The 1987 Topps baseball card set is one of the most iconic and valuable sets from the late 1980s. While it doesn’t contain the highest number of extremely rare and valuable rookie cards compared to sets like 1969, 1988, or 1991 Topps, the 1987 set has maintained its popularity over the past 30+ years since its release due to featuring several all-time great players and Hall of Famers in their prime.
One of the top 1987 Topps rookies and also the set’s biggest star is Ken Griffey Jr. His highly sought after rookie card has maintained tremendous value over the years as Griffey developed into a true icon of the game that is still regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Fresh off his impressive rookie season with the Seattle Mariners in 1987 where he hit .264 with 8 home runs and 40 RBI in 96 games, Griffey’s rookie card in PSA 10 Gem Mint condition has sold for over $15,000 at auction and even higher at nearly $20,000. Mintcondition copies in PSA 9 still bring several thousand dollars. Even well-worn raw copies sell for hundreds due to Griffey’s immense popularity.
Another top rookie from 1987 that remains highly valuable is Dodgers sensation Orel Hershiser. After breaking out with a franchise record 59 consecutive scoreless innings in 1988 en route to a Cy Young Award and World Series MVP, Hershiser’s popularity skyrocketed. His 1987 Topps rookie card has followed suit, with PSA 10 copies selling in the $1,000-$3,000 range and PSA 9s still bringing $500-1000 depending on the auction. Hershiser’s rookie maintains strong demand due to his dominant late 1980s peak and nostalgia from Dodgers fans of that era.
While rookie cards such as Griffey and Hershiser drive the top prices for 1987 Topps, there are also plenty of powerful Hall of Famer and all-time great regular base cards that retain significant collector interest and value as well. Perhaps the most iconic player featured in the set is New York Mets ace and future Hall of Famer Dwight Gooden. In 1986 and 1987, Gooden was baseball’s biggest star fresh off back-to-back Cy Young Award winning seasons. His main 1987 Topps card typically sells between $50-$150 in PSA 10 and $20-50 in PSA 9. Other top Hall of Famer regular base cards that still pull in solid returns include Ozzie Smith ($30-75 PSA 10), Mike Schmidt ($25-50 PSA 10), and Nolan Ryan ($15-40 PSA 10).
Beyond rookies and stars, the 1987 Topps set also includes several unique and valuable error, variation and parallel cards that collectors love finding and accumulating. One of the rarest is the Dwight Gooden “Missing Back” error card, where the back of the card is completely blank with no stats, copyright info or anything else. Only a handful are known to exist in high grade and ungraded examples have sold for over $2,000. Another exciting find are the rare black-bordered parallel variations of stars like Smith, Schmidt and Gooden, which pull in hundreds of dollars for top examples.
While the 1987 Topps set lacks some of the true ultra-high-end rookie cards that propel other years, it remains a highly regarded vintage release due to featuring so many all-time great players from the late 1980s. Key rookie cards of stars like Griffey and Hershiser will likely only continue increasing in value as the years pass. And premium examples of iconic regular base cards for legends like Gooden, Schmidt, Smith and Ryan provide affordable opportunities for collectors to own genuine pieces of baseball history from the glory years of the 1980s. For mix of star power, nostalgia and intriguing error / variation chase cards, the 1987 Topps set makes for an excellent long-term collecting and investing opportunity for sports card enthusiast.
