Once again, I break the crappy old wax so you don't have to! I just picked up two boxes of 1987 OPC. In the 1984 OPC packs I opened not too long ago, they'd thankfully placed the gum behind the yearly contest insert card, thus saving the last card from a nasty rash. Sadly, no "Spring Training" contest in the '87 box. Incidentally, since OPC released their sets slightly later than Topps, you get a lot of "Now With Twins" type messages on the cards of guys who had changed teams.

36 packs
7 cards per pack
plus one stick of card damaging compound falsely advertised as "bubble gum"
396 cards to the set (OPC left out stuff like All-Stars, team leaders and managers, trimming the set to half the size of Topps)

no inserts

Pack 1:
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Dennis Eckersley
Dwight Gooden

Sadly, the entire pack is so ruined by the gum, the pack is a bust. The stick of gum is practically chewing the Gooden card.

Pack 2:
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Lou Whitaker

Buddy Bell did all he could to save the pack from a gooey demise, but wasn't able to prevent Tim Stoddard from receiving a 3rd degree gumming. Tom Nieto, in all his airbrushed Expos glory is apparently "Now With Twins". I guess it was too late for another coat of paint over the Expos gear.

Pack 3:
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Liste de Contrôle Baseball 1987: Cartes 265-396
(checklist for us non-Québécois)

Doyle Alexander & Gary Lucas succumb to the pink death.

Pack 4
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Carlton Fisk (gum stained)


Pete O'Brien does gum detail and fails miserably as the top edge (at least) of every card is damaged.

Pack 5
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Keith Hernandez (gummed to death)
Steve Garvey

Man, the gum is horrible in this box, another whole pack gone. Must not've been stored very well. At least the seller warned about this in the auction.

Pack 6
decent (but probably worthless) cards
hmm....Jack Morris?

Floyd Youmans gets the sucrose overdose.

Pack 7
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Eddie Murray...sadly he was playing defense as a gum shield.

Pack 8
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Danny Tartabull (with nifty "O-Pee-Chee All-Star Rookie" trophy and "Now with Royals" action)

Matt Young is caught in quite the sticky wicket. Tartabull was the only survivor, and even he didn't escape unscathed. More cards are going in the trash than in the "for later sorting" pile.

Pack 9
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Frank Viola

This box is brought to you by wax box cards E, F, G & H, and by the number 7.

Pack 10
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Tim Raines

Pack 11
decent (but probably worthless) cards
um, Phil Niekro, I guess

Y'know, it won't be long before someone realizes how rare decent condition OPC cards are and the prices start to climb. I'm thinking it will likely end up that the sealed boxes and packs will be worth lots more closed than busted with all the gum damage. After all, can a card be gum-damaged if you haven't opened the pack?

Pack 12
decent (but probably worthless) cards
bust

got a duplicate sequence of cards from earlier, though:

214 395 382 249

All worthless, but FYI.

Pack 13
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Paul Molitor
Dave Kingman
Fred Lynn

Just for kicks, I'll give the card sequence for the rest of the packs.

184
66
266
370
302
387
349

Pack 14
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Vince Coleman
Wally Joyner (but gummed to death)
Jack Clark (ditto)
Tony Gwynn

119
132
80
331
198
192
390

Pack 15
decent (but probably worthless) cards
sadly, the least damaged pack so far does no better than Jeff Reardon and Kelly Gruber

165
282
177
252
186
369
191

Pack 16:
HoJo
Rickey
Griffey the Elder

267
193
7
114
201
31
384

Easily the best pack so far. Maybe tied with Gwynn pack.

Pack 17
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Frank Viola

310
243
364
317
127
248
231

Pack 18
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Nolan Ryan!

74
155
57
8
327
218
183

Just when I thought the gum was getting better as I got deeper into the box, the last three cards were all glued together.

Pack 19
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Andres Galarraga

149
321
104
51
63
272
203

Pack 20
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Willie McGee
Jose Canseco (naturally, one of the first completely gum-free cards I get is centered about 90/10)

357
278
247
54
166
362
274

Pack 21
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Fred Lynn

370
302
387
349
257
173
211

Pack 22
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Jim Rice
Steve Carlton

195
227
121
146
292
271
78

Pack 23
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Wade Boggs (beautiful, almost centered and stain free!)
Harold Baines

150
245
389
187
144
309
174

Pack 24
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Lou Whitaker

35
376
105
139
115
106
124

I'm noticing as I open these, that OPC didn't have any nifty mail-away offers for cards printed on the packs, all they had to offer were offers for Expos & Blue Jays pennants.

Pack 25
decent (but probably worthless) cards
bust

1 (ah, OPC also dropped the record breakers, this card is wooly Ken Oberkfell)
148
61
246
283
145
258

Pack 26
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Steve Carlton
Nolan Ryan (Cool, the #1 & #2 K-Masters of their time. How 'bout that!)

271
78
74
155
57
8
327

Pack 27
decent (but probably worthless) cards
KG, Sr.
Paul Molitor

114
201
31
384
66
184
266

Pack 28
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Jesse Barfield

24
354
293 (Bob Rodgers, I guess the did include the Canadian managers)
94
235
154
112

Pack 29
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Howard Johnson
Rickey Henderson (lost to gum)

54
166
362
274
267
193
7

Pack 30 (home stretch!)
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Moose Haas (hey, his name is 'Moose')

252
186
369
191
213
134
244

Pack 31
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Lee Smith
Jim Rice

93
23
195
227
121
146
292

Pack 32
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Darryl Strawberry
Len Dykstra

260
339
379
366
86
32
295

Pack 33
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Andres Galarraga

51
63
272
203
165
282
177

Pack 34
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Tim Raines

125
21
181
223
240
151
30

Pack 35
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Harold Baines
Willie McGee
Jose Canseco (Gone With The Gum)


....and I seem to be out of packs. Either I was shorted one, or I miscounted. In any case, nearly this entire box was lost to gum damage and really didn't get any truly great cards. Ryan, Gwynn, Boggs and Henderson are about it. No Bonds, Mattingly, Will Clark, Winfield, Carter (Joe or Gary) or Clemens. Also, for whatever reason, OPC chose not to include Mark McGwire in their set, so Bonds is the one big card of the set. Well, I'll ponder busting the other box, but I think I'll wait awhile.

