The 1987 Donruss baseball card set was released at the height of the baseball card boom of the 1980s. While not as iconic or valuable as some other vintage sets from that era, 1987 Donruss cards featuring young stars like Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Greg Maddux are still highly collectible today. Understanding the rarity and condition of different 1987 Donruss cards can help sellers and collectors determine their appropriate value in today’s market.
Some key factors that influence the value of 1987 Donruss baseball cards include the player featured, the player’s career accomplishments, the card’s printing numbers, its condition or grade, and whether it features special printing variations. Superstar players from that era who went on to have Hall of Fame careers, like Bonds, McGwire, Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken Jr., will naturally command higher prices than role players or players who didn’t pan out. Understanding a player’s career arc and accomplishments provides valuable context for estimating their cards’ worth.
In terms of rarity, the 1987 Donruss base set contains an standard player roster of 525 cards, with parallels and special printing variations making certain cards much scarcer. The flagship Donruss brand was hugely popular in the 1980s, so even common base cards were printed in the millions. Still, very high-grade examples of even common players can hold value for collectors. The true keys to a set are generally the star rookies, like Bonds’ first Donruss card, which was only produced around 100,000-200,000 times on average.
Condition is also hugely important when determining value. On a scale of 1-10, mint condition cards graded 9 or 10 by services like PSA or BGS can be exponentially more expensive than heavily played copies. Even top stars in low-end grades may only be worth a few dollars. Meanwhile, a PSA/BGS Gem Mint 10 of someone like McGwire’s rookie could fetch thousands due to its combination of star power and visual appeal. For ungraded common cards, anything with solid corners and no creases is a plus.
Beyond the base set, special printing variations in 1987 Donruss hold tremendous collector interest today. The “Photo Variations” substitute different action photos for certain players, with around a half-dozen total variations known. These can increase a card’s value 10x or more depending on the star power of the player featured. There were also several factory anomalies that accidentally imprinted cards without statistics on the back, known as “Blank Back variations.” These are highly valuable errors.
Taking into account all the factors above, here are some example values that top 1987 Donruss rookie cards may command in different grades:
Barry Bonds – PSA 10: $12,000-$15,000. PSA 9: $3,000-4,000. Raw Excellent: $500-800.
Mark McGwire – PSA 10: $6,000-8,000. PSA 9: $2,000-3,000. Raw Excellent: $300-500.
Greg Maddux – PSA 10: $900-1,200. PSA 9: $300-400. Raw Excellent: $50-75.
Ken Griffey Jr. – PSA 10: $4,000-5,000. PSA 9: $1,200-1,500. Raw Excellent: $150-250.
Andy Van Slyke – PSA 10: $250-350. PSA 9: $75-100. Raw Excellent: $15-25.
Fred McGriff – PSA 10: $400-550. PSA 9: $120-150. Raw Excellent: $20-30.
Of course, demand and recent sales prices can cause short-term fluctuations in values. But these reference points provide a useful framework for estimating what different 1987 Donruss rookie cards in top-tier condition may be worth today among serious collectors some 35 years after their release. With sufficient care, even reasonably common ‘80s-era cards can retain lasting value appeal.
While not quite as prized as flagship releases from Topps or Fleer, 1987 Donruss baseball cards remain a popular vintage collectible thanks to starring young rookies who went on to stardom. Understanding each card’s printing numbers, the player’s career, and condition is key to properly assessing a card’s current market value. With patience and knowledge, this set holds lasting potential to appreciate over the long run for savvy collectors.
