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Set Review · 1989 Donruss

1989 Donruss #33: Ken Griffey Jr.'s Rated Rookie

1989 Donruss #33 is Ken Griffey Jr.'s Rated Rookie — the most affordable of his core 1989 rookies to find, and one of the hardest to find sharp. How the set is built, what to check, and how to buy it.

The 1989 Donruss #33 is Ken Griffey Jr.’s Rated Rookie — the Donruss subset that flagged the year’s top young players. It’s usually the easiest of his core 1989 rookies to find, which makes it the classic first Griffey for new collectors. The catch is condition: this is a card that’s easy to own and hard to own sharp.

The set in brief

1989 Donruss is a 660-card set. The Rated Rookies subset runs from #28 to #47, following the Diamond Kings subset at the front of the checklist, and Griffey sits at #33. The design frames each photo with dark side borders — attractive, and unforgiving of wear.

Source: 1989 Donruss at Baseball Card Pedia and Old Sports Cards’ 1989 Donruss guide, which agree on the 660-card count, the Rated Rookies subset and the dark borders’ tendency to show chipping.

Why the borders matter

The dark borders are the whole condition story on this card. Edge chipping and corner wear stand out against them in a way they don’t on a white-bordered card, so:

  1. Look at all four edges in full-size photos, front and back.
  2. Check the corners — a soft corner shows clearly against the dark frame.
  3. Measure centering with the card centering calculator. Borders that are uneven left-to-right are easy to spot on this design.

If you’re weighing whether to grade a raw copy, the PSA 10 vs raw guide covers how edges and centering decide the grade, and the grading ROI calculator helps you check whether a submission makes sense.

The other 1989 Donruss Griffey cards

Donruss also put Griffey into two boxed sets the same year:

  • 1989 Donruss The Rookies #3 — a boxed set of the year’s rookies.
  • 1989 Donruss Baseball’s Best #192 — a boxed set of the year’s top players.

They aren’t the #33 Rated Rookie and shouldn’t be priced like it, but they’re genuine 1989 Griffey cards and a natural next step once you have #33. See the 1989 Tiffany and oddball cards guide for these and the other boxed-set issues from his rookie year.

Card numbers: Old Sports Cards, CGC and Baseball Almanac agree on #33, The Rookies #3 and Baseball’s Best #192.

Where #33 fits among his rookies

Griffey’s six core 1989 rookies are the Upper Deck #1, the Bowman #220, this Donruss #33, the Fleer #548, the Topps Traded #41T and the Score Rookie/Traded #100T. Donruss #33 is the one most people can afford to start with — and the one that teaches you the most about condition. All six have their own eBay rails in the rookie cards guide.

How to buy the right copy

  • Starter: a raw #33 — there’s one on Amazon here: 1989 Donruss #33 Ken Griffey Jr. Rated Rookie. Put it straight into a sleeve and top loader.
  • Keeper: a graded copy with the certification number visible in the photos.
  • Before paying for either, look at what the exact card and grade have actually sold for. The Ken Griffey Jr. card value checker opens eBay’s own sold listings for you; it doesn’t price your card, it shows you the market. The card values guide explains the method.

Where to go next

Live listings for #33, its graded copies and the two boxed-set cards open from the eBay rails below. From there:

Find this card on eBay

Singles from this set trade on eBay, not Amazon — these open live listings for each version. Read the recent sold comps for the exact parallel and grade before you pay.

Donruss #33 (all) PSA 10 copies Donruss The Rookies #3 Baseball's Best #192

Browse every live “Ken Griffey Jr 1989 Donruss #33 Rated Rookie” listing on eBay →

Where to Buy This Set

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Ken Griffey Jr. 1989 Donruss card number?
#33. It's part of the set's Rated Rookies subset, so the front carries the Rated Rookie banner. It is one of the six cards collectors treat as his core 1989 rookies.
Why is a high-grade 1989 Donruss Griffey hard to find?
The 1989 Donruss design uses dark side borders, and dark borders show every chip and nick along the edges. Copies that look fine at arm's length often show edge wear up close, which holds back their grades. Check the edges in full-size photos before you buy.
Are there other 1989 Donruss Griffey cards?
Yes. Donruss also issued two boxed sets that year with Griffey cards: 1989 Donruss The Rookies (#3) and 1989 Donruss Baseball's Best (#192). They're separate products from the base set and trade separately from the #33 Rated Rookie.
Should I buy 1989 Donruss #33 raw or graded?
Raw is the cheapest way into a rookie-year Griffey and a fine starter card. For a keeper, buy it graded and match the certification number to the photos — edge wear on this design is easy to hide in a raw listing photo.