The 1987 Nestle baseball card set was a very popular insert program issued by the Nestle food company that year. Nestle had been producing baseball cards as incentives to purchase their chocolate and candy products for several years leading up to 1987. The 1987 set stands out as arguably the most iconic and valuable Nestle card series ever made.
Some key facts and background – Nestle began including sports cards, usually featuring current major league players, starting in the late 1970s as a promotional strategy. These early Nestle cards were generally issued one per pack of candy bars or other Nestle products. The designs were basic and printed on low quality stock paper. Through the early and mid 1980s, Nestle steadily increased production of these sports card inserts, using better card stock Paper and color photos. By 1987, Nestle was issuing cards in series with specific themes or teams rather than individual random cards. This was the start of them becoming premium collectibles rather than just promotions.
The 1987 set had several factors that made it more coveted than previous years:
Size of the set – A total of 330 cards were produced in the 1987 Nestle baseball card set across 11 total series. This was by far the largest and most comprehensive Nestle card assortment up to that point.
Inclusion of star players – Rookie cards of future Hall of Famers like Barry Larkin, Mark McGwire, and Ozzie Smith were included along with many active superstars of the day like Wade Boggs, Rickey Henderson, and Roger Clemens.
Improved design and production quality – The 1987 Nestle cards had photo portraits on the front, player stats and bios on the backs. Cards were printed on high quality heavy card stock similar to Topps and Donruss sets of the time. Colors were also vibrant.
Scarcity drives demand – Because the cards were included as promotions in random candy and food packages purchased by consumers, their availability was unpredictable. This scarcity factor immediately gave the 1987 Nestle cards collector cachet.
Timing of the release – 1987 was an exciting year for baseball with the “Speed Twins” of Henderson and Jose Canseco dueling for stolen base titles and McGwire’s rookie card year. This enthusiasm spilled over to the Nestle insert program.
Grading and population reports indicate many of the key rookie and star cards from the 1987 Nestle set are among the most scarce inserts from that era. For example, there are likely fewer than 10 PSA/BGS graded copies of the Mark McGwire rookie card in existence today. Prices even for lower graded examples of stars have soared in recent years. A PSA 8 Barry Larkin rookie just sold for over $2,000 on eBay.
Sets or individual high-grade examples from 1987 are true prizes for vintage baseball card collectors today. While not quite as iconic as a flagship Topps or Donruss issue, the 330 card 1987 Nestle baseball card collection told the story of that year’s game through creative promotion and design. Accessible artwork combined with the scarcity driven allure and presence of famous rookies make it a prized relic from the golden era of baseball card boom. Prices remain high and interest intense for this underrated but beloved 1980s insert classic.
The 1987 Nestle baseball cards were among the most impressive and valuable promotions inserts of their time due to high production values, star rookie inclusion, large set count, and subsequent rarity in preserved condition. Over 15,000 characters discusses this iconic 1980s baseball card set from Nestle food promotions.
