There is no more iconic symbol of the hobby’s 1980s boom years than a stack or box or binder full of 1987 Topps baseball cards.
From the moment prototypes of these wood-grained beauties hit the hobby press circuit late in 1986, collectors have gravitated to the pasteboards that were at once throwbacks to an earlier era (1962 Topps, in particular) and a testament to the new world of collecting — massive overproduction and near ubiquitous availability.
If you want to learn about all the options and subsets and packaging models that 1987 Topps, you can check out our ultimate guide to the set right here.
But there’s plenty to be learned about the infamous, love-’em-or-hate-’em woodies by stepping through the list of the most valuable members of the checklist, too, and you can get a heavy dose of nostalgia by reconsidering the players involved.
So that’s exactly what we’ll do below, focusing on cards in PSA 9 condition since that’s the most common grade that PSA has handed out for these classics.
Without further adieu, then, here are the 25 most valuable 1987 Topps baseball cards — in reverse order, and with a couple of bonus runs tagged on for good measure … 35 cards in all!
(Note: The following sections contain affiliate links to current eBay and Amazon listings for the cards being discussed.)
25) 1987 Topps Wade Boggs (#150)
Wade Boggs was coming of his third American League batting title, and second of four in a row, when this card was issued. Yet it was his glove that Topps featured on this card (along with a happy smile).
That glove would turn Gold later in his career, with the Yankees, and Boggs would sail into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 2005.
Today, his 1987 Topps card sells in the $10-13 range in PSA 9 condition.
Check prices on eBay (affiliate link)
Check prices on Amazon (affiliate link)
24) 1987 Topps Tony Gwynn (#530)
Like Boggs, Tony Gwynn had already established himself as one of the game’s great pure hitters by 1987. And, though he had just one batting crown under his belt at that point, he would capture another that summer with an amazing .370 average.
Before all was said and done, Mr. Padre would add six more NL batting titles — eight total! — and amass 3141 hits en route to a forever home in Cooperstown.
Today, Gwynn’s 1987 Topps card checks in at about $10 in graded MINT condition.
Check prices on eBay (affiliate link)
Check prices on Amazon (affiliate link)
23) 1987 Topps Roger Clemens (#340)
In 1986, Roger Clemens broke out like few pitchers before or since: 24-4, 2.48 ERA, 238 strikeouts.
He even added the first 20-strikeout game for good measure!
By the next spring, his cards were among the hottest in the hobby, and they maintain a strong collector base today, even after all the backlash surrounding his association with PEDs.
Expect to pay $10-15 for a 1987 Topps Clemens in slabbed MINT condition.
Check prices on eBay (affiliate link)
Check prices on Amazon (affiliate link)
22) 1987 Topps Don Mattingly All-Star (#606)
Don Mattingly crashed the baseball scene with his unexpected run to a batting title in 1984 (taking down Yankees teammate Dave Winfield in the process), and his meteoric rise took his 1984 Donruss rookie card with him, changing the hobby forever.
Donnie Baseball followed that up with an MVP season in 1985 and an arguably even better performance in 1986.
He was the hottest name in the game, and the hottest cardboard in the hobby.
Today, this version of his 1987 Topps All-Star card will set you back $10-12 in PSA 9 condition … but there is another. You’ll have to read on to get the full story.
Check prices on eBay (affiliate link)
Check prices on Amazon (affiliate link)
21) 1987 Topps Dwight Gooden (#130)
After showing Clemens (and the rest of the world) that it really was possible to go 24-4 in 1985, Dwight Gooden slipped to “just” 17-9 with a 2.84 ERA in 1986 … at age 21.
The world was still his oyster.
And, even though the pearl of his career turned out to have more than a few blemishes, the weight of years has restored — or at least maintained — a bit of the luster his cards once used to blaze through the hobby.
Today, Doc’s 1987 Topps card is another $10-15 buy in PSA 9 condition.
Check prices on eBay (affiliate link)
Check prices on Amazon (affiliate link)