The 1987 Topps Tiffany baseball cards represent one of the rarest and most valuable sets in the hobby. While the regular 1987 Topps set had a print run estimated at over 350 million cards, the 1987 Topps Tiffany set had an ultra-limited print run believed to be between 1,000-5,000 cards total. This extreme scarcity has driven values for the Tiffany cards into the tens of thousands for the most desirable rookie cards and all-time legends of the game.
What makes the 1987 Topps Tiffany cards so unique and scarce is the paper stock they were printed on. Rather than the standard coated stock Topps used for their mainstream releases, the 1987 Tiffany cards were printed on thinner, lower-gloss paper stock made by Tiffany Paper Company. The end result was cards with a noticeably different feel and appearance compared to the regular issue – they had a much finer texture and were not as glossy.
The small Tiffany print run was exclusively for pack substitutes within boxes of the standard 1987 Topps release. A very tiny percentage of wax boxes contained Tiffany cards mixed into the standard cards. Due to the limited distribution through pack substitutes only, most collectors at the time were unaware these special Tiffany versions even existed. This led to the vast majority being discarded or cared for as commonplace cards. Those that recognized the Tiffany distinction early on were able to slowly pick the set up piecemeal for very reasonable prices in the late 80s/early 90s.
Over the decades since, as interest grew around identifying and collecting the Tiffany variation, values have skyrocketed as fewer and fewer high grade Tiffany rookie cards remained in the available supply. Graded Tiffany rookies now easily cross the $10,000+ threshold, with some examples achieving six-figure prices. One of the more famous Tiffany rookie sales was a PSA 9 Ken Griffey Jr. that sold for $27,800 back in 2012. In 2020, a PSA 9 Griffey Tiffany set a new auction record at Heritage Auctions when it sold for $36,240.
Other coveted Tiffany rookies that command top dollar include Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Gregg Maddux. A PSA 9 Bonds rookie recently sold for $14,700 on eBay, while a PSA 9 McGwire brought $13,000. Starting pitchers aren’t far behind either, as a Tiffany PSA 9 Maddux was worth $5,520 in a November 2021 sale. Even bench players and relievers that went on to have good MLB careers can pop four-figure prices, a testament to how scarce these ultra-high grade specimens remain in the current collector marketplace.
For superstar veterans featured prominently in the 1987 Topps set, high grade Tiffany versions are equally prized by savvy collectors. Iconic talents like Nolan Ryan, Rickey Henderson, Mike Schmidt and Wade Boggs that are associated with their prolific accomplishments in the sport all hold significant cachet when they appear in Tiffany form. A Tiffany Ryan in PSA 9 condition recently sold for $5,520, while a PSA 10 Schmidt was valued at $14,400. Henderson’s Tiffany has reached $6,600 in PSA 9 as well.
Beyond the rookie and star veterans, there are several notable variations and parallels within the 1987 Topps Tiffany checklist that increase rarity and demand even further. This includes traded player variations showing players with their new teams, subset cards like Leaders and Team Leaders, and especially the incredibly scarce Tiffany All-Star cards which feature blue horizontal striping along the borders. Graded examples of these specialized variations regularly eclipse the $10,000 USD price barrier when they surface.
In wrapping up, the 1987 Topps Tiffany set holds a very unique place in the history of sports card collecting due to its incredibly tiny print run, which has kept high grade specimens exceptionally scarce even 35 years after their initial distribution. As baby boomer collectors who remember the 1980s continue liquidating prized possessions to fund retirement, fewer Tiffany cards will be re-entering the available collector pool each passing year. This steady decline in already limited supply sustains strong upward momentum for Tiffany card values long term. For discerning vintage collectors, owning a Tiffany rookie of an all-time great or a specially paralleled Tiffany insert continues to represent a true “endgame” acquisition.
