The 1987 Topps baseball card set contains 792 total cards and is widely considered one of the most iconic releases from the sports card giant’s decades-spanning run producing baseball cards. With its mixture of iconic players, fun variations, and impactful rookie cards, the 1987 Topps offering remains a coveted set for collectors.
Some key details and highlights about the 1987 Topps set include:
Roster: The full 792-card checklist featured every Major League team and player from the 1986 season. This included Hall of Famers like Nolan Ryan, Reggie Jackson, and Ozzie Smith as well as young stars like Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, and Rickey Henderson.
Design: Topps switched to a vertical card format beginning with the 1987 set. The design featured a player photo centered above the team name and position. Statistics were located on the reverse. Color was used more sparingly compared to prior years.
Variations: Topps produced several chase cards through photo and statistical variations. Notable ones included ‘Traded’ cards showing players on their new 1987 teams and ‘Record Breaker’ parallel cards highlighting notable single-season achievements.
Rookies: Future Hall of Famers Barry Larkin, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz had their rookie cards in the 1987 Topps set. Other impact rookies included Mark McGwire, Greg Maddux, and Tim Raines. These cards have become highly valuable over time.
Short Prints: Topps significantly reduced the print run on select cards, making them markedly rarer within the overall checklist. Notable short prints from 1987 Topps include Ozzie Smith, Roger Clemens, and Nolan Ryan. These scarce variants can fetch premium prices.
Promos: Topps inserted promotional cards highlighting the Kellogg’s and Texas Rangers organizations within factory sets. These off-checklist inserts have become extremely rare and valuable today.
Design variations: Some cards saw subtle differences in design details like uniform colors, backgrounds, or statistics. For example, Wade Boggs cards show him with both the Red Sox and Yankees uniforms within the set.
The 1987 Topps release was the final card set produced before the 1980s expansion era ended. It effectively bridged the gap between that high-growth period and the more mature baseball card market of the 1990s. Strong rookie card player selection and iconic veterans made it a hit release.
Over time, the 1987 Topps cards have become incredibly nostalgic and desirable for collectors, especially as the talented rookies blossomed into legends. Examples of marquee Hall of Fame talents like Larkin, Glavine, and Smoltz are highly sought after today in pristine conditioned to commemorate their careers. Short prints of stars and minor design quirks add complexity.
When combined with the vertical card formatting switching things up aesthetically from prior years, the 1987 Topps set possesses universal appeal for both vintage collectors and investors eyeing proven assets. Strong connections to 1980s baseball culture and the emergence of all-time great talents keep the cards relevant decades later. This confluence of impactful players, historic context, and collecting DNA is why 1987 Topps remains such an engrossing part of the baseball card multi-verse over 35 years on.
