The Monkees
Donruss released their card set devoted to the Monkees in 1966. There were 44 cards in the set.
The Monkees was planned as a TV series that would create a musical group starring in their own weekly, wacky show, creating their own hit records, and otherwise appealing to contemporary youth audiences. Four talented young guys were hired - Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith, Davy Jones, and Peter Tork - and the series premiered in September of 1966. Kids loved it, and the band went on to sell over 50 million records and mucho merchandise.
The card fronts feature a sepia-toned publicity photograph of the group or one of its members; the cards with single band members also feature a facsimile autographed superimposed. There is also a small red Monkees logo superimposed on the photo. The card has white borders, with the card number, the d 'Collect all 44 cards,' and the copyright matter at the bottom. The backs are all puzzle pieces.
Note: This card set was successful enough that Donruss followed it up with no less than 3 more sets, these with full-color photos, as well as a set of Monkees Badges stickers. Even Topps released a set of Monkees Flip Movies. The subsequent Donruss color sets are referred to as A, B, and C sets due to their numbering. This set is in fact often referred to as the 'sepia set' to differentiate it from the others.
Value: Individual cards in this set can usually be found for around $2.00 each, with a full set commanding a price of about $100.00 or less, in Excellent condition.