Topps Baseball Cards In Review
So there you have it, the ten most valuable 1987 Topps cards.
As you can see, it will take them being professionally graded in gem mint condition to be worth much.
This set was one of the most popular of the 1980’s and contained a monstrous 792 card checklist in total.
Within the set were also several different subsets, including:
Topps #634 Rafael Palmeiro Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
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Palmeiro was another member of Topps’ “Future Stars” subset that year who did live up to that expectation.
True, his career ended in controversy like other members on this list but his rookie card still holds up as one of this set’s most valuable.
He put up some monster numbers year after year but surprisingly was only named to the All-Star team four times in his career.
Like Maddux, he was one of the key players of that era who slipped away from the Cubs.
S Topps Baseball Cards
There were some really great 1980s Topps baseball cards, and I mean great. Some of my favorites were the early 80s, of course. The 84 Don Mattingly rookie, the 80 Rickey Henderson rookie, and the 82 Cal Ripken future stars card. Early 1980s Topps baseball cards were not over-produced and included the rookie years of many Hall-of-Famers.
Then there were the late 1980s Topps cards. My estimate is over one trillion of these cards were produced. A kid in 1989 could hardly turn around without knocking over a stack of late 80s Topps baseball cards. They were everywhere.
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Topps Traded #70 Greg Maddux Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $200
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One of the greatest pitchers of all-time, Greg Maddux may not have had overpowering stuff but his ability to place the ball anywhere he wanted made him a perennial Cy Young Award candidate.
Maddux spent several quality years with the Cubs from 1986 to 1992 when he won his first of four consecutive Cy Young Awards before being signed by the Braves.
Technically, this card is part of the Topps Traded and not the Topps set but since it’s one of the most sought after cards of the 1980s and Maddux is one of my favorite pitchers of all-time, I figured I’d include him.
Topps Tiffany And Traded Cards
Topps offered different versions of their cards from 1984 to 1991. If you flip the card over, you can easily tell the difference by the white backs on the Tiffany cards. They will also appear glossy on the front.
There are also Topps Traded cards, which look very similar to the Tiffany cards from 1987. Values for the Tiffany cards are much higher than the regular Topps cards because only 30,000 cards were produced.
The 1987 Topps Tiffany cards are currently reselling on eBay with impressive price gains over the last few months. You can search eBay and view all the recent sales in order of dollar value, date of sale, or even closest sale to your location. Its a great way to see month-over-month price changes for certain cards.
This guy breaks open a sealed set of Tiffany 1987 Topps baseball cards. Its pretty cool to see the difference between the glossy Tiffany cards up close.
1987 Topps Barry Bonds
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Topps Cal Ripken Baltimore Orioles Baseball Card
Card Number: #599
This card comes with multiple printing errors on it and it is ungraded but nevertheless valuable. It pictures Tony Gwynn who was nicknamed Mr Padre. He played right fielder for the San Diego Padres. He might have hit 400 in 1994 but didnt. The consensus is that no would ever do it again.
What Is The Difference Between A Topps Baseball Card And A Topps Tiffany Baseball Card
Topps Tiffany baseball cards offer collectors a more upscale option for many sets from the Junk Wax Era. Between 1984 and 1991 Topps made a relatively limited number of factory sets that came with better production values. Secondary values of Topps Tiffany cards are much stronger than their regular Topps counterparts.
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Shop For 1987 Topps Baseball Boxes
Here are the top deals on boxes currently listed on eBay.
Yeah, Im a hater. So sue me. I hate this set so much, that I have gone out of my way to get my hands on as many dups as possible, and destroy them. Ive used some of these cards as kindling throughout the summer one year when I was camping more often than usual. I think it was about ten years ago. 2005ish.
Having said that, I do keep at least one copy of every single card in this set in pristine condition, plus some misprints and errors, despite my hate for the design of the card. Dups, I destroy. And I know my destruction of these cards hardly puts a dent on what is out there. Still, I like to know that perhaps I might be putting some sort of ding, however minor, in the numbers. Plus, its fun to destroy a hated product. And this is hardly the only set I do this with.
Yeah, Im a hater. 😀
And as punishment for my hate, when I become of retirement age in about 30 years from now, these cards will suddenly be worth $10,000 / piece. 😀
Topps Procards Jacksonville Expos Randy Johnson
Price: $329.99
Card Number: 451
Randal David Johnson was nicknamed The Big Unit. He was a pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball with different teams throughout his career. He played primarily with the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks. He was known for throwing fastballs that can reach over 100 mph. One time Randys fastball killed a dove as it flew into the home plate.
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Topps Baseball Cards Worth Collecting
If you are one of the 400 million people who have a box of 1987 Topps baseball cards in your basement, youre probably wondering what they are worth. I have some good news and some bad news for you.
The good news is, there are a few cards that could be lurking in your 87 Topps that might bring some joy and could be worth a few bucks. The bad news is a box of 87 Topps commons will bring you pain, agony, and sadness as you realize theres more value in the box than the cards themselves.
