The 1987 Topps Traded baseball card set was released mid-season by Topps as a unique way for collectors to get cards of players who had been traded to new teams after the regular Topps set was already finalized and printed. Like today, trades were a major part of each MLB season and presented challenges for card manufacturers who wanted to show players in their new uniforms. The Traded set provided a solution for fans craving updated rosters.
The 1987 edition contained 198 cards and showcased many big names who were dealt leading up to and during that season. Some of the premier traded players featured included slugger Andre Dawson (traded from the Cubs to the Red Sox), pitcher Bob Welch (traded from the Dodgers to the A’s), and slugger Tony Armas (traded from the Rangers to the Red Sox). Beyond stars, the set provided collectors a fun way to track roster moves across the league.
In terms of design, the 1987 Topps Traded cards closely matched the core Topps flagship release from earlier that year. They had the same white bordered, team logo stamped look with player photography on the front and stats on the back. A simple “Traded” stamp was added below the player’s name to designate the special subset the cards belonged to. The similar style helped the Traded cards feel cohesive alongside the main Topps product when building sets.
Distribution of the 1987 Topps Traded was primarily through packs sold at hobby shops and card shows. With fewer than 200 total cards compared to over 700 in the main set, finding a complete Traded collection posed more of a challenge versus a full Topps run. Still, dedicated collectors eagerly snapped up packs, hoping to pull the biggest traded names to showcase in their binders. Insert cards like checklists and manager/coach cards helped flesh out the smaller set.
Condition and rarity have made several key cards from the 1987 Topps Traded much sought after by investors and vintage collectors in recent decades. Andre Dawson’s iconic Red Sox debut card leads the way in terms of value, routinely fetching hundreds of dollars in top-graded Mint condition. Bob Welch, continuing his success with the A’s, and Tony Armas, looking to revive his career with the Red Sox, also rank among the financially coveted Traded rookie cards from that year.
Beyond singles, completed unopened wax boxes of 1987 Topps Traded have been known to bring thousands at auction when preservation is top-notch. Low population Print Run Champions, which denote the scarcest cards inserted, add intrigue as possibilities within sealed original product. Still available today for collectors to search for are coveted 1/1 Printing Plates with the player image etched onto lithographic plates used to create the cards. These ultra-rare artifacts can demand astronomical prices.
The 1987 Topps Traded set succeeded like its predecessors by giving fans a fun way to stay current with mid-season transactions. As an important niche release bridging regular issues and helping complete want lists, it has endured strong nostalgia from the vintage collecting community. Few are lucky enough to afford true Gem Mint 10 condition examples of stars like Dawson within, making preserved specimens all the more valuable to vintage baseball connoisseurs. The 1987 Topps Traded endures as one of the premier traded player releases in cardboard history due to its star power, condition challenges and historic documentation of an MLB season in progress.
While price trends and condition standards have evolved tremendously since 1987, the nostalgia and spirit of completion for collectors of that first Traded generation remains stronger than ever. Set builders now appreciate the innovation Topps showed by reacting to trades outside the normal release cycle. And investors recognize its contribution to the prolonged popularity of vintage wax era cardboard by enabling more comprehensive team and player collections. In the end, the 1987 Topps Traded baseball card set has cemented its own special legacy among hobbyists as a beloved niche release with relevant retro appeal still going strong over 30 years later.
