1987 Fleer Baseball Cards Price Guide and Values
The 1987 Fleer baseball card set was issued midway through the 1987 Major League Baseball season and featured cards of players from that current season. Fleer was one of the “Big 3” card manufacturers of the time along with Topps and Donruss. The 1987 Fleer set included 402 total cards and had a very distinct style compared to other sets of the era. Let’s take a closer look at the 1987 Fleer cards, notable rookies and star players featured, and what various cards from the set tend to sell for today based on condition and player status.
Design and Production
The 1987 Fleer cards had a unique gray border framing colorful action photos of players on a white background. Fleer made the transition in 1987 to using a new, glossier card stock material compared to previous paper-stock sets. Card numbers ran from 1 to 402 with no parallels, insert cards, or oddball short prints. The front of each card displayed the team name and logo above the player photo along with their name and position below. On the back was the standard Fleer player stats layout and some career highlights.
Rookies and Key Players
Some of the top rookies and star players featured in the 1987 Fleer set that have highly sought after rookie or star cards include Ken Griffey Jr, Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Greg Maddux, Frank Thomas, Juan Gonzalez, and Roberto Alomar. Griffey Jr’s rookie card has long been one of the most iconic and valuable modern rookie cards in the hobby. Other notable rookies included Craig Biggio, Tom Gordon, and Moises Alou. Veteran stars like Wade Boggs, Tony Gwynn, George Brett, and Ozzie Smith also had popular cards.
Card Values and Grading
The values for 1987 Fleer cards can vary greatly depending on the player, condition, and level of demand. Here is a general overview on values for the most popular 1987 Fleer cards based on their PSA/BGS graded gem mint 10 condition:
Ken Griffey Jr rookie: $3,000-$5,000
Mark McGwire rookie: $800-$1,200
Barry Bonds rookie: $500-$700
Greg Maddux rookie: $300-$400
Roberto Alomar rookie: $250-$350
Frank Thomas rookie: $200-$300
Juan Gonzalez rookie: $150-$250
Wade Boggs: $50-$75
Tony Gwynn: $50-$75
Ozzie Smith: $40-$60
George Brett: $30-$50
Common star/journeyman cards in PSA 10: $10-20
For raw, ungraded examples in near mint to mint condition, values would usually be 50% or less compared to graded gems. More common players or duplicates can be found for just a few dollars. Factors like specific player performance during seasons after 1987 can also influence long term demand and prices.
Summary
The 1987 Fleer baseball card set is considered a classic of the modern era and remains a popular choice for collectors to pursue. With a nice variety of future Hall of Famers and other notable players as rookies, there are numerous opportunities to acquire affordable vintage cards to build a collection around. For the marquee rookie cards or true gem mint examples, be prepared to invest more significant money. But overall the 1987 Fleer cards represent an iconic vintage basketball set that can be completed or focused on specific players without breaking the bank compared to some other highly inflated vintage sets from the late 1980s.
