Yes, Donruss does still make baseball cards, however the company has gone through some ownership and branding changes over the past few decades that have impacted their baseball card production and release schedules.
Donruss began producing baseball cards in 1981 and was a major brand in the industry throughout the 1980s. They were known for innovative sets like their X-Fractors parallel insert cards in the late 80s that featured photographs with “X-ray” type effects. In 1992 Donruss lost the MLB license to produce official on-card photos and team logos to rival brand Upper Deck. This was a major blow to the Donruss brand.
They continued producing cards throughout the 90s but had to resort to using artist-drawn renderings instead of actual photos on many of their base cards. Their market share declined significantly during this period as collectors favored the photorealistic cards from Upper Deck and later brands like Topps Finest and Stadium Club that took over the high-end market.
In 1996 Donruss was purchased by entrepreneur Jeffrey Power. He moved production to Canada and rebranded the company as Playoff Corp. Playoff Corp continued releasing Donruss baseball cards through the late 90s and early 2000s but they became more of a mid-tier brand rather than a major competitor to Topps and the like.
In 2001, Playoff Corp lost the MLB player’s union license, further limiting their photo and trademark usage. Their releases became more generic and they started primarily focusing on insert sets rather than large base sets in following years. By the mid 2000s, Playoff Corp/Donruss baseball card production had slowed considerably.
In 2007, Panini America acquired the remaining assets of Playoff Corp, including the Donruss brand name. Panini had been a leader in European sports cards and stickers for decades but was looking to expand in the US market. They saw value in the Donruss brand history and retro appeal to collectors.
Under Panini, Donruss brand baseball card production ramped back up. They started releasing regular annual set releases again from 2008 onward. With Panini’s bigger licensing deals, the Donruss sets returned to using actual player photos on many cards rather than illustrations. Parallels and hit inserts became a bigger focus to appeal to collectors.
Some notable Panini Donruss releases of the late 2000s/2010s include 2009 Threads of Greatness, 2011 Diamond Kings, 2014 Diamond Anniversary, 2017 Diamond Anniversary Tribute, and 2021 Elite Extra Edition. While not among the top sellers like Topps Series 1 or Bowman, these sets have found success by tapping into the retro Donruss nostalgia many collectors still feel.
Panini has also blended the Donruss branding into some larger multi-brand baseball products over the past decade such as Chronicles, Diamond Kings, and Illusions. These crossover sets help keep the Donruss name in front of collectors alongside Panini’s other baseball brands like Bowman, Contenders, and Status.
So in summary – while the company has changed ownership a few times and brand recognition has fluctuated, Donruss baseball cards absolutely continue to be produced today under Panini. They have found new life appealing to collectors’ retro interests rather than trying to directly compete at the top of the modern market. Barring any future MLB licensing issues, it’s very likely Donruss cards will continue to be part of the annual baseball card landscape for years to come.
