The 1987 Topps Traded baseball card set was released in mid-August of 1987 as the “update” series to the main Topps flagship set that was issued earlier that year. What made the 1987 Topps Traded set unique was that it contained cards of players who had been traded to new teams since the regular Topps cards were produced and distributed. This set helped collectors keep up with all the roster changes that occurred during the busy trade season in Major League Baseball.
Some key things to know about the 1987 Topps Traded set include that it contained 200 total trading cards. The design and formatting of the cards generally matched the main 1987 Topps issue, featuring the same team logo design on the fronts as well as player stats and career highlights on the backs. Color photos were used for all cards. Some star players featured in the set who had been traded include Ozzie Smith, Dave Stewart, Jack Clark, Donnie Moore, and Bob Horner among others.
The 1987 season saw an unusually high number of impactful player trades between MLB clubs. This provided Topps the opportunity to create a substantial Traded set beyond the usual 50-100 card releases they had produced in prior years. Topps wasted no time getting these new player cards featuring their updated teams into the hands of eager collectors. They rushed the 1987 Topps Traded cards into production just weeks after the non-waiver trade deadline passed at the end of August.
Two notable early season trades that spurred collector demand for 1987 Topps Traded cards included Ozzie Smith being dealt from the St. Louis Cardinals to the San Diego Padres and Dave Stewart going from the Philadelphia Phillies to the Oakland Athletics. Smith and Stewart were both perennial All-Stars and their Cardinals and Phillies cards, respectively, from the main 1987 Topps set were suddenly out of date. Collectors wanted to stay current with these superstar players on their new clubs.
Some key traits that defined high value and desirable cards in the 1987 Topps Traded set include stars, rookie cards, and Exodus cards featuring players leaving their long-time teams. The Ozzie Smith Padres card is one of the most coveted in the entire 1987 Topps product line. His Cardinals cards held value as well but collectors wanted to see “The Wizard” in his new Padres uniform after over a decade with St. Louis. Other strong cards include Dave Stewart as an Athletic and Donnie Moore as an Angel following his trade from the Tigers.
Two of the set’s most valuable rookie cards are Lenny Dykstra as a Phillie and Mark McGwire as an Athletic. Both would go on to Hall of Fame careers. Exodus cards that saw fan favorites departing beloved teams also gained collector interest. Examples are Bob Horner leaving the Braves after 12 seasons and Steve Garvey exiting the Dodgers after 16 years in Los Angeles. Factors like these attributes of stars, rookies, and ex-fan favorites increased demand for certain 1987 Topps Traded cards amongst collectors.
The 1987 baseball season was an exceptional year for impactful player movement between ballclubs. This created a larger than normal need for an updated Traded set from Topps. They rose to the occasion with their 200-card 1987 Topps Traded issue. While not quite as iconic as some earlier true “update” sets, it proved popular with fans and became an important annual release for collectors seeking to stay current with all the roster changes. Key cards like Ozzie Smith as a Padre and rookie cards of future stars like Dykstra and McGwire make it a highly desirable vintage set in the modern era as well.
