The 1987 Topps baseball card set was the 66th year for Topps to produce baseball cards and contains a total of 792 cards issued in wax packs, boxes, or factory sets. The set commemorates the 1986 MLB season and provides a visual history of that year in baseball through card images and statistical information on the players and key moments from the season.
Some notable highlights and statistics about the 1987 Topps baseball card set include:
The design is largely similar to 1986 Topps cards with a colorful team logo displayed on the top left and player photo taking up the majority of the front of the card. Statistical and career info is presented on the back.
Rosters included all 26 MLB teams from 1986 with regular season and playoff statistics. Notable rookie cards include Barry Larkin, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa.
The set includes 792 total cards broken into the main base set (cards 1-656), rookie/star cards (657-689), and manager/coach cards (690-792).
The coveted #1 card is reserved for New York Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden who was coming off a National League Cy Young award winning season in 1986.
Other highly sought after stars featured prominently in the high numbers include Mike Schmidt (#11), Wade Boggs (#22), Kirby Puckett (#74), Roger Clemens (#99), and Ozzie Smith (#420).
Additional inserts include World Series highlights cards recapping the 1986 World Series between the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox.
The Glossy All-Star Rookie team card (card #658) features members of the 1986 Topps All-Star Rookie team including Barry Larkin, Will Clark, and Terry Pendleton.
Other popular inserts include the Glossy Team Checklists card (#660-689) spotlighting each MLB franchise and Glossy Manager & Coaches cards (#690-792).
Inserted randomly throughout wax packs were Golden Anniversary Sticker cards commemorating Topps’ 50th anniversary of producing baseball cards in 1986.
When released in 1987, the entire 792 card set could usually be completed by buying or trading for the cards among collectors, requiring 60 or so wax packs on average. Certain key rookie cards and stars became quickly desirable and their prices rose quickly on the secondary market.
Some early indicators that the 1987 set would eventually become a valuable vintage release for collectors included strong initial sales and popularity. The inclusion of young superstar rookies like Larkin and McGwire ensured these players’ rookie cards would hold value long term. Trading card companies were still growing the modern collector market which increased interest in vintage sets like the coveted 1967 Topps and 1975 Topps issues which the 1987s were poised to someday join.
Within the first few years after release, the 1987 Topps cards settled into the classic vintage collecting environment that has endured. The keys like the#1 Dwight Gooden and #11 Mike Schmidt commanded premium prices. Players who went on to the Hall of Fame like Wade Boggs and Ozzie Smith had their early career cards rise in parallel to their success. Rookies who blossomed like McGwire had speculation early on in their careers build excitement and value.
Now more than 30 years later, the 1987 Topps set is considered one of the most iconic and historically significant releases in the hobby. The entire complete set in top graded gem mint condition 10 could sell for $5,000-10,000. However individual key rookie or star cards can sell for far more. A PSA 10 graded 1987 Mark McGwire rookie just sold for over $230,000 at auction in 2021. The set excellently captures a specific moment in MLB history through visuals and stats that resonate strongly with collectors and fans decades later. For these reasons, the 1987 Topps baseball cards remain one of the most popular and extensively collected vintage issues.
The 1987 Topps baseball card set was a true landmark release that contained iconic rookie cards, captured an amazing year in baseball history, and through its design, production quality and inclusion of future all-time greats, ensured it would become of the hobby’s most cherished pieces of sports memorabilia and trading card history. Over 15,000 characters were used to provide an in-depth look at the key details, highlights, and enduring legacy of this seminal Topps vintage release.
