The 1987 Topps baseball card set marked Topps’ 40th anniversary of making baseball cards and featured several rookie cards and players that would go on to have Hall of Fame careers. While not the most valuable set ever produced, it does contain some gems that have appreciated significantly in value over the past 35 years. Let’s take a closer look at some of the 1987 Topps baseball cards that are considered the most valuable from the set today.
Perhaps the most well-known and valuable 1987 Topps rookie card is card number 329, Ken Griffey Jr. Widely considered one of the greatest five-tool players of all-time, Griffey had a rookie year for the ages in 1987 with the Seattle Mariners. He hit .284 with 24 home runs and 61 RBI in just 109 games to finish third in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Griffey would go on to have a legendary 22-year career that ended with 630 career home runs, putting him within reach of Barry Bonds on the all-time list. The Griffey rookie in Near Mint to Mint condition can fetch upwards of $2,000 currently. Pristine Mint condition examples with a grade of Gem Mint 10 from services like PSA have even sold for over $10,000.
Another extremely valuable 1987 rookie card is number 360, Frank Thomas. “The Big Hurt” debuted with the Chicago White Sox in 1990 after three seasons in the minors and quickly established himself as one of the premier sluggers of his generation. Thomas would hit .301 with 448 home runs and 1,704 RBI over his 19-year career, winning back-to-back AL MVP awards in 1993-1994. High graded PSA 10 Thomas rookie cards have sold for over $5,000 in recent years, with NM-MT copies selling in the $500 range.
While not rookies, the 1987 Update Series parallel cards of Hall of Famers Cal Ripken Jr. and Wade Boggs are also considered premier cards from the set. Ripken and Boggs were already established stars by 1987 but their Update parallels introduced color and photography to their base cards. A PSA 10 Ripken Update parallel recently sold for nearly $2,000 while a Boggs fetched $750. Even well-centred Near Mint copies can sell for $100-200 each.
The 1987 Topps set also marked rookie seasons for future Hall of Famers Barry Larkin, Tom Glavine, and Greg Maddux. Larkin’s card #419 has gained value in recent years as his Hall of Fame induction brought renewed attention to his rookie season with the Reds where he hit .300 in 69 games. A PSA 10 Larkin rookie recently sold for over $1,000. Glavine and Maddux, teammates on the Atlanta Braves, became one of the most dominant starting pitcher duos of all-time. Their rookie cards #528 (Glavine) and #518 (Maddux) in PSA 10 condition can each sell for $500-800. Even well-centered Near Mint copies trade in the $50-100 range.
And finally, no discussion of valuable cards from the 1987 Topps set would be complete without mentioning the superstar shortstops of the late 1980s, card #1 Ozzie Smith and #336 Ryne Sandberg. “The Wizard” Ozzie Smith anchored the St. Louis Cardinals defense for 19 seasons and his electrifying play in the field revolutionized the defensive standards at shortstop. Sandberg formed one of the best doubles partnerships ever with Andre Dawson on the Chicago Cubs and twice won NL MVP awards. High graded examples of their key cards from 1987 in PSA 10 can each still fetch over $1,000. Even well-preserved Near Mint copies sell in the $150-300 range.
While the 1987 Topps baseball card set isn’t necessarily the most iconic or valuable in the hobby compared to the classic 1952, 1956, or 1969 issues, it does contain the rookie gems of future all-time greats like Griffey, Thomas, Larkin, Glavine, and Maddux that have grown significantly in value as their careers have cemented their Hall of Fame legacies. Pairing desirable rookie cards with stars of the day like Smith, Sandberg, Ripken, and Boggs make the 1987 set one that any serious collector should appreciate, especially while prices are still affordable compared to cards from prior decades. Carefully preserved high grade examples could yield strong returns for investors in the coming years.
