The 1987 Donruss baseball card set holds significant nostalgia and value for collectors and fans of the period. Issued at the height of the junk wax era, the cards were mass produced and readily available. Over 30 years later, key rookie cards and stars of the era have gained appreciation from collectors.
The 1987 Donruss set totals 792 cards including future Hall of Famers like Nolan Ryan, George Brett, Mike Schmidt, and Carlton Fisk. The design features a bold photograph on a colored border along with statistics on the reverse. While production numbers were enormous, grading has allowed top condition examples of stars to maintain and increase in worth.
Rookie cards are always of high interest to collectors seeking to capitalize on a player’s career accomplishments years later. The 1987 Donruss set featured the rookie cards of several future all-time greats like Tom Glavine, Gregg Maddux, and Ken Griffey Jr. Griffey’s iconic upper deck rookie is the most valuable card of the era, but his Donruss rookie also holds value due to his status as a true superstar and MLB home run king. Near mint to mint condition copies in the $200-400 range reflect his consistent high demand.
Maddux and Glavine also found enormous success winning a combined 8 Cy Young awards between 1992-2008. Their rookie cards have seen appreciation mirroring their brilliant careers. A PSA 9 or BGS 9 graded Maddux fetches $75-150 while a similar graded Glavine brings $50-100 due to his slightly lesser Hall of Fame resume. Collectors recognize these cards as capturing the beginning of legends. Also debuting in 1987 was Terry Pendleton, who won the 1991 NL MVP award. His rookie remains fairly affordable around $15-25.
Of course, the true elite veterans and superstars of the 1980s hold the most value in the 1987 Donruss set as well. Condition is key, as lower grade copies can be obtained cheaply. A PSA 10 Nolan Ryan is worth $1,500-3,000 given his status a pitching icon and still holder of many career records. An uncommon PSA 10 or SGC 10 1988 traded Mark McGwire rookie would sell for over $5,000 reflecting the rarity of high end graded versions of his first card.
Other stars with expensive gem mint copies include Mike Schmidt PSA 10 ($1,000), George Brett PSA/SGC 10 ($800), Don Mattingly PSA 10 ($700), Wade Boggs PSA 10 ($400), and Rickey Henderson PSA 10 ($350). Two-time MVP winner Ryne Sandberg has a PSA 10 valued at $250-400. Collectors appreciate true time-capsule specimens of these all-time great players in pristine condition.
Overall team and subset cards add diversity and often hold value attached to accomplishments. The Boston Red Sox 1987 Donruss team card is particularly sought after by collectors for capturing the World Series championship squad. A high grade PSA/BGS 9 fetches $150-250 given their storied franchise history and unique capturing of a title year. The Diamond Kings subset also endures as a premium vintage subset with key Hall of Famers like Cal Ripken in top condition worth around $100 raw.
While 1987 Donruss cards flooded the market during the era, the lasting results of certain players’ careers have allowed top rookies, stars, and accomplished teams/subsets to retain relevance and appreciate over the decades. As one of the most widely produced vintage sets, condition is paramount, with PSA/BGS/SGC slabbing further validating high grade examples. For fans of the 1980s and those collecting career milestones, the 1987 Donruss set yields affordable keys with long term potential linked to baseball history from that memorable period.
