The 1987 baseball card set released by Upper Deck is considered by many to be the most significant and valuable release in the modern era of the hobby. Upper Deck revolutionized the baseball card industry by focusing on quality ingredients, like premium paper stock and sharp photography. This emphasis helped the fledgling company captivate collectors and spark new interest in the pastime.
1987 was only the second year that Upper Deck produced cards after starting in 1986. They quickly made a name for themselves by taking the production process far more seriously than the dominant issuer at the time, Topps. Upper Deck believed collectors deserved cards that would hold their value long-term instead of just being considered fleeting commodities for kids. Some of the key innovations and standout aspects of the 1987 Upper Deck set that contributed to its legendary status include:
Full bleed photography: For the first time, many of the cards utilized ‘full bleed’ photos that extended to the very edges of the card front. This heightened the sense of realism and made the players seemingly jump off the page compared to previous cardboard. Leaders like Ken Griffey Jr. and Ozzie Smith truly pop with their vibrant full bleed shots.
Premium stock: Upper Deck didn’t just choose normal paper like Topps. They selected a thicker, higher quality card stock that didn’t chip, peel or wear down like typical wax-filled baseball cards. This ensured longevity and preserved the near-professional finish for decades of handling.
Sharp focus: Careful attention was paid to focus, exposure and lighting for each photo shoot. Players appear crisp and clear instead of blurry like many past sets. Proper focus shows off minute facial details and uniform numbers more precisely.
Authentic feel: Through negotiations, Upper Deck obtained licensing to use official team logos, uniforms and colors on every card. This lent an authentic major league aura and made the players seem like they were truly represented, not like cartoonish versions from other brands.
Rookies galore: Breakout stars like Tom Glavine, David Cone, Roberto Alomar and Gregg Jefferies were some of the major rookie cards available in 1987 Upper Deck, well before they became household names. Many consider these some of the most iconic and valuable modern rookie cards in the hobby.
Star power: The set features true legends and Hall of Famers like Nolan Ryan, George Brett, Dave Winfield and Kirby Puckett. Collectors in the 1980s knew they were getting top talent, not just role players filling out the checklist.
Low print run: Only 1.5 million sets were printed, a very modest number compared to the multi-millions released by competitors. This scarcity has driven prices up dramatically over the decades. The flagship Ken Griffey Jr. rookie is the holy grail at a PSA 10 Gem Mint grade nearing $200,000.
Autographs: The autograph/photo subset was a precursor to the modern autographed card craze. Getting anSigned card of established stars like Mike Schmidt and Wade Boggs made collectors feel extra lucky and added immensely to resale value years later.
Value retention: While the original prices for a wax box or rack pack seemed high at $1-2, 1987 Upper Deck cards have performed exponentially better than contemporaries in the secondary market. Average common cards still fetch $5-10 each ungraded. This is a testament to the production quality and foresight by the brand.
Creativity: Fun bonuses like the ‘Superstar Sensations’ animation-style subset and framed ‘Upper Deck All-Stars’ refractors added visual intrigue and excited openers trying to pull the rare variant cards from packs. These creativity trademarks would later become a hallmark of Upper Deck releases.
Storytelling: Each card featured anecdotal biographies on the back to provide interesting background and context to fans. Stats tables organized key offensive and pitching numbers for handy reference as well. This attention enhanced player identification and attachment.
The 1987 Upper Deck baseball set defined modern card design standards, emphasized premiumfeel and composition, debuted many all-time famous rookies, andfeatured true legends of the 1980’s MLB landscape. Its focus on quality craftsmanship, creativity and storytelling drove value that has held strong for 35+ years, unlike flimsy competitors from the junk wax era. For these reasons, 1987 Upper Deck remains the pinnacle achievement and most historically important release within the entire sports collecting world. It showed what a brand could accomplish by understanding what collectors really wanted instead of just chasing profits like typical 1980’s issuers. This made 1987 Upper Deck an absolute revolution and benchmark that later companies still aim to match.
