The 1987 Topps baseball card set was the 66th year Topps had produced baseball cards and featured 660 total cards issued in wax paper packs. Some key things to know about the 1987 Topps baseball card packs that were released that year:
The 1987 set featured all 26 major league teams from 1986 and included rookie cards for future all-stars like Johnny Damon, Mo Vaughn, and Juan González. The set also included traded players cards showing players with their new teams even if they had not yet played a game for that club. This added to the intrigue of the set for young collectors.
Inside each 1987 Topps baseball card wax paper pack, collectors would find five random cards with one of the cards featuring a player photograph and the other four being common player or manager/coach cards. The packs retailed for around $0.50-0.75 each depending on the local retailer. This allowed young collectors to purchase multiple packs to search for their favorite players or chase after elusive chase cards.
Inside each pack, there was also a blank white sheet called the “pinch hitter” card that was included to take up the space of what would have been a gum piece in older Topps sets before the removal of gum citing choking hazards. This pinch hitter card was essentially the same size as a normal card but had no image or stats printed on it.
One of the most coveted and valuable rookie cards in the 1987 Topps set was that of future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. debuting as an 18-year old for the Seattle Mariners. Griffey’s rookie card showed him turning and looking back over his shoulder. Only appearing in packs at about a 1 in 10 box ratio, Griffey’s rookie quickly became one of the most sought after cards by collectors. PSA 10 Mint copies of this card now sell for thousands of dollars.
Other key rookie cards in 1987 Topps included skateboarding pitcher Bret Saberhagen’s final rookie from the Kansas City Royals, Kevin Mitchell’s debut for the San Francisco Giants, and catcher Ivan Rodriguez’s first card as a 19-year old for the Texas Rangers. These three players would go on to have Hall of Fame caliber careers making their rookie cards quite valuable today, especially in high grades.
The 1987 Topps set had several unique reverse negative printing errors that fascinate error card collectors to this day. Negative printed cards were essentially printed out of register with the photo appearing in reverse tone on the card. Some of the more notable reverse negative errors include cards for Steve Sax, Bob Horner, and Eddie Murray. These misprints can sell for much more than a standard card.
Beyond the player cards, the 1987 Topps set included various oddball parallel subsets that added to the allure and expanded the amount of cards. These included an NBC Late Night insert set featuring Johnny Carson and host Jay Leno, Topps Traded cards showing interleague trades from that season, an All-Star Cameo subset, and Team Leaders/Award Winners parallels as well.
To commemorate Jackie Robinson breaking the MLB color barrier, Topps included a special 6-card photo montage tribute insert set within 1987 packs. This helped educate and pay respect to younger collectors about Robinson’s impact on integrating professional baseball. Other popular inserts included Sandy Koufax’s retirement, Roger Clemens’ 20 strikeout game, and Nolan Ryan’s 5000th strikeout.
In the late 1980s, the trading card market was booming with the combination of the rise of the MLB and increased discretionary spending amongst children and teenagers. This created massive popularity for sets like 1987 Topps which showcased the biggest stars of that era like Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, Rickey Henderson, and Ozzie Smith on the front of packs. Kids ripped open thousands upon thousands of these packs to build and trade their collections.
While production numbers for the 1987 Topps series are not definitively published, industry experts estimate around 60 million total cards were printed based on sales figures shared over the decades. This massive print run met demand but also explains why most common cards hold little monetary value today outside of high grades. The historical significance and popularity of the late 80s sets still draws collectors and investors to chase key rookie and parallel cards.
In the end, the 1987 Topps baseball card set beautifully captured that magical season on the diamond. For children of the era, eagerly tearing open those iconic green, red, and white Topps packs to build their collections created lifelong memories and helped fuel a multi-billion dollar industry. Even with the simple cards inside, the mystique of what players might be found inside added so much charm and excitement for baseball during the heyday of the trading card boom.
