Donruss began producing baseball cards in 1981 and continued making sets annually for over 30 years until filing for bankruptcy in 2012. Here is a breakdown of the years they produced sets and some key details about the most notable releases each year:

1981 – Donruss released their inaugural baseball card set in 1981. The design featured a picture of the player on the front with their name and team written in a banner across the top. The backs contained basic stats. Some top rookies included Fernando Valenzuela and Rick Sutcliffe.

1982 – The design stayed similar in 1982 with mostly the same front and back layout. Notable rookies included Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn. This was one of the more common early Donruss sets to collect.

1983 – The 1983 set saw Donruss begin including team logos on the fronts of cards above the player photo. Rookies like Kirby Puckett and Wade Boggs started to establish themselves. Mike Schmidt appeared on the cover card.

1984 – Not much changed design-wise but some key rookies included Dwight Gooden and Johan Santana. The 1984 set is still reasonably obtainable and affordable to collect today.

1985 – This set featured foil lettering on the fronts for player names and positions. Rookies like Roger Clemens andBarry Bonds started proving their future stardom. Mark McGwire graced the cover.

1986 – Donruss modernized the designs in 1986 with a cleaner white border framing the player photo. Rookies like Tom Glavine emerged. The Jeff Bagwell card from this set remains a popular, valuable rookie card for collectors.

1987 – Subtle stripes were added to the borders in 1987. Rookies Greg Maddux and Mike Piazza took their first cardboard steps. Ozzie Smith got the cover treatment.

1988 – Designs remained clean and consistent into 1988. Big rookies included Frank Thomas and Ken Griffey Jr, both of whom wound up on very popular and valuable rookie cards. Nolan Ryan served as cover athlete.

1989 – Not much visually changed but key rookies Chipper Jones, Jim Thome, and Brad Radke started their careers. This was another strong, common set that holds nostalgic appeal for collectors of the era.

1990 – Designs stayed consistent as the ‘90s dawned. Rookies like Mo Vaughn, Derek Jeter, and Todd Helton debuted. This was the first Donruss set after the company was acquired by Fleer.

1991 – The 200th anniversary of the Bill of Rights was commemorated on many cards this year. Rookies included Jeff Kent, Mike Mussina, and Juan Gonzalez among others. Don Mattingly appeared on the cover.

1992 – Donruss used an orange color scheme with darker borders for the 1992 release. Big rookies included Fernando Vina, Marquis Grissom, and David Wells. This is a underrated set that can still be found at reasonable prices.

1993 – With baseball recovering from the 1994 strike, the ‘93 Donruss set captured the returning excitement. Standouts included Jason Giambi, Charles Johnson, and Paul O’Neill. Nolan Ryan again graced the cover.

1994 – Proving their resilience, Donruss still managed to release a full set amidst the player strike. Designs stayed similar. Rookies like Hideo Nomo and Derek Bell made their entrance.

1995 – Designs received a subtle facelift with lighter borders and bigger player photos. Standouts included Nomar Garciaparra, Jeff Weaver, and Mariano Rivera. The Griffey Jr. card remained a hot commodity.

1996 – Donruss continued adding modern photo touches. Big names like Javy López, Andruw Jones, and Scott Rolen got their starts. The Sammy Sosa rookie became a highly desirable, pricey card.

1997 – More rounded, cartoony designs took over, moving away from the classic sharp corners. Stars like Kerry Wood, Todd Helton, and Nomar Garciaparra continued to shine.

1998 – Wild, multi-colored borders paired with clean photos made for a fun, vibrant 1998 design. Names like Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Beltrán, and Joe Mauer started to surface.

1999 – Fin de siecle designs emphasized brighter, bolder colors. Big names like Lance Berkman, Mark Mulder, and Jason Varitek started arriving. Griffey Jr. adorned the prestigious final Donruss cover.

2000 – Returning to classic-styled designs, the 2000 set helped usher in the new millennium. Names like Bobby Abreu, Carlos Lee, and Freddy Sanchez filled the rookie ranks.

2001 – New stars Curt Schilling, Carlos Beltrán, and Chan Ho Park emerged amidst dramatic post-9/11 events. Designs started incorporating player statistics on the back.

2002 – Featuring a colorful explosion graphic, the ’02 Donruss set highlighted rookies Joel Pineiro, Mark Prior, and Freddy Garcia. Backs added more advanced stats.

2003 – Clean, classic designs mixed with new stars Francisco Rodríguez, Matt Cain, and Ervin Santana. Information density grew on card backs.

2004 – Big names Grady Sizemore, Justin Verlander, and Prince Fielder broke out. Donruss continued polishing flagship set designs and info density.

2005 – Rookies Ryan Zimmerman, Ryan Howard, and Huston Street carried the promise of talent into the mid-2000s era. Graphics became a touch more subdued.

2006 – Young standouts Chad Billingsley, Jon Lester, and Joey Votto debuted. The company started experimenting more with parallels and inserts.

2007 – Mike Trout, Stephen Strasburg, and Buster Posey took their first cardboard steps. Donruss emphasized parallels, refractors, and autographs in increasing quantities.

2008 – Designs embraced clean, classic looks again paired with stars like Evan Longoria, Clayton Kershaw, and Colby Rasmus. Parallel inserts dominated the secondary market.

2009 – Pitchers Zach Britton, Madison Bumgarner, and Stephen Strasburg emerged. Donruss faced increased competition from license-holders like Topps and Upper Deck.

2010 – Players Christian Yelich, Julio Teheran, and Taijuan Walker debuted amidst the company’s financial struggles. Insert sets overwhelmed the flagship releases.

2011 – Donruss managed one final standout rookie class including Mike Trout, Craig Kimbrel, and Danny Salazar. But it would prove to be their final hurrah.

2012 – Releasing their final flagship set featuring stars Bryce Harper, Yu Darvish, and Manny Machado, Donruss declared bankruptcy and ceased operations soon after. Their long legacy in the hobby ended but the cards live on for collectors to enjoy.

In over 30 years, Donruss established themselves as a creator of high quality, visually striking baseball cards that captured the eras and launched the careers of countless future Hall of Famers from their rookie seasons. Their sets hold nostalgia and significance for collectors to this day, keeping the memory of the brand alive even after their untimely demise.