During the late 1980s, there seemed to be no shortage of 1989 Donruss baseball cards around the hobby...
And that's because there wasn't.
These cards were some of the most heavily produced during an era of overproduction.
Today, you can find full boxes of these for $5 or so.
But, while most of them may be worthless these days, that doesn't mean some cards from this set can't still hold some value.
And in this guide, we'll take a look at the 30 most valuable.
Let's jump right in!
1989 Donruss #33 Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $325
The hype surrounding Griffey in 1989 was incredible and everyone was after this and his other rookie cards of the day.
Today, demand remains high and the value of this card has steadily risen in recent years.
Prior to his induction into the Hall of Fame, I remember seeing these sell for around $40 or so in PSA 10 condition.
Nowadays, they consistently sell for $325 or more.
The purple and black borders can easily show wear and chipping preventing most from achieving the lofty PSA 10 standard.
1989 Donruss #154 Nolan Ryan
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $55
Following a contract dispute with the Houston Astros in the wake of the 1988 MLB season, the 42-year-old righty signed with the Texas Rangers with plenty left to prove and plenty left in the gas tank.
Ryan threw absolute darts all year in his sixth and final 300-strikeout campaign.
With 301 strikeouts in 1989, Ryan became (and remains) the oldest pitcher in baseball history to hit the 300-strikeout plateau in a season.
He finished the 1989 campaign with a 16-10 record, a solid 3.20 ERA, and led the Majors in hits allowed per 9 innings (6.092).
He also finished fifth in the Majors in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.071) and tied for fourth in walks given up (98).
Remarkably enough, this was the first of five seasons for the 42-year-old flamethrower in a Texas Rangers uniform.
Ryan hung up his cleats after the 1993 campaign following a UCL tear in his throwing arm, ending his career at 46 years of age as the all-time MLB leader in strikeouts (5,714), walks allowed (2,795), and hits allowed per 9 innings (6.6).
Also, the Hall of Famer’s seven no-hitters are three clear of second place (Sandy Koufax, 4) for the most in Major League Baseball history.
1989 Donruss #208 Bo Jackson
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50
1989 marked the beginning of the iconic “Bo Knows” advertising campaign and also stands as Jackson’s best overall year on a baseball diamond.
With his popularity surging and celebrity at its undeniable peak, the Kansas City Royals outfielder made his first and only MLB All-Star Game appearance in 1989.
He dazzled during the showcase in Anaheim, picking up MVP honors thanks to a mammoth 448-foot first-inning home run off Rick Reuschel and a highlight-reel catch in left-center, which stole two RBIs away from slugger Pedro Guerrero.
Jackson finished fourth in the American League in home runs (32) and RBIs (105), ultimately finishing tenth in the A.L. MVP race, his only MVP placement during parts of eight MLB seasons.
Bo did finish first in the Majors in one category, striking out a whopping 171 times, tied for the tenth-most strikeouts by a right-handed batter since 1893.
His patience at the plate may have been lacking, but his defensive prowess during the 1989 MLB campaign dominated highlight packages.
1989 Donruss #42 Randy Johnson Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $45
As far as pitchers are concerned, they don't get much more dominant than Randy Johnson.
I used to love watching him pitch and pile up strikeout after strikeout.
His slider was one of the most devastating pitches the game will ever see and left many professional hitters looking helpless at the plate.
While not nearly as valuable as the Griffey Jr. rookie, Johnson's rookie still holds respectable value in top grade.
1989 Donruss #51 Cal Ripken Jr.
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $45
Cal Ripken Jr. was one of my favorite players to watch as a kid.
As the owner of the record for most consecutive games played, his dedication to the game was obvious.
And that's what I liked about him: he consistently brought his best day in and day out.
His rookie cards are some of the most expensive of the 1980s but his cards from other sets like this one won't set you back nearly as much.
1989 Donruss #74 Don Mattingly
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $45
Although he never quite put up Hall of Fame numbers, Don Mattingly was one of the most popular players of his era.
And his cards during the late '80s and early '90s were as hot as anyone's.
His 1989 Donruss card seems to have held up a bit better than his cards from some of the other sets of this time period for some reason.
It's not hugely expensive, but it's still a great-looking card as it features a great action shot of him mid-swing in his Yankee pinstripes.
1989 Donruss #128 Tony Gwynn
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $45
1989 Donruss #5 Robin Yount Diamond Kings
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40
1989 Donruss #6 Tony Gwynn Diamond Kings
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40
1989 Donruss #26 Don Mattingly Diamond Kings
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40
1989 Donruss #31 Gary Sheffield Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
Sheffield was a nine-time All-Star and an absolute force at the plate as he'd go on to belt 509 home runs over his career.
However, his connections with the BALCO PED scandal have tarnished his legacy like those of many other players of his era.
Even so, his 1989 Donruss rookie card remains a collector favorite but is only worth about $12 or so in high grade.
1989 Donruss #35 Greg Jefferies Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
1989 Donruss #55 Robin Yount
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
In a hotly-contested American League MVP race, the Milwaukee Brewers’ veteran outfielder narrowly beat out three other standouts for the trophy: Ruben Sierra, Cal Ripken Jr., and George Bell.
