The 1990 Donruss baseball card set is considered by collectors to contain one of the most significant printing errors in the history of the hobby. During production, approximately 90 cards were accidentally printed on the wrong sheet of cardboard stock. These cards became instantly recognizable due to their unusual thickness and texture.
The standard 1990 Donruss baseball cards were printed using a thin, glossy cardboard stock that gave them a very slick feel similar to what collectors had become accustomed to from Donruss sets in previous years. The small subset of approximately 90 “error” cards were accidentally printed on a much thicker, matte finished stock that was rough to the touch.
At first, the printing error went completely unnoticed. The cards appeared normal from the front, with properly centered images and crisp printing of photos and stats on the front. It wasn’t until collectors started to handle the cards that the difference in thickness and texture became apparent. Once this was discovered, speculation ran rampant about which players might have the rare miscut cards.
Experts believe the error occurred when employees in the Donruss printing facility accidentally loaded the wrong sheet of card stock into one of the printing presses. This sheet of thicker, matte stock was then used to print a run of approximately 90 cards before the mistake was caught. Had it gone unnoticed for just a few more prints, it could have affected hundreds or even thousands of cards. But luckily for collectors, the error was small and impacted a relatively tiny portion of the set.
The exact players on the 1990 Donruss error cards has never been definitively confirmed by the manufacturer, as records were not kept on such a small printing mistake. Through the efforts of dedicated collectors who meticulously sorted through factory sets and boxes over the years, the identities of most of the approximate 90 players have been established. Some of the more notable names include:
Nolan Ryan (Houston Astros)
Ozzie Smith (St. Louis Cardinals)
Cal Ripken Jr. (Baltimore Orioles)
Wade Boggs (Boston Red Sox)
Kirby Puckett (Minnesota Twins)
Darryl Strawberry (New York Mets)
Roger Clemens (Boston Red Sox)
Rickey Henderson (Oakland Athletics)
Mark McGwire (Oakland Athletics)
Jose Canseco (Oakland Athletics)
While the specific players continue to be debated to some extent, the above names are widely accepted in the hobby as being among the short printed error cards. The miscuts featuring these superstar players of the late 1980s and early 1990s are now among the most coveted and valuable Donruss errors ever produced.
In pristine mint condition, a 1990 Donruss error card of Nolan Ryan or Cal Ripken Jr. could conceivably sell for over $10,000. But more common players are still highly sought after as well, with prices ranging from $100 to $1,000 depending on the name and condition. Even relatively unknown players from the error run command premiums well above a standard issue copy of the same card due to their extreme rarity and unique production quirk.
For dedicated collectors of printing anomalies, the 1990 Donruss errors have taken on a legendary status. They represent the intersection of happenstance and luck that resulted in a small group of one-of-a-kind collectibles. While the specific details may never be fully confirmed, their mystique continues to fascinate hobbyists decades later. Examples that come to market are met with intense bidding wars between well-heeled collectors looking to add such a unique piece of sports card history to their collections. For these reasons, the 1990 Donruss errors will remain one of the most studied and desirable flukes in the entire world of sports memorabilia.
