Your Favorite Donruss Sets from 1981-1991

[Troy Kirk]

1981 Donruss is my favorite by far from that group. Candy color border designs, Yogi Berra, variations, terrible collation if you bought them in packs back then, blurry photos, thin cardboard, unpredictability galore. Everyone was waiting for the new Fleer cards since they were the ones that brought down the Topps monopoly, but it was Donruss that put out the refreshingly different set. Not pieces of fine art, but a fun set all around. Now who will bring down the current Topps monopoly?

[Econteachert205]

I like 81, 84, 85,86,87 and 88. All time favorite is probably 87. So many rookies and second year stars.

[BearBailey]

1987 donruss, I probably bought and opened more 1987 donruss than any other product, I was cutting grass and using all of my money on cards, 11-14 a box. Great set love the borders, the rookies. I was and still am a huge donruss fan, diamond kings, elites.

[HRBAKER]

1984 by far

[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.

[Jason Carota]

Definitely 1987. Such a great design. I remember riding my bike to the store to by packs and packs of '87 Topps. They didn't stock Donruss often, but when they did, it seemed like a treat.

[scottbdoug]

Originally Posted by HRBAKER

1984 by far

I second this.