The 1987 Topps baseball card set was the 66th series produced by the Topps Chewing Gum Company. It marked several notable occasions for both Topps and the baseball card collecting hobby in general. For starters, it was the first Topps set featuring an all-color photograph on every card. Prior to 1987, black and white photos were still used for many players. Topps decided to go all-color in ’87 to better showcase today’s vivid baseball card photography technology. Furthermore, 1987 would be legendary slugger Pete Rose’s final card appearance before his lifetime ban from Major League Baseball the following year for gambling.

The design of the 1987 Topps cards was fairly simple. On the front was a 3×4 cropped color photo of the player against a white background. Below the photo was the team name and logo along with any nicknames. At the very bottom was the player’s name and uniform number in blue font. On the reverse, statistical information was presented in blue and orange tables spanning four seasons of data (1983-1986). Career stats were also included. The card stock was thicker than previous Topps issues, providing sturdier cards that held up better to the rigors of being shuffled, traded, and stored in bulging cardboard boxes under kid’s beds.

Speaking of photos, the 1987 Topps set saw the debut of respected baseball photographer William “Bud” Smith. A longtime Topps hire, Smith would go on to shoot photographs for hundreds of future Topps releases. His artistic eye and attention to detail helped elevate the visual quality of the ’87s above previous cardboard. With Smith’s photos serving as the main visual component on each card front, sets took on a cohesive polish not readily apparent in past mixed photo/illustration designs. Players finally seemed consistently posed at the plate or on the mound from card to card.

Some key statistical and player milestones found in the 1987 Topps set included Fernando Valenzuela’s emergence with the Dodgers, Roger Clemens’ first of many 20-win seasons with the Red Sox, Wade Boggs hitting .368 to lead the AL for the 4th straight year, and Tim Raines amassing 90 stolen bases as the league’s premier base stealer. Rookies Ken Griffey Jr. and Mark McGwire also got their cardboard introductions. The Dodgers and Twins faced off in the ’87 World Series, captured on the card fronts of Orel Hershiser and Kirby Puckett respective to their championship teams.

Beyond just the on-field action, the 1987 Topps cards also highlighted some off-the-field transitions. This was the final set to feature Cincinnati Reds legend Pete Rose before his lifetime ban took effect in August 1989 after an investigation found he had bet on baseball games while managing the team. Cards of Rose in a Reds uniform would never be seen again. Similarly, this was the last Topps issue for longtime Expos slugger Tim Raines in a Montreal uniform. He would be traded to the Cubs before the 1988 season. Raines’ Expos career was captured perfectly with his ’87 Topps RC.

When it came to card layout and distribution, the 1987 Topps set contained 792 total cards as was standard for Topps issues of the era. The base cards ran from #1 to #792 with additional inserts like Topps All-Star cards and Traded subsets rounding things out. As with most modern releases, the cards came in factory-sealed wax packs of five cards each, with one pack included free inside a stick of Topps Chewing Gum. This blast from the past retro packaging helped fuel the enthusiasm kids felt for the cardboard hobby each spring.

In the decades since, the 1987 Topps baseball cards have become very influential and iconic issues within the collecting community. They represent the transition from mixed photo sets to fully colorized cardboard. Topps’ commitment to higher quality photography is evident. And the clean yet classic designs have aged extremely well. Modern condition-sensitive collectors especially seek out pristine ’87s to showcase in protective holders. But even beat-up examples hold significance as tangible pieces of baseball history from a transformational period for the cardboard craze. Values have steadily climbed since the late ’80s boom, ensuring these classic cards remain beloved staples in collections worldwide.

Thanks to breakthroughs like all-color photos, elite photographers, and enduring nostalgic designs, the 1987 Topps baseball cards earned their place as some of the most important and fondly remembered issues in the hobby’s lore. They captured a special year in MLB on the field while celebrating iconic players and careers off it. Today, they continue to inspire new generations of collectors with their timeless mix of baseball, bubblegum, and childhood summers past. The ’87s were truly a seminal set that pushed cardboard collecting to greater heights.

The 1989 Topps chewing gum baseball card series marked the 28th year Topps had produced cards as the exclusive licensed Major League Baseball card issuer. The 660 card base set featured all players from the American and National Leagues along with managers and coaches. As was tradition, Topps also released special subsets highlighting rookie cards, All-Star players, league leaders and more.

Some key details about the 1989 Topps set:

Design/Artwork: The design featured a large full color photo of the player along with stats and team logo/colors across the bottom. The border was white with the Topps logo and copyright info along the bottom. Overall it featured a very clean and consistent look fitting of late 80s card design sensibilities.

Short Prints: There were no true short prints in the base set, however Topps did produce a special autographed subset of 50 cards signed by the players themselves. These autographed inserts were significantly rarer to pull from packs.

Rookies: Notable rookie cards included Barry Bonds, Bobby Thigpen, Sandy Alomar Jr., Gregg Olson and Craig Biggio. While Bonds would go on to have a Hall of Fame career, none of the rookies were truly standouts in their debut seasons so their cards held little initial value.

Star Players: The biggest stars of the late 80s like Orel Hershiser, Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs and Mark McGwire all received prominent card placements within the set. McGwire’s rising popularity as a power hitter made his common card a popular bargain for collectors even at the time.

Inserts/Parallels: Topps released several inserted subsets highlighting All-Stars, league leaders, and postseason performers from 1988. There were no true parallels or variations outside of the autographed subset.

Production/Print Run: It’s estimated Topps printed around 750 million 1989 cards to fill demand, on par with production levels of the mid-80s. As the MLB licensed monopoly holder, Topps faced no competition and had strong distribution through mass retail outlets like grocery and convenience stores.

