The 1985 Donruss baseball card set is highly collectible and iconic from the 1980s era. Several key rookie cards and stars from that season make certain 1985 Donruss cards among the most valuable in the hobby. The players and cards that can fetch high prices at auction are examined below.
One of the true gems of the 1985 Donruss set is the Kirby Puckett rookie card. Puckett went on to have a hall of fame career primarily with the Minnesota Twins, where he was a six-time All-Star and helped lead the team to World Series titles in 1987 and 1991. He showcased tremendous bat control and was a career .318 hitter over 12 seasons. With his stellar play and his rookie card being one of the only widely distributed ways to own a piece of his early career, the 1985 Donruss Puckett rookie is highly coveted. Near mint to mint copies in PSA/BGS slabs consistently sell for $1,500-$3,000, with absolute gem mint 10 examples commanding $5,000 or more. The combination of Puckett’s accomplishments and the card’s scarcity make it arguably the most valuable in the entire base set.
Another hugely important rookie card is that of slugger Mark McGwire from the 1985 Donruss issue. A power hitter almost without peer, McGwire went on to smash 583 career home runs, including an incredible single-season record of 70 dingers in 1998. That record would later be broken by Barry Bonds, but McGwire was already a star by 1985. Graded examples in the PSA 8-10 range for his rookie card sell in the $500-$1,500 range, but a true mint gem 10 has sold at auction for over $5,000 before. McGwire’s career was tainted some by performance enhancing drug use later on, but his rookie remains a must-have for collectors of the era and one of the more valuable 1985 Donruss cards.
While not rookies, cards ofestablished future hall of famers like Wade Boggs, Ozzie Smith, and Nolan Ryan are also highly sought after pieces from the 1985 Donruss checklist. Boggs was in the middle of his record setting streak of batting titles in 1985 while with the Boston Red Sox, and his playable card in Near Mint+ to Mint condition will fetch $75-$150. Wizard of Oz Ozzie Smith was already established as the best defensive shortstop in baseball by 1985 during his time with the St. Louis Cardinals. Mid-grade to gem mint Smiths sell in the $50-$125 range. And legendary flamethrower Nolan Ryan, even at age 38 in 1985 while with the Houston Astros, can command $75-$150 for a nicely centered NM-MT copy, as he was still impressively tallying strikeouts.
Beyond future hall of famers, noteworthy young talent like Ricky Henderson also have valuable 1985 Donruss issues. Henderson, already a burgeoning superstar and base stealing machine by 1985, sees his card sell for $75-$150 in top grades. Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden, just a year removed from his record setting rookie campaign and Cy Young season in 1985, has a card that has sold for $75-$150 as well for high quality examples from his sophomore year. And CardinalsTriple Crown winner and 1985 NL MVP Willie McGee has a card valued at $50-$125 in top shape.
Other notables that can approach triple digit prices include Don Mattingly with the Yankees ($75-150), Andre Dawson of the Cubs pre-Rookie of the Year season ($50-125), and slugging outfielder Darryl Strawberry of the Mets ($50-125). Finding collections and collections of 1985 Donruss cards in mint condition is also desirable, as keeping sets intact is valued by completionist collectors. Special insert parallel variations like the 1985 Donruss Tiffany set, which featured select Hall of Famers on higher quality grey cardboard, can fetch multiples of the normal base set prices for examples in top grades.
While mint condition examples across the whole 1985 Donruss set are scarce and demand has risen during recent bull markets for vintage cardboard, the following stand out as the most valuable from the checklist–Kirby Puckett rookie ($1,500-$5,000+), Mark McGwire rookie ($500-over $5,000), Wade Boggs ($75-$150), Ozzie Smith ($50-$125), Nolan Ryan ($75-$150), Rickey Henderson ($75-$150), Dwight Gooden ($75-$150), and Willie McGee MVP ($50-$125). With hall of fame talent, rookies of future stars, and the nostalgia of 1980s cardboard, the apex vintage basketball cards from the 1985 Donruss issue will surely remain collector favorites and maintain their high values for decades to come.
