The Donruss baseball card company has produced cards since 1981 and some of their older issues can be quite valuable, especially if they feature star players. Let’s take a deeper look at some Donruss sets and individual cards that collectors seek out and are often willing to pay top dollar for.
One of the most valuable Donruss sets is the 1981 Donruss set. It was the company’s first year producing baseball cards and the rookie cards in this set are highly sought after by collectors. Some of the top rookies in the ’81 Donruss set that can fetch big money include Fernando Valenzuela, Rickey Henderson, Wade Boggs, and Cal Ripken Jr. A PSA 10 graded Fernando Valenzuela rookie in the ’81 Donruss set recently sold for over $12,000. High grade Rickey Henderson rookies from this set have sold for upwards of $8,000 as well.
Another valuable early Donruss set is the 1985 Donruss set. This set featured rookie cards of Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Bret Saberhagen. A PSA 10 graded Barry Bonds rookie from the ’85 Donruss set has sold for over $20,000. Near mint to mint condition McGwire and Saberhagen rookies can sell for $1,000-$3,000 depending on the grade. The ’85 Donruss set overall remains a highly sought after vintage issue for collectors.
Moving into the late 80s, the 1987 Donruss set stands out as containing some legendary rookie cards. This set included rookie cards for Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and Ben McDonald. High grade copies of the Glavine and Maddux rookies regularly sell for $1,000-$3,000. The Ben McDonald rookie, while not as valuable as the pitching duo, still fetches a couple hundred dollars for a nice near mint copy. Collectors love chasing the hall of fame caliber talents featured in the ’87 Donruss rookie class.
In the early 90s, the 1991 Donruss Elite Series parallel set caught the attention of collectors. This was an ultra-high end insert set inserted one per hobby box on average. The biggest chase card was the Ken Griffey Jr. Elite Series rookie card. High grade PSA/BGS Griffey Elites have sold for astronomical prices upwards of $50,000. Other valuable 1991 Elite Series rookies included Chipper Jones, Derek Jeter, and Jim Thome. Even their base rookie cards can be worth $500+ in top grades from this prized parallel issue.
Moving into the late 90s, the 1998 Donruss Gallery parallel set stands out. This set featured intricate embossed photo variations of star players. The most valuable card in the ’98 Gallery set was undoubtedly the McGwire record breaking 70th home run card, which famously sold for over $100,000 back in the late 90s hobby boom. Other top cards included the Sammy Sosa 66th home run parallel and rookie parallels of Nomar Garciaparra and Kerry Wood. High grade versions of these cards can still fetch $1,000+ on the current market.
In more modern times, the 2009 Topps Tribute set paid homage to classic Donruss designs. The short printed parallels featuring young stars like Evan Longoria, Ryan Braun and Tim Lincecum remain popular with collectors. But one card stands above the rest – the ultra-rare Albert Pujols 1/1 printing plate parallel. Only one was produced and it remains the holy grail card for Pujols collectors, valued well into the 5 or 6 figure range.
While it may take some digging to find affordable vintage Donruss cards from the 80s and early 90s in top condition today, there are still deals to be had on more modern star rookies and parallels if you do your research. The brand continues to release popular high-end sets each year as well that contain short printed chase cards of current stars. Overall, Donruss has produced some of the most iconic and valuable rookie cards, parallels and variations over the past 40 years that remain must-haves for dedicated collectors.
