1998 Donruss Elite

Description

1998 Donruss Elite is a 150-card set released in March, 1998.

Distribution

18 packs per box, five cards per pack (MSRP: $3.99). Hobby only.

Insertion Ratios

Cards	Total Cards	Numbered To	Odds
Base	150	-	?
Aspirations	150	750	?
Status	150	100	?
Back to the Future	8	1400	?
Craftsmen	30	3500	?
Master Craftsmen	30	100	?
Prime Numbers	36	varies	?
Prime Numbers Die-Cut	36	varies	?
Back to the Future Autographs	7	100 or 200	?

Checklist

Base Set

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num, player, info FROM cards WHERE (year = 1998) AND (setname = 'Donruss Elite') AND (num < 118); </sql2wiki>

Generations

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num, player FROM cards WHERE (year = 1998) AND (setname = 'Donruss Elite') AND (num BETWEEN 118 AND 147); </sql2wiki>

Checklists

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num, player FROM cards WHERE (year = 1998) AND (setname = 'Donruss Elite') AND (num > 147); </sql2wiki>

Parallels

All 150 base cards are available in the following parallels.

• Aspirations (limited to 750 copies)
• Status (serial-numbered to 100 copies)

NOTE: Samples, serial-numbered "XXX/100" are known to exist. It's believed that these cards did not emerge until after Pinnacle Brands' 1998 bankruptcy.

Inserts

Back to the Future

Back to the Future is an eight-card, double-sided, set and features a top veteran and a new player. Each card is serial-numbered to 1500 copies with the first 100 autographed (see below).

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num, player, info FROM cards WHERE (year = 1998) AND (setname = 'Donruss Elite Back to the Future'); </sql2wiki>

Craftsmen

Each Craftsmen insert is serial-numbered to 3500 copies, with a "Master Craftsmen" parallel, serial-numbered to only 100 copies, also available. The Craftsmen cards have a blue-foil background, while the Master Craftsmen are red.

NOTE: Like with the Status parallels (see above) samples, serial-numbered "XXX/100" are known to exist. It's believed that these cards did not emerge until after Pinnacle Brands' 1998 bankruptcy.

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num, player, info FROM cards WHERE (year = 1998) AND (setname = 'Donruss Elite Craftsmen'); </sql2wiki>

Prime Numbers

Prime Numbers is a 36-card set featuring three cards each of 12 top players printed with three different numerical backgrounds (of which form a statistical benchmark when placed together). Each card is serial-numbered to each player's particular statistic, with a die-cut parallel also available. All three cards for each player are serial-numbered to the same statistic, which is the aggregate number of die-cut and non-die-cut cards. The production figures listed below are for the non-die-cut version.

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num, player, info, serial FROM cards WHERE (year = 1998) AND (setname = 'Donruss Elite Prime Numbers'); </sql2wiki>

Die-Cuts

For card "A" in each three-card sequence, the number of cards die-cut is equal to the value of the first digit multiplied by 100. "B" is equal to the middle-digit times ten. "C" die-cuts are equal to the value of the third digit.

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num, player, info, serial FROM cards WHERE (year = 1998) AND (setname = 'Donruss Elite Prime Numbers Die Cuts'); </sql2wiki>

Samples

To promote the upcoming 1998 Donruss Elite set, samples were created for all 36 Prime Numbers inserts and distributed one per dealer order form. The cards are identical to regular Prime Numbers inserts (see below) except for the large "SAMPLE" text running diagonally across the backs and lack of serial numbering. Unlike the Status and Master Craftsman samples, these were issued before the release of Donruss Elite -- like a conventional promo card.

Autographs

Back to the Future Autograph

This seven-card set is a parallel version of the the regular 1998 Donruss Elite Back to the Future insert set. The first 100 serial-numbered copies of each card were autographed by both players.

Cal Ripken, Jr. refused to sign card #1 with Paul Konerko. As a compromise, Ripken eventually signed 200 cards. One hundred special redemptions (rather bland black and white text-based cards) were issued for the Ripken card and randomly seeded into packs. In addition, lucky collectors that pulled one of the first 100 serial-numbered Back to the Future Konerko autograph cards could exchange it for a Ripken autograph AND still receive their Konerko autograph back, unmarked. The Ripken autograph is serial-numbered "XXX/200."

Card #6 does not exist in this set. Due to problems in obtaining Frank Thomas' autograph prior to the shipping deadline, the manufacturer was forced to insert into packs the first 100 serial-numbered cards of card #6 unsigned. It was then announced that any collector who pulled an unsigned 1-100 #6 could trade it for a special Frank Thomas autographed card (a basic 1998 Donruss Elite Thomas card, embossed with a special stamp and signed by Thomas on front). David Ortiz did not sign for this set.

Due to Pinnacle Brands' bankruptcy, the exchange program was abruptly halted in late 1998. Prior to this, the serial-numbered 1-100 Thomas/Ortiz cards traded for as much as $300. After this date, the premiums disappeared entirely.

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info,serial FROM cards WHERE (year = 1998) AND (setname = 'Donruss Elite Back to the Future Autographs'); </sql2wiki>

Donruss/Panini Elite
Pinnacle Brands Era: 1997 - 1998
Donruss-Playoff Era: 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005
Panini America Era: 2015 Panini Elite
Donruss Elite Extra Edition: 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2007 - 2008 - 2009 - 2010 - 2011
Panini Elite Extra Edition: 2012 - 2013 - 2014 - 2015 - 2016 - 2017 - 2018 - 2019 - 2020 - 2021 - 2022 - 2023