I write this from personal experience, as I have recently flipped through an old box of 1987 Topps baseball cards that havent been touched in 30 years. Afterward, as I placed the box back in the closet, I thought, well, theres ten minutes of my life Ill never get back.
Most Valuable 1987 Topps Baseball Cards In The World
One of the most popular online sports collectibles trading card games is baseball cards. In 1987, the Topps baseball card set was printed and it is among the best collections of cards to own. What makes vintage baseball cards so special is that they are historic pieces of art. The future popularity of these cards depends upon their condition and the year that they were printed.
If you have been collecting for a while, you know that Topps baseball cards from the 80s are now highly valuable. With so many hobbyists who are interested in collecting high-grade cards, one might even think it would be easy to walk into a card show or shop and find a 1987 Topps rookie card for $20. Well, this just isnt the case.
Card Number: #225
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Topps #30 Roger Clemens
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40
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At this point on the list we’re way past the point where paying the fee to grade a card really doesn’t make much sense from a profitability standpoint.
But in top condition, Clemens’ card still can be worth $20 so if it’s the Tiffany version.
A young Rocket is shown smiling in his Red Sox uniform.
It’s a nice-looking card overall but not nearly as valuable as some of the others on this list.
Topps #648 Barry Larkin Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $100
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Ozzie Smith may have been the era’s greatest shortstop but Larkin was no slouch either.
He’d end up in the Hall of Fame once all was said and done.
Larkin was incredibly productive and perhaps more importantly, consistent.
He was effective with both the bat and his glove on his way to earning 12 All-Star team selections over his career.
And his rookie card is one of the keys to the 1987 Topps set as a result.
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Topps Traded Reggie Jackson
In December of 1986, Reggie Jackson signed a free agent deal to return to his first team, the Oakland As, for what looked like it would be his Major League swan song.
While that did turn out to be the case, not even the straw that stirs the drink making a big move right before retirement could alter baseball card production schedules, so Reggie appears in the various 1987 base sets as a member of the California Angels.
They all came around by the end of the year, though, and Jackson landed quasi-career-capper cards in Donruss Opening Day, Fleer Update, and Topps Traded.
And, even though Fleer gave Reggie a full-blown career-capper in 1988, this 1987 Topps Traded dandy is still popular with collectors today its worth $10 or so in PSA 9 condition.
Mickey Mantle Card Breaks Record
A 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card that went to auction earlier this month sold for a record $12.6 million on Sunday. Its the most ever paid for any sports item, card or memorabilia, according to ESPN.
A T206 Honus Wagner card sold earlier this month for $7.25 million, a then-record that didnt last long. The Mantle card, which was graded at 9.5 by the card-grading company SGC, is arguably the finest-condition example of the most iconic post-war card in the world, said Chris Ivy of Heritage Auctions, which conducted the sale, according to ESPN.
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Topps #320 Barry Bonds Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $350
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Barry Bonds’ career may forever be under a cloud of controversy due to the PED scandal of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s.
Many will actually point to this card as an example of how much his body transformed over the years from his alleged use of PED.
A young Bonds is shown taking a huge cut and sending one soaring on this rookie card, a key to the set and the most valuable in the checklist.
Most Valuable 1987 Topps Traded Baseball Cards
While our baseball cards came fully loaded with big-name rookies in 1987, our on-the-field choices were decidedly less exciting especially if you were into anticipation.
I mean, sure, Big Mac lit up the northern hemisphere with his megawattage power, but we already had his rookie cards at our waxy fingertips, thanks to Topps and Donruss.
And after Paul Bunyan, the fireworks fell off pretty quickly, with Kevin Seitzer and Matt Nokes finishing second and third in American League Rookie of the Year voting.
In the NL, the top first-year men were Benito Santiago, Mike Dunne, and Joe Magrane.
All fine players with nice careers in front of them, but none of them really revved collector hearts and mind, and some of them already had rookie cards, to boot.
Heading into the end-of-season traded/update sets, the biggest draws were probably Seitzer, thanks to his high batting average and Nokes, thanks to his unexpected power surge .
And, sure, there were odds and ends here and there that piqued our interest, too the first Fleer McGwire card, the first Topps Santiago card, the ever-coveted Tom Trebelhorn manager card.
And, wouldnt you know it?? Pitcher B burned the whole place down.
Looking at those early cards of Jamie Moyer and Greg Maddux, you could probably be forgiven for thinking they showed the same dude.
Or mirror images of the same dude.
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Topps Baseball Cards Value
If every man, woman, and child in America own at least one box of 1987 Topps baseball cards, whats the value of each box? Of course, it depends. From personal experience, I can say its possible to flip through an entire box of 87 Topps cards and not recognize one single name.
If its possible for something to have negative value, these unrecognizable faces on the 1987 Topps cards qualify. A negative value would be something that costs you more to own than its actually worth.
The space the object occupies in the universe costs more than the value the object delivers. Thats the 1987 Topps baseball common card.
