Why the 1987 Topps Baseball Card Set Will Always Be My Favorite

Some baseball card sets are valuable because of their rarity. Others, like the 1987 Topps baseball card set, are valuable because of the memories they evoke. For me, this set is pure nostalgia wrapped in woodgrain borders, and no other collection has ever come close to capturing my heart the way this one did.

Growing up in Austin, my grandmother and I had a little tradition. Every time we went to Winn’s, she’d let me pick out a pack of baseball cards. If you’re not from Austin, you might not know Winn’s, but it was a discount store on Burnet Road where you could find everything from toys to household essentials. For me, it was a place of pure magic. And nothing felt more magical than those wax packs of baseball cards, stacked near the checkout, just waiting to be opened.

To a young boy who loved the Texas Rangers, that little pack of 15 cards felt like a treasure chest. There was the thrill of not knowing which players I’d find, the feel of the wax paper in my hands, and, yes, the stick of gum that came with it—chalky, brittle, and glorious.

Opening each pack was exhilarating. Would I find Nolan Ryan? Mark McGwire? Or maybe Ruben Sierra, my favorite Ranger at the time? I can still vividly remember the day I pulled his card. The bold Rangers logo, the vintage woodgrain border, and his poised stance made it feel like I’d just uncovered a masterpiece.

And then there was Scott Fletcher. He wasn’t exactly a star—far from it, really—but as a young fan, I loved him just as much as the big names. Fletcher was scrappy, dependable, and always seemed to give it his all. I didn’t care that his stats didn’t light up the scoreboard; to me, he was the heart of the team.

When the Rangers traded him to the White Sox in 1989, I was crushed. It felt personal, like the team had taken away one of my favorite cards from my binder and handed it to someone else. Little did I know at the time that Fletcher wasn’t the only piece of that trade. He was sent to Chicago along with a young outfielder named Sammy Sosa. Of course, Sosa would go on to become one of the biggest names in baseball during the home run chase of the late ‘90s, but at the time, he was just another name on the transaction sheet. Looking back, it’s incredible to think that one of the most iconic sluggers in MLB history was involved in the trade that broke my heart as a kid.

To this day, holding a card from the 1987 Topps set gives me the same “warm fuzzies” I felt back then. There’s something about the combination of that distinct design, the quirky lettering for the player names, and the simplicity of the era that takes me right back to those carefree afternoons with my grandmother.

A Set That’s “Worthless” But Priceless

It’s no secret that the 1987 Topps set was mass-produced to the point of absurdity. Millions upon millions of cards were printed, flooding the market during the height of the late-’80s collecting boom. These days, most cards from the set are worth mere pennies, and even the prized rookies—Barry Bonds, Bo Jackson, Will Clark—don’t fetch much unless they’re graded in gem-mint condition.

But for me, the value of this set has nothing to do with dollars and everything to do with memories. It represents a simpler time, when collecting wasn’t about flipping cards for profit or chasing PSA 10s—it was about joy.

Dreaming of Topps Tiffany

That’s not to say I wouldn’t love to own a “premium” version of the set. The 1987 Topps Tiffany set, with its glossy finish and limited production run, feels like the holy grail for collectors like me who adore this design. An unopened Tiffany set, along with an unopened 1987 Topps Traded set, is my ultimate dream. Just imagining the pristine cards inside, untouched for decades, makes my inner child giddy.

It’s funny, really—when I think about my dream of owning a Topps Tiffany set, it’s not about the investment potential. It’s about paying tribute to that little boy in Austin who saved every Ruben Sierra card he pulled, chewed every stick of gum like it was a delicacy, and proudly put Scott Fletcher in the same league as Nolan Ryan.

Why the 1987 Topps Set Endures

The 1987 Topps set may not be rare, but it’s unforgettable. For me and so many other collectors, it represents a time when the game was simpler, the packs were cheaper, and the joy of collecting wasn’t overshadowed by the business side of the hobby.

Every time I look at a card from this set, I’m reminded of those afternoons at Winn’s with my grandmother and the unshakable thrill of opening a fresh pack. And that, more than anything, is why the 1987 Topps baseball card set will always hold a special place in my heart.