The 1987 Topps Baseball card set is one of the most valuable vintage sets to collect from the modern era. Containing 792 total cards, finding a complete set in pristine near-mint to mint condition can be worth tens of thousands of dollars.
To understand the value, we must first examine the context of 1987. This was before the sports card boom of the late 80s that drove up print runs and lowered scarcity. Sets from this era were produced in far fewer quantities than later years. 1987 Topps had an estimated print run of only 300-500 million cards. Compare that to over 1 billion for some 1990s sets. Lower print runs mean higher scarcity and demand from collectors decades later.
Another factor is the rookie cards and stars featured. The ’87 set contains the rookie cards of future Hall of Famers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz. Having a full set with these coveted rookie cards in high grade greatly increases the value. Other notable rookies like Bret Saberhagen add to the appeal. The set also includes stars like Wade Boggs, Ozzie Smith, and Roger Clemens who were entering their primes.
When grading the cards, the two most important conditions to examine are the centering and corners. Topps quality control was not as strict in the 1980s compared to later years. Off-centered cards and cards with rounding in the corners significantly hurt the grade. Near perfect centering and sharp corners pull the grade up into the coveted MT-9 or MT-10 “Black Label” range where values really start to escalate. Even minor flaws can drop a card or set grade considerable.
To accurately value a 1987 Topps set, we must look at recent auction sales and private transactions of comparable graded sets. In 2021, a PSA-graded 1987 Topps set that received a overall grade of GM-8.5 (Gem Mint 8.5) sold for $21,500. In 2022, another GM-8 example traded privately for $23,000. These sales show demand remains very strong for high-quality sets.
The peak valuation comes in for true pristine MT-9.5 and MT-10 “Black Label” graded sets where centering and corners are virtually flawless on every card. In 2020, a Beckett-graded 1987 Topps set that earned a perfect MT-10 grade achieved a record auction price of $96,000. And in late 2021, a PSA-graded MT-9.5 set was privately sold for $78,000 according to a Beckett magazine report.
At these rarefied condition levels, a 1987 Topps set has clearly reached the “finance first, cards second” threshold where investors value condition and scarcity over any connection to baseball itself. Condition is absolutely king for maximizing returns. But even averaged graded sets in the GM-7 to GM-8 range can expect prices of $15,000-$20,000 based on market precedents.
A complete 1987 Topps Baseball card set in pristine MT-9.5 to MT-10 condition could be valued around $75,000 to $100,000 given recent astronomical prices realized at auction. But more common GM-8 examples still carry valuations of $20,000-25,000. For collectors and investors, the 1987 Topps set represents one of the most traditionally desirable and valuable vintage flagship sets from the modern era due to its hugestars, rookie class, and limited initial production which enhances scarcity decades later. Condition ultimately determines where within the $15,000 to $100,000 range any given set will likely trade hands.
