The 1989 Donruss baseball card set is one of the most popular and valuable sets from the late 1980s. While most common cards from the set hold little monetary value, there are some standout rookie cards and key player cards that can be quite valuable, especially if in gem mint condition.
One of the biggest money cards from the 1989 Donruss set is the Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. Griffey was one of the most hyped prospects in baseball and went on to have a spectacular Hall of Fame career. His rookie card from the 1989 Donruss set, if graded a perfect Gem Mint 10, can sell for upwards of $2,000 or more. Even well-centered near mint copies in the 8-9 grade range sell for hundreds on the collector market. Griffey’s impressive career and popularity as “The Kid” make his rookie one of the crown jewels for any baseball card collection from the late 80s/early 90s.
Another highly valuable rookie card from 1989 Donruss is that of slugger Mark McGwire. Before breaking Barry Bond’s single season home run record in 1998, McGwire was already establishing himself as one of the game’s top power hitters. His dominance and memorable home run chase with Sammy Sosa played a big role in renewing baseball’s popularity in the late 90s as well. In top Gem Mint 10 condition, McGwire’s 1989 Donruss rookie has sold at auction for over $1,000. Most near mint copies still fetch hundreds due to his great career and key role in “saving” baseball.
In addition to rookie cards, key cards of established star players from 1989 Donruss can carry nice premiums as well, especially for all-time greats and Hall of Famers. For instance, a Mint condition card of “The Straw” Ozzie Smith is quite valuable at around $100-200 given his immense popularity and brilliance as a defender for the Cardinals. Ditto for powerhouse sluggers like Mike Schmidt, slugging machine Dave Justice, or 300-game winner Nolan Ryan, whose sharp looking ’89 Donruss cards can sell for $50-100+ in top grades.
Another factor that increases the value of certain 1989 Donruss cards is the inclusion of additional photo variations. For example, Wade Boggs is depicted with the Red Sox on his main card but also has a much rarer secondary photo showing him with the Yankees. This Yankees Boggs variation has sold for $200-300 if in pristine condition due to the added scarcity from being an photograph anomaly. The same applies to Kirby Puckett, whose primary Twins image is accompanied by an uncommon Tigers photo swap that can fetch upwards of $150 graded mint.
Condition, of course, is absolutely critical when assessing the worth of any collectible baseball card. A prefectly centered, sharp edged 1989 Donruss card in Gem Mint 10 grade will sell for significantly more than one that is off-centered, has whitening on the edges, or other defects diminishing its visual appeal. The difference between a NM-MT 8 and Gem Mint 10 graded copy of a major star rookie or star player card could mean hundreds of additional dollars in value.
While bulk common cards from the 1989 Donruss set hold little individual value today, there are certainly some standout rookie cards, star cards, and photo variants that have retained or grown in value over the decades. The Griffey Jr. and Mark McGwire rookies headline the money cards, but superb conditioned examples of all-time player cards like Ozzie Smith, Nolan Ryan, and Mike Schmidt can still fetch $50-200+ for dedicated collectors. Condition, of course, is paramount – with a pristine graded Gem Mint 10 example potentially worth double or more of a lower graded near mint counterpart. For set collectors and investors, the 1989 Donruss baseball cards remain an iconic release with solid value focused around its biggest young star rookies and veteran stars cards.
