Your Favorite Donruss Sets from 1981-1991

[mrmopar]

I have always really like 83 Donruss and would vote it #1. It was the first year that I bought them in packs in any quantity as it was not that hard to find them and I enjoyed a new level of quality that 81/82 didn't have. The photos were much better, sharp/crisp and there were some nice action cards. 83 also introduced us, although in a much more boring and plain way than subsequent years, to the rated rookie designation that would become a very popular subset for many years to follow.

I also like the next 4 years worth of design (84-87), but I think a big part of liking 84-86 was more because they were impossible to find retail (especially 84-85) and it wasn't until much later (aside from getting a factory set like I did each year) that I even had any amount of 84 singles.

I could take or leave the remaining 6 years, mostly because 81-82 were just poor quality and 88-91 were overproduced and had designs that I don't much care for at all.

Here are 5 that really stick out in my mind, not necessarily for the player selection, but just how the card itself looks to me. I could pick the top rookie from each set, but those cards didn't always appeal to me.