One of the most valuable 1987 Donruss baseball cards is the Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. Griffey Jr. went on to have an outstanding career and be widely recognized as one of the greatest players of all time. His rookie card has taken on immense popularity and value over the years. In near mint to mint condition, the Griffey Jr. rookie now sells for thousands of dollars. A PSA 10 gem mint version recently sold for over $25,000. The Griffey rookie is surely the most iconic and coveted card from the 1987 Donruss set.
Another extremely valuable card is the Frank Thomas rookie card. Like Griffey, Thomas had a Hall of Fame career and his rookie card has gained legend status among collectors. High grade Thomas rookies now sell for thousands as well. One recently sold for just under $5,000 in PSA 9 near mint-mint condition. Thomas’ powerful performance on the field translated to growing enthusiasm for his rookie card in the years following its release.
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The Mark McGwire rookie is another 1987 Donruss card that has risen steadily in value and collector interest. McGwire’s mammoth home run feats like his then single season record 70 home runs in 1998 make his rookie one of the most historically significant from the set. High grade McGwire rookies can sell for well over $1,000 now. One factor driving collectors to his rookie is the spotlight it shines on baseball’s offensive boom of the late 90s.
In addition to these star player rookies, the 1987 Donruss set featured other young talents who would go on to have Hall of Fame careers like Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux. Both of these pitcher rookies have gained value proportional to their achievements. A PSA 9 Glavine sold for over $400 recently while a PSA 9 Maddux brought around $300. Although not in the stratosphere of the position player rookies, these two hurlers still deliver strong returns for discerning collectors given their superb careers.
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Beyond just the elite rookie cards, there are other key 1987 Donruss cards that have held or increased in value over the decades. The Nolan Ryan card, featuring one of the game’s most respected and admired power pitchers ever, has retained interest. A PSA 10 Gem Mint Ryan sold at auction for over $1,000. While not a rookie card, collectors still flock to it due to Ryan’s immortal legacy. The Cal Ripken Jr. and Wade Boggs cards are also fixtures in the set that routinely sell for hundreds even though they were not the first cards issued of these future Hall of Famers. Steady performers like these maintain relevance.
Rarity also plays a role in the valuations within the 1987 Donrss set. For example, the Bo Jackson card is quite scarce in high grades since he was a huge name at the time but suffered an early injury. A PSA 9 recently sold for around $600 due to the positional scarcity. Likewise, other stars from the era like Ozzie Smith, Kirby Puckett, and Roger Clemens have followings strong enough to support prices of several hundred dollars even for played copies in lower grades. Condition and eye appeal are still important alongside player performance history in driving collector preferences and payouts within the 1987 Donruss product line.
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The 1987 Donruss baseball card set launched the careers of many of the game’s all-time greats and franchise players like Ken Griffey Jr., Frank Thomas, Tom Glavine, and Greg Maddux. Their rookie cards as well as other historically significant cards of the era featuring Nolan Ryan, Cal Ripken Jr., and Wade Boggs have increased tremendously in secondary market value as reflections of the players’ immortal on-field exploits. Rarer inserts and prospects like Bo Jackson have also gained due to their scarcity. The diverse appeal of the players, rookies, and inserts featured in the 1987 Donruss set have made it one of the most valuable vintage issues for collectors decades later as they seek to commemorate unforgettable baseball talents and moments from that exciting era.
