The 1987 O-Pee-Chee baseball card set was one of the most widely collected issues of the decade. Produced by Topps under license from The Topps Company, Inc., the 1987 set featured players from both the American and National Leagues. With 525 total cards in the base set, it was the largest O-Pee-Chee set to date marking the continued growth of baseball card popularity in the 1980s.
As with previous issues, the 1987 O-Pee-Chee cards featured players’ name, team, position, and statistical information on the front with player bios on the back. The cards had a traditional matt finish and measured 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches, the standard size that had been used since the early 1950s. Visually, the designs were largely similar to Topps’ flagship 1987 issue released in the United States with some minor layout differences specific to the O-Pee-Chee brand.
Some key storylines and players highlighted in the 1987 set included Roger Clemens winning his second Cy Young Award after posting a 20-9 record and 268 strikeouts for the Boston Red Sox. Clemens’ card featured one of the set’s most coveted rookie cards as collectors anticipated his eventual Hall of Fame career. The Detroit Tigers squad that won the American League East title was also well represented, led by superstars Alan Trammell, Lou Whitaker, Kirk Gibson, and Jack Morris.
Rookie cards that gained popularity in the 1987 O-Pee-Chee set included Mark McGwire with the Oakland A’s, Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry of the New York Mets, and skateboarding phenom Tony Hawk who had a brief minor league stint in the Padres system before focusing on his professional skateboarding career. Hawk’s card in particular became a cult favorite among collectors. The Chicago Cubs, who were coming off a division title in 1984, also featured several young stars like Ryne Sandberg, Shawon Dunston, and Rafael Palmeiro.
On the National League side, the 1987 St. Louis Cardinals squad powered by sluggers Jack Clark and Andy Van Slyke and anchored by pitchers Joe Magrane and Todd Worrell captured the World Series title, defeating the Minnesota Twins. Likewise, the Detroit Tigers featured prominently for repeating as American League Champions, falling just short of another World Series championship. The 1987 season would be remembered as the final year for legendary players like Andre Dawson, Dave Parker, Mike Schmidt, and Nolan Ryan, who all appeared in their last baseball card issues during their Hall of Fame careers.
In terms of rarity and scarcity amongst collectors, short print cards in the 1987 O-Pee-Chee set included Gary Carter of the New York Mets at card number 121, Ken Oberkfell of the Chicago Cubs at number 173, and Darnell Coles of the Detroit Tigers at number 351. These were produced in lower numbers, making them tougher pulls from packs and more sought after in the secondary trade and auction markets. The error cards for Omar Moreno (photo swapped with Bill Madlock) and Alan Trammell (wrong team logo) also gained notoriety and higher values amongst collectors.
Beyond the base 525 card issue, O-Pee-Chee also produced various inserts during the late 1980s. In 1987 these included career stats leaders, O-Pee-Chee All-Stars highlighting the season’s top performers, Traded sets updating player switches midseason, and World Series highlights recapping the St. Louis Cardinals championship run. Each parallel set provided additional collecting and challenges for completionists.
The 1987 O-Pee-Chee baseball card set serves as a snapshot of the sport during a transitional decade. Rookies like Clemens, McGwire, and Gooden hinted at the power surge ahead while veterans like Ryan, Schmidt, and Dawson said farewell. For collectors, it spawned legions of young hobbyists chasing the stars of their youth in addition to fueling the retro craze decades later. Whether chasing complete sets, seeking specific rookie cards, or pursuing error variants, the allure and nostalgia of 1987 O-Pee-Chee cards ensures their staying power for generations of baseball fans.
