The 1989 Donruss MVP baseball card set was released at the tail end of the junk wax era in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During this time period, the overproduction of baseball cards led to prices crashing across the board. Certain key cards from these overproduced sets have rebounded in value in recent years as nostalgia has set in. The 1989 Donruss MVP set in particular featured memorable superstar players from that era and holds value even today for collectors and investors.
The set had 264 total cards and featured multiple parallel versions including the base set, factory sets, and sticker versions. One of the more recognizable features of the 1989 Donruss MVP design was the player photo taking up much of the front of the card alongside their team logo and position. The back provided stats and a brief career recap. Some of the biggest stars featured that year included Ken Griffey Jr., Roger Clemens, Ozzie Smith, Barry Bonds, and Jose Canseco among many others.
In the late 1980s and early 90s, these cards were extremely affordable and you could easily find factories sets and boxes available cheaply. As the junk wax era came to an end, interest in vintage cards began to rise again. Cards from the late 80s that featured notable future Hall of Famers started gaining more value among collectors looking to rebuild sets from their childhood.
The Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card from the 1989 Donruss MVP set is the most valuable card from that year. Recently, PSA 10 Gem Mint versions of his rookie have sold for over $4,000. Even lower graded copies in PSA 8 or Beckett graded have brought over $1,000. Griffey was already producing at an elite level in his early career and went on to cement himself as one of the greats, fueling demand for his rookie issue.
Another highly sought after card is the Roger Clemens issue from 1989 Donruss MVP. Clemens was dominating on the mound during this period and went on to collect 7 Cy Young awards. PSA 10 examples of his card have topped $800 in recent years. Even worn, lower graded PSA 6 copies can still fetch over $100 due to his Hall of Fame caliber career.
Beyond Griffey Jr. and Clemens, many other star players from that era hold value too depending on grade. Barry Bonds in a PSA 10 has sold for around $300 given his all-time great career marred by PED controversy. A PSA 10 Ozzie Smith defensive wizard card reached $150 at auction. And some lesser stars like Vince Coleman, Lenny Dykstra, or Jose Canseco can still attract $50-100 for top grades representing their best seasons.
For common base rookie or star cards in lower PSA 5-7 grades, prices tend to range from $10-50. But there are also many veteran or role player cards with active collectors that can sell in the $5-10 range depending on the name and condition. The design and production don’t seem to diminish interest from those valuing certain players over the card set itself.
Factory sealed unopened boxes of 1989 Donruss MVP have an average value around $150-250 depending on condition but can reach higher based on recent eBay sales. Individual unOpened Hanger Packs sealed have averaged $20-40 as well for collectors and investors. While damage free unopened Boxes will certainly continue their appreciation with time.
The 1989 Donruss MVP baseball card set holds more nostalgia and collector value today than when originally released during the junk wax era. Headlined by major stars like Ken Griffey Jr., Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds who all cemented legendary careers, their cards maintain strong pricing. Meanwhile many other notable names have followings that give their cards resilience too. For 1989 Donruss MVP collectors, there is ample opportunity to find affordable raw copies of stars to hold or upgrade and appreciate over the long run.
