The Monkees
Donruss released their A, B, and C series of Monkees trading cards starting in 1967. There were 44 cards in each series, for a total
of 132.
Donruss had had so much success with their initial Monkees (sepia-toned) card set that they decided to crank out no less than three more, this time with color photos. The Pre-Fab Four were after all immensely popular with young people, and their hit records could be found throughout the charts in 1967.
The card fronts feature a color photo still from the series. The first, 'A' series cards have a white border with a black panel at the bottom that offers the Monkees logo, the card number, the line 'Collect All 44 Cards,' and the copyright matter. The B series cards have yellow borders and a red panel at the bottom. The C series have white borders, but ornate pink or blue frame lines surrounding the image.
The card backs consist mainly of puzzle pieces, but also a variety of text pieces, from trivia questions about the band, to listings of concert dates, to facts about each member.
Note: The boxes for these sets are easily differentiated. The A series came in a box with a prominent label marked '2nd Series' (the first series being the sepia-toned cards, after all); the B series box was marked '3rd Series,' and the C series box was labeled 'More Monkees.'
Value: Individual cards from each of these sets can be had for about $1.50 to $2.00 each; a full set of any of the series can be purchased for about $75.00 to $100.00 each.