still seek out complete runs to experience the ingenious concept first hand.
The 1989 Donruss Baseball Traded Edition distinguished itself as a true one-of-a-kind release through its incorporation of player photograph puzzles across multiple cards. The set paid tribute to the transient nature of major league rosters while delivering a unique assembling experience for collectors. Though not without some flaws, Donruss pushed the envelope by reimagining standard card designs in a memorable way. As a result, completed puzzles from the innovative 1989 Traded Edition hold considerable nostalgic significance and value today.
