The 1987 Topps complete baseball card set featured 792 total cards including 520 base cards and 272 subset, special, manager, and checklist cards. As Topps’ flagship release for the 1987 season, it was the 54th consecutive year Topps released a complete baseball card set covering Major League Baseball teams and players.
Some key facts about the 1987 Topps baseball card set:
Rosters featured every MLB player along with team checklists, rookie All-Star cards, and league leader cards
Notable rookies included Barry Larkin, Mark Grace, Gregg Olson, and Dennis Eckersley
Hank Aaron’s cameo card was included to commemorate his 755th home run hit in 1974
Unique die-cut design featured different shaped panels for each card
Traded players were each given a new card reflecting their new team
Checklist cards helped collectors keep track of which cards were remaining to complete the full 792 card release
Most common cards could be found in wax packs sold for $0.50-0.75 each at retail stores
More scarce short printed cards and variations became highly coveted by collectors
Looking closer at the design elements, Topps opted for a fresh new look after sticking with mostly traditional borders and templates for over 50 years. Designer Ray Sadecki created the innovative die-cut card design where each card had a unique shape cut into the borders. While met with some initial criticism, this made each Topps card truly one-of-a-kind.
For the base card fronts, photos dominated the space with limited room for team logos and player information. Blue and gray were used sparingly to accent the photos and give a sense of uniformity across all 520 base cards. Card backs featured standard statistics along with a brief paragraph of biographical information for each player. Topps continued its tradition of serial numbering each card between 001 to 792.
Among the notable rookie cards were Barry Larkin of the Cincinnati Reds at #118 and Mark Grace of the Chicago Cubs at #283. Both went on to have impressive MLB careers and their rookies remain popular with collectors. Gregg Olson’s Orioles rookie at #379 was another highlight as he burst onto the scene with 24 saves.
Traded players like Eric Davis (#151), Jack Morris (#183), and Don Mattingly (#408) got new cards reflecting their updated uniforms midway through the 1987 season. Others like Reggie Jackson (#415), Mike Schmidt (#581), and Pete Rose (#590) appeared in their final MLB seasons before retirement.
The league leader subset cards at #593-600 featured the top players in batting average, home runs, RBI’s, wins, saves, and strikeouts. Nolan Ryan graced the strikeout leaders card after notching his 5,000th career K. Special veterans cards paid tribute to players like Carl Yastrzemski (#601), Tommy John (#630), and Gaylord Perry (#685).
The checklist cards at #791-792 helped eager collectors track progress, and short prints like #469 Dave Parker created mystery. Variations such as an error-free #778 Darryl Strawberry added intrigue. While not especially valuable when new, today high-grade examples can sell for significant sums. Of the original 792 cards produced, many have been lost to the wears of time and play.
In summary, Topps’ 1987 flagship baseball set showed innovation with the die-cut design while preserving the tried-and-true elements collectors had come to expect for decades. Rookies, league leaders, veterans, and a memorable Hank Aaron tribute made for a well-rounded complete set capturing the 1987 MLB season. While initially a product meant simply for play, today the 1987 Topps baseball cards remain beloved pieces of pop culture history for collectors.
