1988 Donruss Baseball

Manufacturer: Donruss
Set Size: 660 Cards
Card Size: 2-1/2” x 3-1/2”

Set Notes: Collectors have mixed feelings about the 1988 Donruss set design. Many feel it was rather drab but does stand out compared to other 1988 sets. The front of the cards feature player photos, team logo and player name at bottom within a red bar. The boarders are a mixture of blue, red and black gradients that bleed off the edge. The backs stay with the simple Donruss design of player stats in black on a light blue background. While 1988 Donruss has a decent rookie lineup, over printing of the time help keep values low.

Key Rookies From 1988 Donruss: 34– Roberto Alomar  |  40 – Mark Grace  |  644 – Tom Glavine  |  657 – Gregg Jefferies

Pricing chart includes raw card price & some graded card value estimates.
These values are collated from a variety of resources including recently sold listings, sales averages and a variety of other sports card pricing data sources. Please see full disclaimer on “Terms Page” for more information.
(Rookiecardprices.com only shows values for regular base set cards. No prices are shown for errors, parallels, subsets, misprints or other cards unless noted.)

DISCLAIMER: This data is not intended as financial advice and should not be used as such. Please do your own research before making any investment or selling/buying decisions.

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1988 Donruss Rookie Card Prices

Overview of 1988 Donruss Baseball Cards

The 1988 Donruss baseball card set is a significant entry in the “Junk Wax Era,” a period in the late 1980s and early 1990s characterized by massive production runs that resulted in a surplus of cards and a general lack of long-term value. Despite this, the set holds a special place for collectors who grew up during this time and contains some notable rookie cards and interesting features.

Set Design and Features: The 1988 Donruss set features a design with a distinctive dark border, a common theme for Donruss cards from 1985 to 1989. The cards have a blue border with black and red accents, and the player’s name and position are printed on a red background at the bottom.

One of the defining features of Donruss sets from this era is the inclusion of puzzle pieces. The 1988 set featured a Stan Musial puzzle. Additionally, the set had several subsets that collectors enjoyed, including:

• Diamond Kings: Cards 1-27 were dedicated to this popular subset, showcasing artistic depictions of one top player from each team.
• Rated Rookies: This subset (cards 28-47) was a key component of Donruss, highlighting some of the most promising young players in the league.
• Bonus MVP’s: These cards were inserted into random packs and are distinguished by an “MVP” logo on the front and a “BC” prefix in their numbering on the back.

Notable Rookie Cards: While the set’s overall value is low due to overproduction, it contains some rookie cards of players who went on to have great careers. Some of the key rookie cards from the 1988 Donruss set include:

• Roberto Alomar: A Hall of Fame second baseman.
• Tom Glavine: Another Hall of Famer, known for his success as a pitcher.
• Mark Grace: A three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner.
• Matt Williams: A five-time All-Star third baseman.

The 1988 Donruss set is a classic example of the “Junk Wax Era,” when collecting became a huge business, leading to an oversupply of cards that ultimately diminished their value. For many, these cards are a nostalgic piece of baseball history, representing a time when a new pack of cards was a common and exciting purchase. Today, sealed boxes and complete sets can still be found relatively inexpensively, making it a fun and affordable set to collect for hobbyists.

Popular Rookies from 1988 Donruss Baseball