The 1987 Topps baseball card set was a transition year for the iconic card company as it moved from its long-running design to a more modern look. The set featured 762 total cards including career statistics on the back of each player card for the first time. It also marked the final year that Topps would be the lone major baseball card producer as rival company Fleer re-entered the market in 1988 after a multi-year absence.
Some key things to know about the 1987 Topps baseball card set:
Design Change – After using similar designs for over a decade, Topps made significant changes to the look of its 1987 cards. The classic red logo was replaced by a white logo on a black banner at the top. Player names were moved below photos and statistics were consolidated into three columns on the back. It was a jarring change for collectors used to the classic Topps look.
Rookies of Note – Future Hall of Famer Craig Biggio made his rookie card debut along with other notable rookies like Barry Larkin, Mark McGwire, and David Cone. Biggio’s card in particular has become one of the most coveted rookie cards from the late 1980s. Other top rookies like Frank Thomas and Jeff Bagwell had to wait until 1988 Fleer for their first cards.
Career Stats on Back – For the first time, Topps included career statistics on the back of every regular player card. Prior years had only included that year’s stats. This provided collectors more complete career records for tracking player performance over the long-term.
O-Pee-Chee Canadian Version – The Canadian version was produced through Topps’ partnership with O-Pee-Chee and had an identical card design and set checklist. The biggest difference was the French and English text on the backs.
Checklist Size – At 762 total cards, it was one of the larger checklists of the 1980s era. In addition to all major leaguers, the set included over 100 rookie cards, manager/coach cards, team cards, and special insert cards like the “Topps All-Star Rookies” subset.
Design Flaws – Some collectors criticized aspects of the new design like head-sized photos, smaller statistics, and cluttered card backs. Topps would continue tweaking the design in future years. The radical change also led to the 1987 set being less popular at the time compared to earlier designs collectors were used to.
Parallels and Variations – There were no official parallels or short prints but variations did exist. The most notable was card #1 Nolan Ryan having two photo variations—one with his eyes open and another closed. Other minor variations included different uniform numbers, photos, or stats.
Secondary Market Growth – As the 1980s player base became more established stars and nostalgia set in, interest in 1980s cards grew significantly in the late 1990s and 2000s. The 1987 set in particular saw strong price increases for stars like McGwire, Biggio, and variations like the Nolan Ryan card #1.
Legacy of Final True Monopoly – 1987 was the end of an era as Topps had printed baseball cards exclusively since the 1950s. The addition of Fleer in 1988 kicked off a more competitive marketplace that led to innovations like upper deck in the late 80s. While Topps cards from prior decades remain the most iconic, 1987 marked the last year of their complete dominance before rivals entered the annual card wars.
While not as aesthetically pleasing to some collectors as earlier designs, the 1987 Topps set was a transitional year that increased statistical info, included notable rookie cards, and marked the finale of Topps as a true monopoly before new competitors arrived. The changes also led to renewed collector interest decades later, making high-grade versions of stars from the set quite valuable in today’s market. It serves as an important bridge year between the classic designs of the 1970s/80s and more modern approaches that followed.
