1988 Donruss Baseball Forum

I see in the Trivia for the set that there are differences in the patterns for this set- and since I was just going through a huge stack I was given, I have discovered that I have one different that the card scanned.

Which version is which? Specifically, I'm looking at the Dave LaPoint card, #552. The card scanned has the black border pattern on the top right and bottom left, while mine has the black on the top left and bottom right. Luckily, this card came up pretty early in the stack- third card in- considering that the stack is probably about 300 cards high, at least.

I can't seem to find where it says which version comes from the factory set and which were pack pulled- and I can't seem to find a listing for the factory set parallel. Based on the sample image I'm guessing I have the factory set version, but I really have no idea.

I'm way out of my knowledge range here but I want to properly document which version I have.

If the entire set is different, that should be listed as a parallel, and I'm sure it probably is...somewhere...I just don't know what I should be looking for.

Thanks in advance!

This is the first time I've ever heard about a factory-set variation/parallel for this set! With no extra info listed in the Trivia, I certainly can't help you right now. I'll have to look into this, unless someone else has more info and posts here soon.

Are the backs on yours all oriented the same?  I know at least one Donruss set rotated the horizontal back different in wax and factory.  I can't remember if 1988 was one of those.

Backs are the same. I can't believe no one knows the difference in these? 

All of mine from that set are pretty much guaranteed to be pack-pulled cards by now. I just always thought the black portion of the borders was based on the sheets as they printed them. If the 1st card in the sheet was black on the top-left and bottom-right, the next card would be bottom-left and top-right and the 3rd card would have the same border as the 1st card in that row. Card #4 (aka 1st card in Row #2) would be top-right and bottom-left, and so on.

That's logical...but it doesn't explain how the copy of the card I have is different from the one scanned, exact opposite in fact. Considering how baseball oriented this site and all card sites are, I'm sure somebody has to know for sure!

One possibility: Common parts of the cards such as borders can be printed separately.   Less work than creating borders on every single card's plates. Full sheets with just borders can be printed and then reloaded to have the players printed on them.  And if the border sheets aren't symmetrical they can be loaded "upside-down".  Giving cards an opposite border.

Donruss is notorious for having differences in the border patterns. 1990 is the same way with the "paint" splotches along the sides. Some cards have been seen with differences. (Of course, in 1990, they had several different printings due to all the mistakes in the set.) 1988 had the BC insert set, that used the same design but was only in packs. 26 does not go into 100, 110, or 132 evenly (all counts were used for sheets back in the day) and 686 (660 + 26) does not work with any of these. There were 25 documented short-printed cards. Who knows how they configured their sheets. I would love to see their uncut sheets!

I just looked at my 88 Donruss Baseball factory set. The borders switch every other card, as Spazmatastic said, with the borders matching the cards on ethier side. #51 Roger Clemens has blue on the top right corner and #52 Pat Clements has a blue top left corner. I have another single Clemens, which I'm sure is pack pulled, and the border is opposite, blue on the top left. It looks like there is a variation.

So...somebody who has both copies will need to figure out which cards have variations in the factory set...possibly they all do, although I would imagine many will match the pack versions. We need to get that documented...for now I'll hold off on listing the ones I got. Not making it easy here, Donruss!  If we list the minute details as the 1 or 2 star backs on Topps football cards, we need to document major variations like this as well.