Donruss Baseball Puzzle and Cards Series 1 – A Deep Dive
Donruss baseball cards have long been a favorite of collectors for their unique designs and puzzles featured on the cardboard. In 1985, Donruss launched their first ever “Puzzle and Cards” series which really took the hobby by storm and remains one of the most iconic releases in baseball card history. This inaugural Puzzle and Cards set from 1985, known as Series 1, contained a variety of puzzles, checklists, and oddball cards that collectors still chase to this day. Let’s take a deeper look at this seminal release from Donruss and what made it such a groundbreaking set.
When Donruss debuted their Puzzle and Cards concept in 1985, the baseball card market was still in its relative infancy. Topps had dominated the landscape for decades but collectors were hungry for something new and different. That’s where Donruss saw an opportunity. Their Series 1 set broke the mold by including puzzle pieces on the front of many cards that could be combined to form larger pictures. This was a totally new concept that captured the imagination of kids and adults alike. The puzzles featured iconic images from the previous season like Kirk Gibson’s home run or Don Mattingly batting.
The puzzles became a sensation as collectors traded furiously to complete the images. It added a whole new dimension to the hobby of just collecting players. Donruss wisely included checklist cards at the beginning of the set that called out which player cards contained which puzzle pieces so you knew what to hunt for. Completing one of the full puzzles provided a great sense of accomplishment. The puzzles were a major driving force behind the skyrocketing popularity of the Donruss brand throughout the 1980s.
In addition to the puzzles, the 1985 Series 1 set is also renowned for its oddball promotions and bonus cards. For example, Donruss included “Trading Card Stores” which pictured hobby shops from around the country where you could trade in-person. This helped stimulate local card economies. Other memorable oddities were “Card Collectors” cards that pictured real fans, “Grandstand Greats” honoring franchise legends, and “Diamond Greats” highlighting Hall of Famers. These unique cards added flavor and collectability beyond just the players.
Perhaps most notably, Donruss upped the ante by including special “1 of 1” printing plates and artist proofs in Series 1 packs. These ultra-rare chase cards captured the imagination of collectors. Even though they depicted no player, their scarcity and one-of-a-kind nature made them enormously desirable. In today’s market, a pristine Donruss 1985 Series 1 printing plate can sell for well over $10,000. Their inclusion took hobby collectability and chase aspects to a whole new level.
When it came to the base set, Donruss selected a massive 792 total cards to capture all the major and minor leaguers of the time in great photographic detail. The design featured a clean white border surrounding each crisp player image. Statistics like career highlights were included on the reverse. Rated rookies like Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire were also given special callouts as the future stars they would become. The sheer scope and photography quality of the base cards was a major step forward for the industry.
Of course, the true superstars and most valuable cards of the 1985 Donruss Series 1 set center around the likes of Rickey Henderson, Wade Boggs, and Roger Clemens. Their rookie cards in particular are the holy grails that can fetch five figures or more in gem mint condition today. But the set is also renowned for capturing other upcoming talents in their early days like Ozzie Smith, Kirby Puckett, and Dwight Gooden. Completing the entire 792 card roster provides a definitive snapshot and time capsule of 1980s baseball.
When factoring in all the aforementioned puzzles, oddballs, and short prints, the total card count for the 1985 Donruss Series 1 release swelled to over 1,000 individual collectibles. The sheer volume and variety of cards made it an incredibly fun and rewarding set for kids to chase. Its innovations like puzzles and 1/1 cards also made it hugely influential on the entire baseball card industry going forward. The 1985 Donruss release is truly one of the most important sets in the entire hobby.
In the decades since, the 1985 Donruss Series 1 has taken on an almost mythical status among collectors. Its puzzles, oddballs, and rookie star cards continue to entice collectors and fuel strong demand in the secondary market. The set plays a pivotal role in the history of Donruss brand and defined many collectors’ childhood experiences with the hobby. For its groundbreaking concepts, scope, and capturing of 1980s baseball, the 1985 Donruss Puzzle and Cards Series 1 endures as one of the most iconic releases in the entire sport. It remains an extremely popular and historically significant set to this day.
