1987 Topps Graig Nettles #315
Graig Nettles · Topps · Base
Player
Graig Nettles
Set
1987 Topps Baseball
Year
1987
Card #
#315
Condition Grade
PSA 7 (Near Mint). Centering appears slightly shifted left-to-right (approx 60/40). Top-left corner shows very minor softening. Topps 1987 wood-grain borders are notoriously difficult due to edge chipping and centering issues, but this copy looks well-preserved.
Category
Base
Manufacturer
Topps
Demand Level
Moderate to Low. While Nettles is a respected veteran and Yankee legend, this is a late-career Padres base card from the 'Junk Wax' era. Demand is mostly driven by set-builders or Padres team collectors.
Valuation
Raw (Ungraded) Value
$0.25 - $1.00
Graded Value
PSA 8: $15-25, PSA 9: $45-60, PSA 10: $250-350
Comparable Sales
Recent raw sales for this card range from $0.50 to $1.25. PSA 9 examples have recently sold for $40-55, while PSA 10 copies command a significant premium due to the difficulty of finding perfect centering in the 1987 set.
Description
This 1987 Topps Graig Nettles card features the iconic faux wood-grain border design that define the set. The card depicts Nettles in his San Diego Padres uniform, wearing a brown Padres warm-up jacket and cap. The Padres team name is encased in a circle logo in the upper left, with the Topps logo in the bottom left and the player's name in a yellow box at the bottom right.
Key Features
Features a 6-time All-Star and 2-time World Series Champion toward the end of his career. Part of the visually iconic 1987 'Woodgrain' set, which is a favorite among nostalgia collectors.
Authenticity Indicators
Authenticity Confidence: High. The card stock is the standard brown/gray cardboard used by Topps in the late 80s. The 'Topps' logo and wood-grain pattern show the correct dot-matrix printing consistent with 1987 production.
Flaws to Note
Leftward centering bias. Minor white touches on the top-left corner and bottom-right edge. Common issues for this set include 'snowy' print defects in the blue sky area, though this copy looks relatively clean.
Selling Guide
Where to Sell
Best suited for eBay as a low-cost 'buy it now' or as part of a lot. COMC is also an excellent choice for selling low-value base cards to set-fillers.
Selling Tips
Do not grade this card unless you believe it is a flawless PSA 10; grading costs will exceed the value of a PSA 7 or 8. Use keywords like 'Wood Grain' and 'Padres' in the title. Ship in a cardboard-reinforced plain white envelope (PWE) to keep shipping costs proportional to the card value.