1987 marked Kmart’s 25th anniversary and to celebrate the retail giant’s milestone, they issued a special 283-card baseball card set featuring current major league players. While Kmart had distributed baseball cards in stores before as promotions, this marked their most expansive sports card release to date and was certainly one of the biggest sporting card issues of 1987.
The set was produced by Fleer and had tremendous distribution through Kmart stores across America, making the cards very accessible and affordable for collectors at just 89 cents per pack. Each pack contained 8 cards with players from both the American and National Leagues represented. One of the most intriguing aspects of the 1987 Kmart 25th anniversary set was that Fleer was able to obtain players’ licences, meaning the cards featured the official logos of all major league teams from that season.
This was something that Topps, who had the monopoly on MLB player contracts at the time, did not allow other card companies to replicate on their products. Having the logos added authenticity and made the Kmart cards more desirable for collectors accustomed to generic team designations on competing brands. The front of each card displayed the player’s picture and stats while the back provided a brief biography. Organization was by team with the American League listed first.
Some of the superstar players included on the cards were Roger Clemens, Darryl Strawberry, Barry Bonds, Wade Boggs, Kirby Puckett, Andre Dawson, Jimmy Key and Rickey Henderson. Roster balance was also an aim with stars, rookies, and role players all represented. Notable rookies included Will Clark, Gregg Jefferies and Jay Howell. The set was a massive success that completely sold out in Kmart stores, requiring additional print runs to meet demand. Even today, complete sets in good condition can fetch $100-150 on the secondary market showing its enduring popularity.
While collecting the entire set was achievable given wide distribution, chase cards did emerge that are more difficult to obtain. Some of the harder cards to find include #1 Barry Bonds, #13 Mark McGwire, #18 Don Mattingly, #46 Kirby Puckett, and #205 Steve Carlton. Higher grades of these cards can sell for $20-50 singles. The design also featured a basic photo vertical layout with team logo at top. For the time, it represented a state of the art baseball card set appearance that held up well against contemporary Topps and Donruss issues.
Since Kmart carried inventory of many other sporting cards including football and hockey, some error variations crept into the baseball set. Specifically, 13 players had their photos swapped with others from different sports. Examples include Boston Red Sox reserve catcher Rich Gedman having his picture replaced with Miami Dolphin quarterback Dan Marino. Or Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Kevin Gross pictured but really New York Rangers hockey player James Patrick on the back. These photo swap errors fascinate collectors and can demand premium prices of $75-150 in higher grades depending on the specific player crossover.
Overall distribution for the 1987 Kmart 25th Anniversary Baseball Card set was massive thanks to the retailer’s presence all over America. Getting cards into the hands of children and adults helped foster new collectors. While not quite the official MLB issue of the time, having the logos lent legitimacy. Accuracy of stats and biographies also made it a useful set beyond just casual collecting. Affordability was a big plus too. Today it lives on as a key vintage release that defined the mid-80s card boom era. For both its historical significance representing Kmart and baseball card popularity at that time, the 1987 issue remains a very collectible set.
The 1987 Kmart 25th Anniversary Baseball Card set was a monumental sports card release that celebrated a major American retailer while also producing affordable cards for legions of new collectors. Distribution through Kmart stores ensured great accessibility. Including official logos and quality content made it a worthwhile competitor to Topps flagship issues of the period. Accurate rosters balanced stars with prospects to offer something for all fans. While common cards can be readily obtained, some chase variations have proven elusive. It was a massively popular set that played a role in growing the hobby. For research and collecting purposes, the 1987 Kmart cards remain an important part of baseball card history from the 1980s boom era.
