Top 1987 Topps Football Cards to Collect

1987 Topps Football helps to fill out the latter part of the 1980s slew of releases, although it is a set that does not rival some earlier releases, like 1981 or 1982. This is in part of 1987 being the unofficial start of the "junk wax" era in sports cards, even though football does not get discussed with that label as much. The 1987 set, despite being released during this era, does contain key rookie cards of Hall of Famers that make a great addition to anyone's collection.

1. Jim Kelly RC (Card #362)

Jim Kelly may very well be the best known Quarterback of the Buffalo Bills before Josh Allen was drafted in 2018. Kelly is also the subject of the best rookie card in the set to chase, and also the most valuable. Kelly was part of the key Bills teams of the 1990s that went to four straight Super Bowls, but came up short in all of them. Despite this Kelly still earned an election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Ungraded copies of Kelly's rookie can be purchased for between $5-$11, while a PSA 10 recently sold for $473.

2. Randall Cunningham RC (Card #296)

1987 Topps Football Randall Cunningham RC | eBay

While he is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Randall Cunningham's dominance in the NFL cannot be understated. During his career, he passed for 29,979 yards and 207 touchdowns at a time when passing was not the dominant form of offense. He also was elected to the Pro Bowl four times, and had an absolute cannon of an arm. Copies of his rookie are attainable for just about any collector, with ungraded versions selling for as low as $3, with condition being a factor in price.

3. Doug Flutie RC (Card #45)

Collectors, get your Flutie Flakes out. Doug Flutie's rookie is in the 1987 Topps set when he was a member of the Chicago Bears. Flutie's NFL career is an odd one, as he was playing football actively for over twenty years. But, a majority of the 1990s were spent up in Canada for Flutie as a member of BC Lions, Calgary Stampeders, and Toronto Argonauts. Flutie returned to the NFL in 1998, where he would go on to start for the Buffalo Bills. Perhaps Flutie's journey is why he still has some hobby value today. Collectors can pick up his rookie card for as low as $2.

4. Charles Haley RC (Card #125)

A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Charles Haley was a key defensive player of the 1990s, winning Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys. By the time he retired, Haley had five Super Bowl Championships to his name. By the time Haley was done playing, he was able to accumulate 100.5 sacks. Due to being a defensive player, his hobby value is not as high as some think it should be. His card can be purchased for around $2, but anyone looking for a PSA graded copy will have to pay up. A PSA 10 sold recently for $195.

5. Jerry Rice (Card #115)

What can be said about the greatest receiver of all time? It is hard to put into words the impact that Jerry Rice had on the NFL, and on the Wide Receiver position as a whole. The main reason that this card makes this list is that it is RIce's second year card, with his rookie coming in the 1986 set. In certain cases, the second year cards of players do hold a decent value, and Rice does fall into this category. Rice's second year card can be bought for around $2-$7, depending on condition.

The 1987 Topps Football set is attainable for any collector to get, with complete sets generally selling for under $70. The set itself contains some important Hall of Fame rookie cards, but also rookies of players who were dominating the 1990s, or were part of a comeback story to get back into the NFL. The affordability is part of what makes the 1987 set so relevant today, and collectors everywhere should keep this set in mind when acquiring cards for their collection.