The 1987 sportflics baseball card set is one of the key mid-1980s issues that vintage baseball card collectors love to hunt for. Sportflics was a short-lived baseball card brand distributed by Imperial, but its 1987 offering turned out to be one of the more iconic releases of the decade. While it may not reach the heights of Topps or Donruss in terms of popularity or sales numbers, the 1987 sportflics set remains a staple in collections and has cards that still hold value today thanks to star players, tough pulls, and overall nostalgia from the era. Let’s take a deeper look at why this set remains desired and what certain key cards are worth.
The 1987 sportflics set contains a total of 198 cards issued in wax packs. Like many 1980s releases, the designs featured colorful cartoon-style illustrations on a white background. Unlike the more basic offerings from Donruss that year, sportflics cards featured more unique player poses and action shots that made each one stand out. The vibrant colors and big headshots of stars made collecting sportflics almost as fun as the flagship Topps set in 1987. Some keydesign elements that added to the appeal included foil stripes accented along the borders and fun retro lettering for the player’s name and team.
In terms of star power, the 1987 sportflics set boastssome true all-time greats at the height of their careers like Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, Dwight Gooden, Ozzie Smith, Andre Dawson, and Rickey Henderson. With big names comes big appeal for collectors decades later. Sportflics cards of these Cooperstown talents from their prime seasons remain very collectible and hold solid value. Perhaps the true heavy hitter of the lot is a rookie card of Toronto Blue Jays sensation Roberto Alomar. His debut card from sportflics is one of the tougher late 1980s rookies to track down in high grade.
Outside legendary players, the 1987 sportflics set is known for difficulty in pulling certain key cards due to low print runs. Some keys to the set include the #1 Nolan Ryan card, which is scarce in high grade. Stars on poorer teams like the Kansas City Royals have cards that are rarer in mint condition since those slots in wax packs may have gone unchecked. This scarcity adds premiums for top-rated copies. Another unique aspect of sportflics was short print variations, like Len Dykstra’s card featuring an error in the team name font size. Error and variation cards hold vast popularity.
When it comes to current pricing and movement in the hobby, the 1987 sportflics set remains a steady yet rising vintage issue. Near-mint common players can be found for around $5-10, while solid all-star cards may fetch $15-30. But pristine copies of the elite names mentioned push $100-300 depending on the player pedigree. The true big ticket items are grade 9/10 rookie cards of Ozzie Smith, Mike Mussina, and Alomar, which can surpass $1,000 each. One PSA 10 Alomar recently sold on eBay for over $4,500. Higher end vintage sportflics continue appreciating as they are collected alongside the most iconic 1980s cardboard.
The 1987 sportflics baseball cards hold lasting value and appeal for savvy collectors due to the perfect storm of nostalgia, star power, design, and scarcity factors. While it may not be as storied as the flagship Topps or Donruss brands of the era, this short printing Imperial release ended up being one of the best products of 1987. Key cards show no signs of slowing down and may continue their bullish uptrend over the next decade as fewer remain in pristine condition and nostalgia remains high. The sportflics brand may have faded, but its 1987 offering is a vintage set sure to stay hot in the hobby.