It was Yount’s second MVP award, seven years removed from taking home the honors as the Brewers’ starting shortstop in 1982.
Yount’s MVP triumph was a historic one. He became the third MLB player (at the time) to secure MVP awards at two different positions, following only Hank Greenberg and Stan Musial.
He also became the first American League player with multiple MVP campaigns since Mickey Mantle took home honors for the third (and last) time in 1962.
Yount did not lead the American League in any offensive category, but he did post an impressive .318/.384/.511 slash line, marking the highest on-base percentage of his career and his best batting average and slugging marks since his iconic 1982 MVP season.
Sixteen years into his MLB career, Yount headed into the offseason following the 1989 MLB campaign as a free agent with extra MVP clout.
Despite serious interest from the California Angels, Yount re-signed with the Brewers on a three-year, $9.6 million deal.
1989 Donruss #104 Dale Murphy
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
1989 Donruss #105 Ryne Sandberg
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
1989 Donruss #182 Kirby Puckett
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
1989 Donruss #193 Mike Schmidt
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
1989 Donruss #245 Rickey Henderson
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
During his first stint in Oakland from 1979-1984, Rickey Henderson received American League MVP votes four times, including a second-place finish in 1981.
However, Rickey’s brash personality rubbed many the wrong way, and he was traded to the New York Yankees following the 1984 season.
After four-and-a-half stellar campaigns in pinstripes, Henderson came back to Oakland on June 21st, 1989.
Traded for the trio of Luis Polonia, Greg Cadaret, and Eric Plunk, Henderson was absolutely electric in his return to the defending American League champs.
Henderson ended up leading the Majors with 113 runs scored and 77 stolen bases between his time with the Yankees and A’s while also pacing the American League with 129 walks.
His 8.7 WAR also topped the American League for position players, trailing only the Atlanta Braves’ Lonnie Smith (8.8) for the best mark in the MLB.
Most importantly, perhaps, Henderson was named ALCS MVP in the A’s five-game triumph over the Toronto Blue Jays after slashing .400/.609/1.000 with two home runs, five RBIs, seven walks, and eight steals.
He followed that up with a sterling .474/.524/.895 slash line against the Giants, swiping three bases and driving in three during the team’s championship sweep.
1989 Donruss #635 Curt Schilling Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
Had Schilling's career not gotten off to such a slow start, he'd likely be in the Hall of Fame.
And, you could probably still argue his case to be inducted since some of his stats are better than some pitchers who did make it into the Hall.
Regardless, Schilling left a legacy on the game for huge strikeout totals and postseason dominance.
When he paired up with Randy Johnson in Arizona and then Pedro Martinez in Boston, you were hard-pressed to find a better one-two punch.
His 1989 Donruss rookie card remains popular among collectors and still holds respectable value in PSA 10 condition.
1989 Donruss #643 Jose Canseco 40/40 Club
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
1989 Donruss #63 Ozzie Smith
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $30
1989 Donruss #68 Wade Boggs
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $30
1989 Donruss #92 Barry Bonds
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $30
1989 Donruss #204 George Brett
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $30
1989 Donruss #373 Greg Maddux
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $30
1989 Donruss #91 Jose Canseco
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25
1989 Donruss #95 Mark McGwire
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25
1989 Donruss #257 Barry Larkin
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25
1989 Donruss #561 Craig Biggio Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25
Few players have been as versatile as Craig Biggio was.
Whether he was at second base, in the outfield, or behind home plate, Biggio was an incredible defender.
And on offense he racked up a ton of hits, stole many bases and scored a lot of runs.
He was just a great all-around ball player.
When he surpassed the 3,000 career hit mark that solidified his well-earned spot in the Hall of Fame.
His rookie card may not be expensive but it's still very much one of the keys to own in this set.
1989 Donruss #642 John Smoltz Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25
Smoltz was a key to those amazing Atlanta pitching staffs of the 1990's that helped them dominate that decade.
I was always impressed how Smoltz dominated as a starter through the early part of his career, became a dominant reliever for a few years, and then went back to being a starter again.
That's not easy to do.
Clearly the guy knew how to pitch and his success eventually landed him a spot in the Hall of Fame.
His rookie card is one of the keys to this set but unfortunately is only worth about $12 or so in high grade.
1989 Donruss Baseball Cards In Review
I've always loved the 1989 Donruss set so writing this article was a great trip down memory lane.
Aside from the Griffey rookie, most of these cards can be had for a relatively low dollar figure.
But, like you saw, it will take them being professionally graded in gem mint condition to be worth much at all.
There were just too many of them printed during an era of over-saturation so their values have been severely impacted.
But, it's a great set, nonetheless.
Within the set were also several different subsets, including:
- All-Stars
- Checklists
- Diamond Kings
- MVPs
- Rated Rookies
If you grew up collecting these as a kid like I did, they'll likely always hold a huge nostalgic factor to them, if nothing else.