187
144
309
174
357
278
247

I'm interested in one of the Nolan Ryans :)

I'll get some scans up and you can see if you're still interested.

I'll get some scans up and you can see if you're still interested.
of the gum damaged ones!!!! LOL

Yeah, pretty much. Both are off center, one is slightly stained and the other is a bit more stained. I'll go ahead and bust the other box and see if it's any better.

Pack 1
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Dave Parker?

364
216
315
362
352
118
101

Pack 2
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Cal Ripken

88
312
173
109
44
322
364

Pack 3
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Tom Seaver

27
268
383
49
373
343
134

gum stains are about as bad in this box as the last.

Pack 4
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Steve Carlton
Don Sutton
Robin Yount

72
271
356
259
15
76
59

Pack 5
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Vince Coleman
Wally Joyner

119
337
80
266
67
18
389

Pack 6
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Phil Niekro
Frank Viola

389 (what's with all the Von Hayes cards?!)
88
6
173
174
310
278

Pack 7
decent (but probably worthless) cards
bust

31
131
66
154
266
67
18

Pack 8
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Dave Winfield

221
301
45
36
367
218
31

Pack 9
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Eric Davis
Danny Tartabull
Gary Gaetti

228
158
332
179
133
90
394

Pack 10
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Ryne Sandberg
Andres Galarraga
Steve Garvey

286
143
123
272
100
165
284

Pack 11
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Nolan Ryan (no stains, but off-center, I bet there aren't many PSA 9 or 10 OPC cards from 1987)

167
221
155
269
8
355
218

Pack 12
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Eric Davis
Danny Tartabull
Gary Gaetti

52
228
158
332
179
47
319

Pack 13
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Jose Canseco

137
75
121
247
311
79
167

Pack 14
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Mark Langston?

333
213
341
169
215
354
52

Pack 15
decent (but probably worthless) cards
bust (unless you count Bob Horner or John Franco)

116
325
282
371
42
305
34

Pack 16
decent (but probably worthless) cards
bust

112
351
192
291
68
334
185

Pack 17
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Mookie Wilson....Mookie :)

84
333
213
145
244
35
341

Pack 18
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Willie McGee
Jose Canseco
Mike Scott

65
195
357
330
247
311
79

Pack 19
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Dwight Gooden

59
327
264
377
130
132
339

Pack 20
decent (but probably worthless) cards
bust

43
112
351
192
291
68
93


So far, the closest I've gotten to Barry Bonds is Johnny Ray.

Pack 21
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Brett
Hrbek
Trammell

276
153
133
209
161
63
126

Like a couple others, this whole pack was ruined.

Pack 22
decent (but probably worthless) cards
nada

181
203
240
282
371
306
87


Now I'm getting scared as I find new cards toward the monster at the end of the boox that I'm going to find this grotesquely muscled piece of gum stuck to a Bonds card,

Pack 23
decent (but probably worthless) cards91
Lou Whitaker (ruined)

316
376
393
196
248
106

Pack 24
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Lou Whitaker
Clemens! (slightly stained)

106
276
53
142
340
161
60

Pack 25
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Barry Bonds...sandwiched between Willie Randolph and Alvin Davis. Not even the mighty Mariners would-be legend could hold back the mountain of pink sludge that oozed forth to taint the purity that is Barry Bonds <cough!>

57
375
327
264
377
320 (not close enough to the front!)
235

Pack 26
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Cecil Cooper was all that was salvagable

10
204
271
356
259
234
275

Pack 27
decent (but probably worthless) cards
George Bell
Ozzie Smith
Dwight Evans (total loss)

287
5
387
12
107
283
368

Pack 28
decent (but probably worthless) cards
bust

211
258
243
376
393
196
248

Pack 29
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Brett Butler, Bunt-Master Extraordinaire

233
197
205
22
239
227
128

Pack 30
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Sutton & Carlton (again)

128
10
204
271
356
259
15

Pack 31
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Steve Sax
Fisk

254
83
21
46
255
164
151

Pack 32
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Ozzie Smith

151
287
5
387
265
107
283

Pack 33
decent (but probably worthless) cards
bust

216
315
362
352
374
303
163

Pack 34
decent (but probably worthless) cards
bust

277
24
260
293
372
92
86

Pack 35
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Lee Smith

86
233
197
206
23
19
227

Pack 36
decent (but probably worthless) cards
Eddie Murray! (but instead of being gum stained, it was on the bottom, so it's slightly wax-stained....just can't win with this box)
Paul Molitor (ruined)
120
342
83
21
384
223
184

Maybe it was just the climate these boxes were stored in, but my experiences with 1984 and 1986 O-Pee-Chee were much better. Sure, the gum may have ruined the last card, but not whole packs. Most of the better cards that weren't murdered by the gum were off center, and several sported a little line across the bottom where the cutting blade missed the cut line by a millimeter or two.

I won't be buying any more '87 OPC from this particular seller. Now I need to find some boxes of '88-'91. I have a box of '92 on the way.