It might sound harsh, but start flipping through a box of picked-over, cleaned-out, common cards from the 1987 Topps set, and you will most likely agree. To make my point crystal clear, I tried to give away a box of 87 Topps baseball cards to my nephew, and he wanted ten bucks to go with them, just to take them off my hands.
But there are 1987 Topps baseball cards with some value. Especially if you have Topps Traded or Tiffany cards, these limited edition cards were produced in much lower production numbers, making them hard to find and valuable.
The Least Valuable Baseball Cards of All-Time My collection of 1987 Topps Baseball Cards.
Topps 1987 Complete Set Values
Complete sets of the 1987 Topps Baseball Tiffany cards are currently selling for over $1,000 on eBay. These are factory-sealed sets with the original sticker and are in great condition.
Topps Baseball Cards: Error Cards
1987 Topps Baseball Error cards can often be some of the more interesting options overall, especially if theyre recognized as such by collectors and grading companies.
The Trading Card Database has a list of common 87 Topps errors and variations, with 10 in total.
Don Mattingly is joined by Urbano Lugo and Dwight Gooden on the list, although none appear to be worth any significant amount of money compared to the heavy-hitters mentioned above.
However, its not a comprehensive list, which makes sense as 1987 Topps Baseball has a massive 792-card checklist ..
Subsets included All-Stars Checklists, Future Stars, Manager Cards, Record Breakers, Team Leaders, Topps All-Star Rookies, and Turn Back The Clock.
- Urbano Lugo #92a ERR: No trademark on the front next to Angels logo
- Urbano Lugo #92b COR: Trademark on the front next to Angels logo
- Joe Niekro #344a VAR: Copyright inside right-hand border on back
- Joe Niekro #344b VAR: Copyright outside right-hand border on back
- Dwight Gooden #603a ERR: No trademark on NL logo on front
- Dwight Gooden #603b COR: Trademark on NL logo on front
- Don Mattingly#606a ERR: No trademark on AL logo on front
- Don Mattingly #606b: Trademark on AL logo on front
- Ray Soff #671a ERR: No D* before copyright line
- Ray Soff #671b COR: D* before copyright line
Given the age of the sets, its not uncommon to find error cards, which often come in the form of misprinted versions that were laid incorrectly.
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What Is The Junk Wax Era
The Mantle card reportedly came from a trove of untouched 1952 Topps baseball cards found in a basement, according to ESPN.
For those who have their own boxes of baseball cards stored away and are hoping for a payday, be aware that there is an era of baseball cards that is particularly not valuable.
Its called the Junk Wax Era, and its generally thought of as covering the years 1986 to 1993. Thats when leagues were over-licensing to anyone who wanted in on the gold rush, David Gonos wrote for The Athletic.
Junk wax baseball cards didnt get their name because theyre rare and valuable. In fact they are quite the opposite, according to PSAcollector.com. … Because so many baseball cards were printed between roughly 1987 and 1993, the values plummeted significantly.
There are, however, some cards from this era that have some value. Theres a consensus about one in particular a 1993 SP Derek Jeter rookie card. According to the Athletic, SP was a high-end product from Upper Deck. It comes with a PSA value of $360,000 for a condition grade of 10.
An Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card from 1989 also makes the Athletics list. Upper Deck shook up the collecting world with improved glossy card stock, inserts worth chasing, counterfeit-defying holograms and foil wrappers instead of wax, Gonos wrote.
Are 1970s Topps Baseball Cards Worth Anything
Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $2,500
Usually in this hobby, a given players base card is worth much more than his All-Star card. However, The Sporting News All-Star cards in the 1970 Topps set were notoriously plagued with centering issues making examples of them in high grade all but impossible to find.
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Are Any 80s Or 90s Baseball Cards Worth Anything
With only 21 Grade 10s in circulation, this Derek Jeter rookie card is the most valuable baseball card of the 80s and 90s. As you read before, Jeter is one of the greatest to ever live and this card fetched a price that showed it. In a recent last auction, this card was able to be sold for well over $100,000.
Investment Analysis And Advice
The 1987 Topps set is fondly remembered thanks to strong design choices and a large checklist of 792 cards.
Its undoubtedly an iconic set, even if they were overproduced along with many others during the late 1980s.
- Set Investment Rating: Buy
- Ownership Disclosure: None
- Best 1987 Topps Card:Barry Bonds Tiffany
As for the cards themselves, its clear that PSA 10 copies are the way to go if youre hoping to maximize ROI in the long term.
There are simply too many supply outweighs demand, and the drop-off for 9 grades is significant.
Unfortunately, they were also released during the start of the steroids era, which tainted many heavy hitters from the late 80s through to the late 2000s.
Attitudes have begun to soften ever so slightly, while their names will remain in the record books, even if theres still an element of doubt compared to modern stars and old pros.
Its not the worst investment by any means, and theyre a little underpriced considering the quality of the rookie class.
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