2001 Donruss Anniversary Originals

[onionring9]

7guns showed me this card that I had not seen before. I located one online, did some research and I'm at a loss.

From what I've collected, these cards are like buybacks in a sense. Donruss had the cards, graded them but graded them with the '02 Donruss Anniv. Originals tag and then inserted them in as box toppers.

Now the question I have is: If you bust it out of the case, is there any way to tell it apart from the other 1990 Donruss cards.

This card is not listed in Beckett, I can see no stamps, and I can see no difference from the base card.

Pics below:
1) '01 Donruss Origianls
2) '90 version

 

[magicpapa]

im pretty sure just the 01 Donruss Anniv. Originals tag

 

[onionring9]

You'd think they'd stamp the card itself or something!

 

[subject to change]

Beyond the tag on the BGS slab, there is nothing distinguishing these cards from any other card. Still, they were a nice box topper in what is still one of my favorite products of all time.

 

[onionring9]

Thanks for the help!

 

[7guns]

Thanks all

 

[Big Mac McGwire]

the 90' Donruss look better autographed

 

[theplasticman]

What a random way to do it... had always wondering what those were exactly.

 

[matchpenalty]

man that is weak

 

[1st4040]

I've seen a 1989 Donruss Grand Slammer Jose Canseco from this set slabbed this way.. at first I thought someone was actually not bright enough to realize that card slabbed was still worth penny's but then realized it was me who wasn't smart enough to know they were packed in Donruss product that way. so it leaves me still needing to pick it up.

 

[Junior Griffey]

It was kind of dumb that they didn't stamp them or do anything other than grade them, but why would they think anyone would crack them out of the cases? 2001 Donruss was a great set....what a fun box that was to open.

 

[boomo]

2001 donruss may have been one of the greatest rips ever at the time. some of the stuff may not sell like it did then, but you could really clean up on some of the low #ed stat line cards. Those box toppers were something. They were either a random donruss graded card, and some of them were horrendous, or a nice buyback auto. ichiro and puje had a lot of nice rookies and parallel in it. There were some great patch and auto cards too. I havent seen a case of it in at least 5 years.

 

[gracecollector]

I've always debated, for my player collection, if I should pick up one of every grade. But the Grace's I've seen offered over the years have never been higher than an 8, and most are 7.0's or 7.5's, so kind of lame. I only picked up one of each of the two versions I've seen.

 

[trevordchi]

So they took absolutely worthless cards in poor condition, graded them, and stuck them in boxes as "hits".

Sounds like a brilliant idea.

Where is the rolling eyes smiley when we need one?

 

[gracecollector]

2001 donruss may have been one of the greatest rips ever at the time. some of the stuff may not sell like it did then, but you could really clean up on some of the low #ed stat line cards. Those box toppers were something. They were either a random donruss graded card, and some of them were horrendous, or a nice buyback auto. ichiro and puje had a lot of nice rookies and parallel in it. There were some great patch and auto cards too. I havent seen a case of it in at least 5 years.

Remember how weird it was to bust? It had the wrapped pack inside the pack, with the "Donruss Lost Year" cards in the inside pack. You got either a 1999 or 2000 Donruss card, to make up for the "Lost Years" of the Donruss bankruptcy. It was a weird product all the way around, but kind of entertaining. And you are right about player collectors being hungry to buy all those numbered parallels!

 

[magicpapa]

and the 1 card pack of 2000 retro

 

[subject to change]

For those questioning why there was no stamping or other notation indicating they're buybacks, keep in mind this was 2001. The card industry was vastly different then. Just getting a graded card in the box was a pretty big deal as I remember.

It was an amazing product, and I loved the pack within a pack idea. Boxes has a crazy number of hits...you could easily pull 7-10 numbered cards out of the 24 pack box. Some younger board members may not believe me, but there was actually a time when pulling a numbered card was considered a 'hit.' :lol:

 

[TheSportsCardFile]

This was a last minute addition to the 2001 Donruss product. At that the time, their staff had no idea about the need for "marking" the card as to create differentation between the regular version of the cards in circulation. The funny part is that a member of their upper management team at the time thought that the poor grades would not detract from the value of the graded/slabbed cards.

 

[onionring9]

Now you guys have me curious how many different McGwire variations they put in that product!

 

[walter55]

I am pretty sure that some players had autographed versions as well. Glavine and Schilling are 2 I am almost positive I have seen before.