Initial Reception/Values: Outside of the rookie cards which held little value, most commons from the 1989 set traded for 10-25 cents through the early 90s. Stars and especially the autographed inserts performed a bit better. Overall it was considered an extremely common modern set, even by the completion of its release year.

Long Term Value: Flash forward over 30 years and the 1989 Topps set has developed strong nostalgia and collecting appeal for kids who grew up during the late 80s baseball boom. Commons now sell for $1-3 while star cards can reach $10-25 in graded gem mint condition. Top rookie cards like Bonds have increased 1000x or more due to his HOF performance. The autographed inserts have also gained immense value as true rare chase cards from the set.

A big reason for the long term value increase stems from the baseball card boom of the late 80s/early 90s. With MLB popularity at an all-time high and child collectors excited to snap up the shiny new cardboard, sets like 1989 Topps were produced in mind-boggling quantities seemingly destined to become yard sale commons. What collectors didn’t anticipate was how fleeting the era would become. As the economy cooled and fraud/scandals rocked the industry later in the 90s, interest dropped precipitously leaving millions of abandoned collections in its wake.

Combined with the nostalgia of collectors who participated during the boom coming back to the hobby as adults, sets whose unopened production totals seemed like liabilities are now the long term blue chip nostalgia plays. While 1989 Topps may never achieve ultra high-end status, there’s no denying it resonates deeply with a large segment of collectors who grew up during one of the true golden eras in the history of sports cards. Three decades later it maintains its place as a fun and nostalgic set at reasonable vintage price points.

While deemed an ultra-common set upon release due to massive production numbers, changing dynamics in the hobby have bestowed the 1989 Topps baseball card series with newfound nostalgia and value. As a window into late 80s MLB and a snapshot of a boom period in card collecting history, it holds distinct appeal for collectors today. Key cards like rookie talents and autographed inserts have appreciation tremendously while even commons retain popularity within the context of the era. The 1989 Topps set stands as an accessible and iconic reminder of baseball card collecting’s storied past.

The 1975 Topps chewing gum baseball card set was the fourteenth series of annual issues produced by the Topps Chewing Gum Company. Following the tremendous popularity of baseball cards in the early 1970s, demand remained high in 1975 and Topps released another standard size (2.5″ x 3.5″) set featuring all major league players.

Some key things to know about the 1975 Topps baseball card set include:

Design: The design featured a dramatic posed action photo of each player on a blue/silver background. Player names and teams were featured prominently in yellow text at the top, with statistics along the right side. The back provided more career stats and a brief biography.

Size: As was standard for the time, cards measured approx. 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches. They came in wax paper packs with a stick of Topps chewing gum.

Numbers: The set included 792 total cards, running from 1-792. Of these, 752 featured individual major league players while the remaining spots highlighted teams, managers, and records.

Rosters: All 26 major league teams were fully represented with cards showcasing every player on their 40-man rosters as of opening day 1975. This included both active players and those on the disabled list or reserves lists.

Rookies: Notable rookie cards included future Hall of Famers Eddie Murray, Dave Parker, Don Sutton, and Frank Robinson (in his second stint as a player). Other rookie standouts were Carlton Fisk, Ron Guidry, and Dan Quisenberry.

Stars: The set featured superstars of the day like Hank Aaron, Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Reggie Jackson, and Tom Seaver. Aaron’s card would end up being one of his last in a Braves uniform before joining the Brewers.

Errors: A small number of errors occurred, including spelling and statistical mistakes. One notable error card featured Dick Pole instead of Dick Pole, an actual minor leaguer mistakenly included in place of Dick Pole the Phillies player.

Photography: As with previous years, Topps sent photographers to spring training camps and regular season games to capture photos of each player for their cards. Action shots remained the theme throughout the 1970s.

Design variations: No major design changes occurred between the 1974 and 1975 sets. Subtle variations existed like photo cropping and yellow color intensity between print runs. No true “variations” or short prints stood out.

By 1975, the popularity of collecting baseball cards remained an integral part of the game. While the initial era of the “bubble gum wars” between Topps and rivals Bowman and Fleer had ended, Topps reigned as the dominant brand. An estimated 400 million 1975 Topps packs were sold that year, containing the highly coveted rookie cards of future stars.

In the mid-1970s, regional distributors controlled wax pack distribution which led to certain cards being more “popular” in different parts of the country based on what boxes broke down where. For example, Eddie Murray rookie cards were considered tougher to find in some Northeast regions compared to others.

The 1975 Topps set endures as one of the most iconic issues of the 1970s. While production techniques and photography styles would evolve in the coming decade, the ’75s captured a nostalgic “classic” baseball card aesthetically pleasing to collectors even today. Beyond the accomplished veterans and all-time greats featured, the rookie class alone makes it a very desirable set to acquire.

In the decades since their release, mint conditioned 1975 Topps cards of high-value stars and rookies have attained considerable collector demand. Graded gems of players like Aaron, Rose, Bench, Seaver, Guidry, and especially Eddie Murray regularly trade hands for thousands of dollars. Even well-loved near-complete sets in average circulation condition still hold tangible collector value in the baseball card marketplace.

For historians of the vintage card era, the 1975 Topps issue provides a compelling snapshot of the rosters and talents that defined major league baseball in the mid-1970s. Familiar faces abound alongside the early stages of future Cooperstown enshrinees. Today, the set lives on as a beloved connection to the past for fans and a worthwhile long-term investment admired by savvy collectors. Over 45 years since packs first hit stores, demand and appreciation for the 1975 Topps cards shows no signs of slowing.