Topps Mini Baseball Cards 1987
The 1987 Topps mini baseball card set was a landmark release that helped further expand the collectors market and bring in new fans, especially younger children. Issued as a smaller, more affordable alternative to Topps’ standard sized cards, the minis stood out with their innovative photographic design that highlighted the players up close. Featuring 100 total cards of MLB stars from the previous 1986 season, the 1987 Topps mini set broke new ground and remains a highly desirable vintage card collection today.
At just 2 1/8 inches by 3 1/4 inches, the mini cards were less than half the size of a standard baseball card. However, Topps didn’t cut any corners when it came to the quality and content within the smaller package. Each mini card featured a large centered action photo of a player, with their name and team underneath in bold printed text. Statistics from the ’86 season like batting average, home runs, and RBI were included on the reverse along with a short blurb about the player. By condensing all the key details onto a smaller platform, Topps created cards that were more displayable and kid-friendly.
Some notable stars featured in the full 100 card 1987 Topps mini baseball set included Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, Ozzie Smith, Gary Carter, Rickey Henderson, and Ryne Sandberg. Rougned Odor, currently of the New York Yankees, was also included as a rookie card at age 15 after playing in just 9 MLB games in 1986 for the Texas Rangers. The minis captured these talented ballplayers through vivid action photography, close up headshots, or even posed portraits that brought each player’s personality to the compact size.
In addition to current stars, the 1987 Topps mini set paid homage to baseball history with retired greats of the past. Legends like Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Sandy Koufax, and Reggie Jackson each received their own mini card, commemorating their illustrious MLB careers even after hanging up their cleats. For younger collectors just getting into the hobby, these retired players helped connect them to the rich tradition of the game prior to their own fandom.
The visually compelling photography set the 1987 Topps mini cards apart from other releases at the time. While most standard sized cards opted for a simple headshot of the player, the mini format allowed Topps to experiment more boldly with different photographic angles, poses, and dynamic action shots. Some cards caught players swinging, sliding, or leaping dramatically for catches – transporting the young collector right onto the baseball diamond through the lively miniature images. The photographic innovation of the 1987 Topps mini set set a precedent that helped make the cardboard collectibles feel more like snapshots from an MLB game.
In terms of condition and grading scales, the smaller size of the 1987 Topps mini baseball cards presents both advantages and disadvantages compared to standard card collecting. On one hand, the minis were less than half as large as regular cards, making them less prone to creases, scratches or other edge damage over time that can degrade card condition grades. Printing defects like centering issues, color breaks or crimps were also more noticeable against the tiny canvas of a mini card front. Still, high grade 1987 Topps mini examples in pristine Near Mint or better condition can be found in collector’s hands today and carry significant value.
When first released in 1987, the Topps mini baseball cards retailed for $1 per wax pack which contained 10 mini cards in a plastic sleeve. This lower price of entry brought in many younger and newer collectors to build complete mini sets where a full standard size Topps set may have been out of reach. The ’87 Topps minis are also credited with being one of the key releases that helped reignite baseball card collecting as both a mainstream hobby and lucrative investment opportunity in the late 1980s and 1990s. Today complete 1987 Topps mini baseball sets in pristine condition can sell for over $1,000, showcasing their enduring collector appeal and nostalgia value decades later.
Even at their tinier size, the 1987 Topps mini baseball cards left an outsized impact on the collecting world. Their classic headshots and action photography coupled with legends of the game still pops off the cardboard some 35 years later. The minis paved the way for future specialized subsets and variations to continually attract new collector demographics. For many, ripping open a pack of these classic 1987 mini cards can instantly transport them back to their childhood summer afternoons rooting for home runs at the ballpark. Whether chasing high grades or set completion, the 1987 Topps mini baseball release remains a true vintage gem for collectors of all ages.
