The 1987 Topps baseball card set was the 66th annual issue from Topps and was released at the beginning of the 1987 Major League Baseball season. Some key things to know about the 1987 Topps set include:
Set Details:
The 1987 Topps set included 792 total cards issued in wax packs. The base set consisted of 660 cards numbered 1-660. There were 99 rookie cards and 33 manager/coach cards for a total checklist of 792 different players and personnel featured. Some of the rookies included included Mark Grace, David Justice, Sid Fernandez, Gregg Olson and Tom Gordon. Notable managers included Roger Craig of the San Francisco Giants and Whitey Herzog of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Design:
The design of the 1987 Topps cards was a marked departure from previous years. Gone was the traditional rectangular border and white backdrop. Instead, Topps employed a distinct watercolor team logo painting on each card that spilled over the edges. Below this graphic, was the player’s name, position, and team name centered below. The watercolor theme continued on the back of each card as a similar painted graphic was used as the background. Player stats and a career summary were printed over this painted design. Many collectors consider the 1987 design one of the most visually appealing of all-time due to the creative use of color and graphics.
Notable Rarities:
While the base set had widespread distribution through packs, a few specialty parallel sets and inserts provided some chase cards for collectors. These included:
Glossy Sendbacks: Insert cards featuring current players that could be mailed back to Topps for an autographed and glossy upgrade. Extremely rare today.
Traded Set: 30 cards featuring players who were traded in June 1987. Limited print run.
Errata Cards: Corrections for mistakes/misspellings on some base cards. Very scarce.
Test Issue Cards: Extreme protoypes featuring different colors/designs. A few are known to exist.
Black Back Variations: Some cards had black ink on the reverse instead of the painted design. Oddity.
Player Features:
The 1987 Topps set provided early rookie cards or career-highlight portraits for many superstar players including:
Roger Clemens, Red Sox – In his magical 24-win 1986 season for the World Series champions.
Dwight Gooden, Mets – Still early in his dominant career at just 22 years old.
Ozzie Smith, Cardinals – Perhaps the best defensive shortstop ever at the peak of his glove skills.
Wade Boggs, Red Sox – Fresh off his third consecutive batting title.
Jose Canseco, Athletics – The first 40-40 player in MLB history during his Rookie of the Year 1986 campaign.
Don Mattingly, Yankees – Arguably a future Hall of Famer in his prime as the club’s captain.
Fernando Valenzuela, Dodgers – Still recalled his electric rookie season years before this issue.
1987 Season:
The 1987 Major League Baseball season itself was one remembered for some pennant race drama and World Series heroics. The St. Louis Cardinals edged the Mets by just 3 games to win the National League East. The Minnesota Twins defeated the Detroit Tigers in seven games to claim the American League crown. But it was the Cardinals over the Minnesota Twins in seven games for the Fall Classic, highlighted by a dramatic 10th inning walk-off home run by rookie catcher Tom Niedenfuer in Game 7. That championship moment for St. Louis is still considered one of the most memorable in World Series history.
Grading and Values:
With such widespread distribution 30+ years ago, most 1987 Topps cards in near-mint to mint condition can be acquired relatively affordably, in the $1-5 range on the secondary market currently. Graded gems and crucial rookie cards of future Hall of Famers have increased in value significantly. PSA/BGS 10 examples of Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, or Greg Maddux can fetch $50-100. BGS/PSA 9+ copies of Jose Canseco or Mark Grace rookies trade between $25-75. And the tough Glossy Sendbacks or Traded cards in high grade bring over $100 routinely when they surface from time to time. The 1987 Topps set remains a very obtainable and nostalgic release for collectors, providing a excellent snapshot of stars from baseball’s late 1980’s era.
The 1987 Topps baseball card set was a creative departure in design that featured some of the game’s biggest stars and future Hall of Famers. While the base cards remain relatively affordable investments today, the chase parallels and crucial rookie cards of stars have increased in worth. The painted watercolor team fronts are still fondly remembered by collectors as a unique graphical treatment. And the set serves as a memento from a season that delivered October drama and a classic World Series. The 1987 Topps release remains both historically significant and a fun set for enthusiasts to pursue.
