The 1987 Topps baseball card set is one of the most iconic and valuable sets from the late 1980s. Issued at the height of the junk wax era, the ’87 Topps set still contained several highly sought after rookie cards and key cards of baseball’s biggest stars from that time period. While not the flashiest set from a design standpoint, the 1987 Topps cards still resonate strongly with collectors today due to the quality of the players and rookie cards featured.
The 1987 Topps set contains 792 total cards issued in wax packs, boxes, and factory sets. The design is fairly straightforward with a white border surrounding each player photo and basic team logo at the bottom. Statistics and career highlights are provided on the back of each card. While not overly creative, the clean and simple design allows the focus to remain squarely on the players. Topps also included several popular insert sets within the base 1987 issue, such as Traded, Record Breakers, and All-Star cards.
Some of the most valuable and desired cards from the 1987 Topps set include rookie and star cards for players who went on to have Hall of Fame careers. Chief among these is the Kirby Puckett rookie card. Puckett would go on to a stellar 12-year career entirely with the Minnesota Twins, winning six Gold Glove awards and batting .318 lifetime. He led the Twins to World Series championships in 1987 and 1991. In his rookie season of 1984, Puckett batted .296 with 170 hits. His 1987 Topps rookie card is one of the most iconic cards of the 1980s and is widely considered the flagship rookie card for that decade. High grade Puckett rookies regularly sell for thousands of dollars today.
Another hugely valuable 1987 Topps rookie is the Benito Santiago card. Santiago enjoyed a 17-year MLB career primarily as a catcher with the Padres and Marlins. In 1987, his rookie season, Santiago batted .260 with 10 home runs and 45 RBI in 88 games. He would go on to win two Silver Slugger awards and make five All-Star teams in his career. The Santiago rookie is highly sought after, with PSA 10 examples selling for over $1000.
Two other rookie cards from the 1987 set that carry significant value are those of Mark McGwire and Wally Joyner. McGwire exploded onto the scene in 1987 with 49 home runs in just his second MLB season. His rookie card shows him launching a towering home run. High grade McGwire ’87 rookies sell for hundreds of dollars. Wally Joyner also had a breakout 1987 season, batting .290 with 22 home runs and 115 RBI. He earned the Topps Rookie All-Star card in 1987. Both the McGwire and Joyner rookies are key 1980s rookie cards.
The 1987 Topps set also featured the baseball cards of many established superstars who were entering the prime of their careers. Perhaps the most valuable regular card from the set is the Kirby Puckett card. Puckett won his first batting title and Gold Glove in 1987, batting an incredible .363 with 208 hits. High grade Puckett base cards sell for well over $100. The Dwight Gooden and Ozzie Smith cards also carry significant value due to their Hall of Fame careers and popularity. Gooden won the Cy Young in 1985 and remained one of baseball’s most electric pitchers through 1987. Ozzie Smith was a 13-time Gold Glover and revolutionized the shortstop position. Both their 1987 Topps cards are highly collectible.
Other stars who had valuable regular cards in the 1987 Topps set include Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, Rickey Henderson, Mike Schmidt, and George Brett. This group represents some true icons of 1980s baseball. Clemens, Boggs, and Henderson were in the early primes of their careers in 1987 while Schmidt and Brett were still producing at an elite level late in their tenures. Their 1987 Topps cards are always in high demand.
The 1987 Topps set also featured several popular traded cards showing players in the uniforms of their new teams. Arguably the most significant is the Gary Carter traded New York Mets card. Carter was a key acquisition before the 1986 season and helped lead the Mets to a World Series title that year. His traded Mets card is one of the standouts from the Traded subset. Other notable traded cards include Andre Dawson to the Cubs, Don Baylor to the Red Sox, and Rick Sutcliffe to the Indians.
In addition to the star rookie and regular player cards, the 1987 Topps set contained several popular insert cards that added to the excitement of the release. The All-Star cards paid tribute to the great performances of the National League and American League midsummer classic teams. The Record Breakers subset highlighted significant career milestones being achieved in 1987. And the Traded cards, as mentioned, showed players in the uniforms of their new teams. All of these special parallel inserts added collecting interest beyond the base cards.
While produced during the height of the overproduced junk wax era of the late 1980s, the 1987 Topps baseball card set still holds up incredibly well today. The clean and simple design allows the focus to remain on the quality players and rookie cards featured. Names like Puckett, McGwire, Gooden, Clemens, and Henderson anchor one of the most iconic sets of the decade. Even relatively unheralded players like Benito Santiago and Wally Joyner had breakout seasons memorialized in valuable rookie cards. Whether it’s a Kirby Puckett rookie, Roger Clemens star card, or one of the popular inserts, the 1987 Topps baseball set remains a benchmark release that any collection would benefit from containing.
While not the flashiest design, the 1987 Topps baseball card set holds a special place in the hearts of collectors due to the all-time great players and rookie cards it features. Names like Puckett, McGwire, Gooden, and Clemens make for historically significant cards that hold value decades later. Combined with popular inserts and the sheer star power of nearly 800 total cards, the 1987 issue defined baseball card collecting of the era. It’s easy to see why this set from the height of the junk wax era maintains such a strong following among collectors to this day.
