The Donruss brand has produced baseball cards for over 30 years and during that time has featured some of the game’s biggest stars on highly coveted and valuable cards. While packs of Donruss cards were readily available at affordable prices, certain rare and iconic cards have climbed dramatically in value as enthusiasts and collectors compete to own prized pieces of memorabilia celebrating all-time great players.
One of the most expensive Donruss cards ever sold was a 1985 Donruss Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card in near-mint condition. In August 2021, one of these rare Griffey rookie cards was auctioned off through PWCC Marketplace and shattered records by selling for an astounding $487,687. Part of what makes this particular card so desirable is that Griffey burst onto the MLB scene in spectacular fashion as a 19-year-old for the Seattle Mariners in 1989 and would go on to have a Hall of Fame career. His rookie card helps commemorate the beginnings of such an impressive legacy on the diamond.
Another blockbuster Donruss sale involved a 1998 Darryl Strawberry autograph patch rookie card that sold for $156,000 in January 2022. This card stands out because it features both Strawberry’s signature and swatch of game-worn jersey material, giving collectors multiple premium autograph and memorabilia elements in one coveted package relating to the former Mets slugger. Signed and memorabilia-inclusive rookie cards for star players from the 1980s and 90s commands huge money among specialty collectors.
A unique Donruss card that has changed hands for six-figure sums is the 1987 Traded Nolan Ryan card, which sold for $108,000 in a November 2021 auction. This particular card shows Ryan dressed as a member of the Houston Astros shortly after being traded from the Mets, making it a rare traded version among the legendary fireballer’s rookie selection. Every aspect of the Ryan card’s production, from its subject matter highlighting a marquee player transition to its limited printing and accompanying scarcity factors, adds to its enormous appeal for enthusiasts.
Another star pitcher whose rare rookie card proves extremely valuable is Greg Maddux. An ultra-sharp 1987 Donruss Greg Maddux rookie PSA 10 gem mint condition example was reported sold for a staggering $100,800 in May 2021. Still young but already exhibiting dominant control and command, Maddux went on to have one of the most decorated careers in MLB history, winning four Cy Young awards and 355 games. His flagship rookie is a prized piece of memorabilia for connoisseurs marking the emergence of such an outstanding hurler.
Donruss had a hugely successful run producing baseball cards in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but the brand nearly disappeared in the late 90s during a time of industry consolidation. Their return to the scene in 2020 with new license partnerships and retro designs has created renewed collecting enthusiasm. Examples of high-dollar 1990 Donruss Barry Bonds rookie cards attest to the sustained interest in their elite athletes from earlier eras. In October 2020, a PSA 9 Bonds rookie sold for $93,600, underscoring his mass popularity as one of the game’s most prolific home run hitters whose illustrious career started over 30 years ago as a Pittsburgh Pirate.
The success and record sales prices for these blue-chip Donruss rookies of future Hall of Famers like Griffey, Ryan, Maddux and Bonds speaks to how their release materials have become an essential part of the culture surrounding those players’ overall careers and legacies. While packs once retailed for under $1, today’s rarest and highest graded specimens can retail well into the five and even six-figure territory. Their artistic designs, exciting subject selection of future all-time great players, and limited initial print runs have all converged to earn these Donruss cards iconic status as coveted investments. Although no longer a mainstay in the modern market landscape, Donruss’ football, basketball and baseball card contributions from the late 1980s remain cemented in the history books as hugely influential in building collector demand that persists stronger than ever today.
