Going back to Donruss’ baseball beginnings, I always ranked them near the bottom as far as card brands. Though I like specific sets (1984) and others give off nostalgia vibes (1981, 1982, 1985), Donruss had the knack for creating some of my least favorites ever (1986, 1991, 1992).
But Donruss did one thing better than any other baseball card company and it did it for 14 years straight. Can you tell what it is from the picture?
Here is another hint:
It is not on this card.
This is where it ended, with 1995 Donruss, though it could have easily continued the tradition even if it had to foil it up.
Donruss would not do what it did best for the next couple of years and then disappeared.
The back of the 1995 Donruss card also shows what collectors had to deal with from that point forward, especially in the late ’90s — trying to figure out when the set was issued (oops, I just gave you the answer). In this case, the stats are nice-and-readable so it’s not that difficult. But if you wanted to be extra sure and check the tiny, tiny copyright date, you’d be led astray. The copyright reads “1994”.
That’s why Donruss putting the year on the front for 14 straight years was absolutely the best.
Wish every card company did that.
(I’m sure I’ve written about this before. Also, Donruss returned to the practice when it re-emerged in 2001).