The 1987 Topps baseball card set is one of the most iconic releases in the hobby’s history. While it may not be the most valuable set overall, it features several highly sought after rare and short printed cards that attract immense interest from collectors. The 1987 design is among Topps’ most recognizable, with players photographed against a solid color background from head to toe. Its retro and bold style is beloved by collectors to this day.
One of the true gems from the 1987 set is the infamous Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. Griffey was one of the most hyped prospects in baseball and living up to expectations with a phenomenal MLB debut in 1987 with the Seattle Mariners. Naturally, his Topps rookie has become the crown jewel of the set. Only about 100-200 of these precious cards were printed with the correct Photo Variation, making it among the rarest modern rookie cards in existence. In pristine Gem Mint 10 condition, Griffey rookies have smashed auction records, selling for well over $100,000. Even well-centered near-mint copies still demand thousands.
Another super short print and possibly the single rarest card in the set is the Darryl Strawberry photo variation. Only about a dozen are known to exist of the variation that shows Strawberry from the knees up in a Mets uniform. In the standard photo, he is shown from head to toe. This may be the holy grail for 1987 collectors due to its astounding rarity. Even well-worn low-grade copies would be worth a small fortune to those few completionists who managed to track one down.
Bret Saberhagen also has one of the more valuable rookie cards from the set. The Cardinals’ prospect photographed for Topps in 1987 before being traded to the Royals. His rookie is not quite on the level of Griffey for rarity but is still very tough to acquire in high grade. Near-mint examples can reach $1,000 and up. Graded mint copies have crossed the $3,000 mark before. Like Griffey, Saberhagen lived up to expectations with multiple Cy Young awards and would remain a star for over a decade.
Not all the valuable 1987 Topps cards necessarily feature the games’ future legends, however. Jose Canseco’s card may surprise some as an expensive copy for a player who had character issues and PED controversies later in his career. But in 1987, Canseco was the freshly minted AL Rookie of the Year and had just led the league in home runs. Near-mint examples have still cleared six figures, a testament to his prominence that year. Canseco’s card could be seen as the 1987 reverse rookie of Mark McGwire, coveted not just for historic significance but also for aesthetic charm with its eye-catching yellow and black A’s uniform design.
Staying on the Athletics, the 1987 Topps set also featured solid short prints of sluggers like Mark McGwire and Walt Weiss that have appreciation over the decades. Other valuable but more reasonably-priced stars included rookie cards of Tom Glavine, Gregg Olson, and Chad Kreuter that can frequently be found in the $200-600 range in high grade. Turning to veterans, Nolan Ryan and Cal Ripken Jr. also had popular issue cards that hold their value well thanks to the players’ consistent excellence and iconic status in the game.
While the 1986 and 1989 Topps sets may have eclipsed it overall due to bigger stars and more numerous valuable short prints, the 1987 edition endures due to its signature design, strong rookie class, and handful of unprecedented rare photo variations that continue to excite collectors. With Griffey, Strawberry, and others, it firmly holds a place as one of the all-time classic and collectible releases from a golden era of Topps baseball cards. Condition-sensitive and elusive, its prize cards remain at the top of many want lists for enfranchised collectors of the vintage period.
