1991 Donruss Diamond Kings John Smiley #20
John Smiley · Donruss · Insert / Subset
Player
John Smiley
Set
1991 Donruss Diamond Kings
Year
1991
Card #
#20
Condition Grade
Estimated PSA 8 (NM-MT). Centering appears slightly heavy to the right (45/55). Corners show minor white touches typical of this high-gloss, ink-heavy set. Edges are relatively clean, and surface gloss appears intact with no visible scratches.
Category
Insert / Subset
Manufacturer
Donruss
Demand Level
Low/Niche. John Smiley was a solid 2-time All-Star, but he is not a Hall of Famer or a high-profile legend. Demand is limited to team collectors (Pirates) or hobbyists completing the 1991 Diamond Kings set.
Valuation
Raw (Ungraded) Value
$0.25 - $1.00
Graded Value
PSA 8: $8-12, PSA 9: $15-25, PSA 10: $45-60. Note: Grading costs significantly exceed the value for this specific player.
Comparable Sales
Recent eBay sales for raw copies of this card range from $0.50 to $1.50 including shipping. Bulk lots of the full 27-card Diamond King subset often sell for $5-10.
Description
A classic piece of 1990s baseball hobby history, this 1991 Donruss John Smiley Diamond Kings card features the iconic Dick Perez original artwork. The card depicts the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher in a vibrant, multi-layered color palette with the signature red splatter border design unique to the 1991 set. The card retains its original high-gloss finish and represents the pinnacle of the 'Junk Wax Era' artistic inserts.
Key Features
Features original artwork by renowned sports artist Dick Perez. Part of the highly collectible and nostalgically significant Diamond Kings subset that ran in Donruss products for decades.
Authenticity Indicators
Authentic. The card exhibits the correct dot-pattern lithography under magnification. The card stock is the standard 1991 Donruss grey-back cardstock. This card is not commonly counterfeited due to high production volumes.
Flaws to Note
Minor centering bias toward the right side. Small white tick on the bottom left corner. Red borders from this year are notorious for showing edge chipping, though this example looks better than average.
Selling Guide
Where to Sell
eBay (as a PWE/low-cost listing), COMC (Check Out My Cards) for long-term inventory, or as part of a bulk lot of 1991 Donruss cards.
Selling Tips
Do not grade this card; the grading fee will be roughly 20-30 times the card's raw value. Use 'PWE' (Plain White Envelope) shipping for $1.00 or less to make it attractive to set builders who only need this one card. Use keywords like 'Dick Perez Art' and 'Pittsburgh Pirates' in the title.