The 1992 Donruss baseball card set is one of the most iconic and wildly collected of the “junk wax era” of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Nestled among the mass produced cardboard of the oversized 7 1/2 x 10 5/8 cards were a handful of errors and variations that make certain 1992 Donruss cards quite valuable today for collectors. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of the more notable error cards from the 1992 Donruss baseball release.
One of the biggest errors in the 1992 Donruss set involved Tigers starting pitcher Bill Gullickson’s card (#375). On Gullickson’s standard issue card, his first name is misspelled as “Billl” with an extra L. This single letter typo makes the “Billl Gullickson” error card one of the most sought after and valuable from the entire set. In top graded condition, an PSA/BGS 10 error example can sell for over $1,000. What’s interesting about this error is some 1990 Donruss prototypes were uncovered that also had the extra L in Gullickson’s first name, showing the mistake may have originated years earlier.
Another standout error from 1992 Donruss involves Reds’ second baseman Bill Doran’s card (#313). On certain Doran cards, the team logo on his uniform was left off, making for a very unique omission. Like the Gullickson error, finding a Doran missing logo in pristine mint condition greatly increases the card’s worth. A PSA 10 example in recent years sold for around $500. Some theorize the logo was simply forgotten to be added during the printing process due to late design changes or flaws.
One of the more visually stunning errors is the blank backed Frank DiPino rookie card (#687). Due to a glitch during manufacturing, a small batch of Cardinals reliever DiPino’s rookie cards were printed without any stats, caption or graphics on the back. Only a handful are known to exist today. An ungraded example in excellent shape recently sold for nearly $900 due to its scarcity and the mystery of how this anomaly even occurred.
A subtle yet important error found among Mike Bielecki Cardinals cards (#155) regards a missing apostrophe. On some Bielecki issues, the ‘ is absent from the player’s last name when displayed as “Bielecki’s”. To the untrained eye, it may go unnoticed, but to sharp-eyed collectors it makes all the difference. A PSA/BGS 10 example of this error could reach $300-400. Again, how did this tiny typographical mistake happen?
One of the more recently discovered errors from the large 1992 Donruss production involves Indians starter Charles Nagy’s card (#383). On a small subset of issued Nagy cards, his first name is misprinted as “Oharles”. This major typo had eluded collectors for years, but now several have been reported. In high grade, a PSA 10 “Oharles Nagy” commands $500-700. Obviously quite uncommon, it’s a surprise this significant error wasn’t caught beforehand.
Perhaps the most visually jarring error found across all of 1992 Donruss is the blank faced Ozzie Smith card (#619). A minuscule quantity of printed sheets contained Smith cards missing his photo completely, leaving only a white square. Given Ozzie’s star status, finding one of these phantom portrait cards would be an unbelievable achievement. Just one is known to exist in a collectors’ hands today, valued well into the thousands. Its origins are forever shrouded in mystery.
While the oversized 1990s Donruss cards were mass produced on an unprecedented scale, leaving many collectors disenchanted, the set inadvertently yielded some true oddball errors that stand out today. Especially in pristine condition, 1992 error variations like “Billl Gullickson”, missing logo “Bill Doran”, blank back “Frank DiPino” rookie and others provide value, intrigue and mystery for those who appreciate the quirks in sports card production from decades past. With the right eye and perseverance, undiscovered errors could still remain buried within the Junk Wax Era.
