The 1987 Topps baseball card set is considered by many collectors to be one of the top years produced by the historic brand. There are several factors that contribute to 1987 Topps cards retaining value and in many cases increasing in value decades after being pulled from packs as kids. Let’s take a deeper look at what makes 1987 Topps cards worthwhile to hold onto.
One of the biggest things that drives interest and value for any vintage baseball card set is star power and hall of fame talent featured. The 1987 Topps set contains rookie cards and prime season cards for dozens of players who would go on to have incredible careers and be inducted into the baseball hall of fame. Some examples include Ken Griffey Jr, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and Barry Larkin for their rookie cards. Stars in their prime like Wade Boggs, Ozzie Smith, Kirby Puckett, and Tony Gwynn appear prominently as well. Having a product lined with future stars and hall of famers is a huge factor in the long term collectibility of 1987 Topps cards.
Beyond star power, the 1987 set had a print run estimated around 800 million cards. While a large print run, it was significantly less than some other 1980s years that reached over 1 billion cards printed. The scarcity that a smaller production brings, along with decades of cards lost to the wear and tear of time, natural attrition has decreased the numbers of 1987 Topps cards still around today. This drop in total supply but sustained demand results in cards that hold or increase in price over time.
The visual design of the 1987 Topps set is also praised by collectors and looks sharp even by today’s standards. The photo quality was excellent for the time and the color schemes and logos created an easily identifiable and collectible aesthetic. Card designs in the 1980s were not as intricate or cluttered as modern cards can be either, allowing the focus to remain primarily on the photo which maintains appeal. Something about the classic yet clean look of 1987 Topps cards resonates regardless of generation.
The 1987 season itself was historic and featured notable storylines that added lasting intrigue and significance to cards from that year’s set. The campaign marked the debut of 18-year old phenom Griffey Jr and was a transition year as baseball emerged from the darkness of the 1980s strike years. Established stars like Boggs, Schmidt, and Murray performed at the heights of their careers as well. This context gives cards from 1987 Topps extra history and nostalgia for those who followed the season and memories for collectors today.
The combination of hall of fame talent exposure, sufficient but not overdone print numbers, quality photo centered design, and representation of an iconic MLB season all contribute to 1987 Topps baseball cards retaining collectible interest and value decades after production. Ranging from common players to higher end rookie cards, 1987 Topps as a set maintains relevance and any complete, well-kept copies from the year would hold significant long term worth to a collector. While individual cards may not make anyone rich, 1987 Topps cards as a whole prove that vintage does not always mean worthless and this particular set has attributes that will please collectors for generations to come.
