The 1987 Topps baseball card set was the 66th series issued by Topps and featured cards of players from that Major League Baseball season. It marked continued mainstream popularity for the iconic baseball card company in the mid-1980s. The set totaled 792 cards and was sold in wax packs, boxes, and factory sets.
A distinguishing aspect of the 1987 Topps set was the diverse photography and aesthetic styles used on the cards. While maintaining recognizable iconic attributes like borders and logos, Topps incorporated various portrait positions, action shots, team shots, and location backdrops that gave each card a unique look and feel. This helped keep the set feeling fresh for collectors while still clearly identifying it as part of the Topps brand that had been producing cards for decades.
Rookies featured in the 1987 set included future Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr., Mark McGwire, and Roberto Alomar. Griffey’s rookie card would go on to become one of the most iconic and valuable in the modern baseball card era. McGwire and Alomar also had strong rookie seasons that heightened interest in their rookie cards. Other notable rookies included Craig Biggio, Barry Larkin, David Wells, and Dennis Martinez.
Veteran stars heavily featured in the 1987 Topps set included Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, Rickey Henderson, Ozzie Smith, Tony Gwynn, Kirby Puckett, and Don Mattingly. These were players in the prime of their careers that remained highly popular with collectors. The diversity of teams also ensured appeal, as the set featured cards for every Major League franchise from the American and National Leagues.
The design elements of the 1987 Topps set included a team logo at the top left of each card front, with the player’s first and last name directly below. Their position was listed to the right of their name. The familiar yellow and red “Topps” logo spanned the bottom of each card front. On the backs, statistics from the previous season were provided along with a color team photo and paragraph of biographical info for each player.
An interesting visual element of the 1987 Topps design was the painted city skyline backdrops used on many of the card fronts. Rather than plain color studio photos like in prior years, Topps incorporated illustrated skyline scenes of various MLB cities into the backgrounds. This added a unique artistic flair while also subtly identifying each player’s team affiliation through their city backdrop. Colors remained relatively muted compared to modern hyper-sleek card designs.
In terms of rarity and chase cards within the 1987 Topps set, the flagship Ken Griffey Jr. rookie was clearly the most coveted by collectors. Other variants like the photo variation of Kirby Puckett’s card #48 and the “Traded” version of cards for players who switched teams midseason also engendered collector interest. The set checklist was rounded out with popular managers, coaches, and executives like Tommy Lasorda and Whitey Herzog. As with any vintage set, higher-numbered cards toward the end of the checklist tend to be scarcer.
When it was released in 1987, a pack of five random cards from the Topps set retailed for around $0.50, while a wax box containing 18 packs cost around $10. Factory sets featuring one of each card could be purchased for $15-20. In the ensuing decades, the 1987 Topps baseball card set has become a highly sought classic among collectors and investors. Keys like the Griffey rookie routinely sell for thousands of dollars in high grades today. Even common cards maintain value due to the set’s vintage popularity. For enthusiasts of 1980s baseball cards and memorabilia, the 1987 Topps issue remains a highly collectible component of the hobby’s history.
In summarization, the 1987 Topps baseball card set stands out for its vivid photography, rookie star power, veteran superstar coverage, and diverse nostalgia appeal to collectors and fans of 1980s MLB. While production values may seem quaint compared to today’s technologically advanced cards, the vintage charm and pop cultural significance of sets like 1987 Topps ensure their lasting popularity for generations of card collectors to come. The cards freeze in time not just players, but the entire context and feelings of late ‘80s America.
