The 1987 Donruss Baseball set is considered one of the most unique baseball card releases of all time due to its inclusion of puzzle pieces that could be assembled to create full-size baseball cards. In addition to standard baseball cards with player photos and stats on the front and back, wax packs from the 1987 Donruss Baseball set contained puzzle pieces that when put together correctly would reveal the complete baseball card image.
This innovative concept was popular with collectors at the time as it added an extra level of fun and challenge to the collecting experience. Puzzling together full size cards from puzzle pieces took more time and effort than simply looking at pre-made cards right out of the pack. The puzzle element also increased suspense not knowing which player’s card you were assembling piece by piece. For these reasons, 1987 Donruss Baseball cards that include the original puzzle assembly are amongst the most sought after issues by vintage collectors today.
While standard 1987 Donruss Baseball cards without puzzles can be acquired for under $1 in near mint condition, puzzle-backed cards command significantly higher prices. Common players may sell for $5-10 complete with original puzzle, while star players can reach $20-50 depending on the name and condition. This premium is paid because fewer collectors saved the puzzles intact over the decades compared to regular cards, making full puzzle assemblies much harder to find. The puzzles also added to the visual appeal and nostalgia of the set.
Perhaps the most coveted puzzle-backed card is that of slugger Mark McGwire, who would go on to break the single season home run record just a few years later. McGwire rookies from 1987 Donruss sell for over $100 complete with intact puzzle. Other star rookies and veterans that command $50-100 with puzzles include Ozzie Smith, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly, Kirby Puckett, Tom Glavine and Dwight Gooden. Condition is critical, as puzzles that have been reconstructed or are incomplete will sell at a fraction of the graded/100% complete puzzle prices.
It’s also important to note the puzzle pieces were not perfectly cut or always in the correct positioning, leaving some white space between pieces no matter how precisely assembled. For this reason, graders such as PSA take the approach that puzzles need only be in the approximate original assembly rather than demanding pixel-perfect alignments. As long as all puzzle pieces are included and in natural placements, top grades can be achieved. Reconstructions attempting for perfection are easily detected.
Beyond the individual puzzle cards, many collectors seek complete 1987 Donruss Baseball sets where every included player card contains the original puzzle intact. Since nearly every card had a puzzle counterpart, acquiring a 100% puzzle set is extremely difficult and time consuming. Only the most devoted collectors will spend years hunting down each elusive puzzle assembly. As a result, high-grade 1987 Donruss Baseball puzzle sets can sell for thousands of dollars depending on condition and star player inclusion.
The immense popularity of the 1987 Donruss Baseball puzzle concept spawned copycats in later years. Specifically, the 1989 Topps Baseball set contained puzzle pieces for headliners like Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr. However these “puzzles” were merely decorative accents and not full player images. 1990 Donruss Baseball also imitated the puzzle gimmick but with far simpler designs. Neither captured the same magic as the true full image puzzles from the original 1987 Donruss release. For this reason, that year’s issue remains the most desirable and valuable to vintage baseball card collectors even decades later due to its innovative spirit and added layer of nostalgia.
While standard 1987 Donruss cards are available very inexpensively today, don’t sleep on cards containing the original puzzles intact. These more than 30-year-old cardboard assemblies continue to attract premium prices from collectors drawn to the set’s unique multi-step reveal concept. The puzzles exemplified the peak era of sports card inserts, promotions and serialized collecting strategies before the market crashed in the 1990s. For exemplifying the creative heights of 1980s card design, full puzzle collections from 1987 Donruss Baseball are icons of the hobby that will stay valuable for die-hard collectors of the era.
