The 1990 Donruss baseball card set was one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year. After a few down years in product quality and collector interest, Donruss made some big changes to their flagship set that excited the card collecting community. They redesigned their card design, added more variations and parallels, and secured many big star rookie cards and accomplishments. This set is now regarded as one of the strongest and most desirable Donruss issues ever produced.
While the entire 1990 Donruss set contains several interesting and valuable cards, there are some true superstars and highly sought after pieces that rise above the rest. Here is an in-depth look at some of the absolute cream of the crop cards from the 1990 Donruss offerings that still attract heavy collector attention and command top dollar prices over 30 years later.
Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card – Widely considered one of if not the single most iconic and valuable baseball card of all-time, Griffey’s outstanding rookie is the clear cut #1 card from the 1990 Donruss set. His immense young talent and picture perfect swing made him an instant star and his cards exploded in popularity and demand. PSA 10 examples have sold for over $100,000, putting it on par with the legendary 1952 Topps Mantle rookie as one of the holy grails of the hobby.
Frank Thomas Rookie Card – While not quite at Griffey levels, Thomas proved to be a true star in his own right and his rookie is the obvious #2 card in the set. A dominant hitter who would win back-to-back MVPs, his rookie remained extremely popular. High grade PSA 10 examples have sold for $10,000+, showing the continued strong collector demand after all these years.
Roberto Alomar Rookie Card – Beyond the true “rookie” year cards, Alomar’s 1990 Donruss rookie stood out as his first major appearance. He would go on to a Hall of Fame caliber career and his cards performed very well despite not being a true first year card. PSA 10s have cracked $1,000, a strong number for a non-rookie.
Tom Glavine Rookie Card – Glavine emerged as a superstar pitcher for the Braves dynasty teams and won 305 games over a brilliant career. His rookie was highly popular and is the true premier pitcher card from the set. PSA 10 values reached as high as $2,000 in recent years.
Brian Harper Rookie Card – As a career backup catcher, Harper was far from a true superstar. His 1990 Donruss rookie somehow gained a cult following as one of the tougher rookie cards to find in high grade. PSA 10 examples have sold for over $1,000, remarkable value for a role player.
Cecil Fielder Card – Fielder blasted 51 homers in 1990 to lead the majors and win the AL home run title – the achievement was captured perfectly on this flashy card. Considered one of the true “big bopper” cards from the set, it remains popular for team and player collection builders.
Pedro Martinez Card – Before emerging as a future Hall of Famer, Martinez was a promising young arm for the Dodgers organization in 1990. His rookie is one of the key pitcher cards from the set beyond Glavine. Higher grades have sold in the $150 range showing solid demand.
Nolan Ryan Milestone Card – Donruss highlighted Ryan’s then record 5,000th strikeout during the 1989 season. It was a special career achievement recognition that deepened collector interest and remains a very popular Ryan piece to this day.
Cal Ripken MVP Tribute Card – This eye-catching horizontal card pays tribute to Ripken winning the 1989 AL MVP award. It stands out as one of the true “hit” parallel cards using Ripken’s immense popularity and production with collectors.
Ozzie Smith Career Milestone Card – Smith joined the 3,000 career hit club in 1990, another prestigious achievement highlighted by Donruss on this popular Cardinals shortstop card. It unlocked further demand from Smith collectors.
Whilestars likeKen Griffey Jr. and Frank Thomas clearly dominate discussions about the top cards from the 1990 Donruss set, this list shows there were several other prominent rookie cards, key achievement highlights, and parallels that collectively made this set such an important and enduring release in the hobby. From superstar talents, to statistical milestones, to insert variations – Donruss really had it all covered 30 years ago. This depth of quality content is why the 1990 Donruss baseball cards remain a benchmark collector product to this day with cards that continue moving up in value after all these years.
