The 1987 Fleer baseball card set is one of the most iconic and desirable issues in the modern era for several key reasons. Not only did it feature some true rookie cards of future Hall of Famers and all-time greats, but it also marked Fleer’s return to the baseball card market after an 11-year absence. The set totaled 330 cards and had a very innovative and eye-catching design that still holds up today as one of the top designs in the history of the sport.
Perhaps most significantly, the 1987 Fleer set included the true rookie cards of four players who would go on to have legendary careers and be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame – Barry Bonds, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and Frank Thomas. Having the first mass-produced cards of players of that caliber is a huge reason for the 1987 Fleer cards’ increased popularity and value over time. Barry Bonds in particular is one of the most sought-after rookie cards ever due to his all-time great career and holding the single-season and career home run records.
While Bonds is certainly the crown jewel, the Maddux, Glavine, and Thomas rookies have also proven to be highly valuable long-term investments. Each player went on to have an incredible career worthy of the Hall of Fame, with Maddux and Glavine as one of the best pitching duos ever who led the Atlanta Braves dominant teams of the 1990s. Thomas had one of the most prolific and consistent hitting careers for a first baseman in baseball history with his consistent power numbers. Having the flagship rookie cards of four players who would become such legends has cemented 1987 Fleer as a truly elite set.
Aside from the star rookie cards, the 1987 Fleer set also had other notable inclusions like Red Sox star Wade Boggs in his final season with the team before being traded to the Yankees, Reds star Eric Davis before his MVP caliber seasons, and Padres hall of famer Tony Gwynn beginning his prolific career. Then-young stars like Will Clark, Ken Griffey Jr., and Mark McGwire were also part of the set in their early days. The mix of established veterans, emerging talents, and true rookies of future Hall of Famers made for an exciting and captivating assembly of players to capture in card form.
From a design perspective, the 1987 Fleer set was also groundbreaking. It featured a cutting edge borderless design with photography extending to the very edge of the card. A signature blue Fleer logo was proudly featured on each card along with the team logo. Player names were vertically arched along one side with vibrant colorful backgrounds behind each photo. The uniformity and high production values made each card highly cohesive and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The design aesthetic was a major step forward and became a template for many other card issues in the years that followed.
Fleer’s return to the baseball card market with their 1987 issue was also a historical moment. The company had originally carved out their space with innovative multi-color photography issues in the early 1980s before a legal dispute forced them out of the market for over a decade. Eager collectors were primed for the brand’s comeback, fueling intense popularity and demand upon the set’s release. The allure of the potential rookie cards combined with Fleer’s flashy new visual presentation captivated the collecting audience. Both of these factors cemented 1987 Fleer as one of the most important and coveted sets from the golden era of the hobby.
In the decades since, appreciation and prices for 1987 Fleer cards, especially the star rookies, has grown exponentially. The true rookie cards of hall of famers like Barry Bonds, Greg Maddux, and Frank Thomas now routinely sell for thousands of dollars in high grades. Even more common players can carry substantial value due to the set’s iconic status. Pristine mint condition examples in thousands of 1987 Fleer cards have sold at auction for over $100, showing both the resilience of the issue and the strength of the vintage baseball card market overall. For collectors, completing or acquiring one of the most monumental Fleer sets remains a pinnacle achievement and worthwhile investment decades after the cards’ release.
With its inclusion of four future Hall of Fame rookie cards, groundbreaking borderless design, return of the Fleer brand, and legacy of capturing incredible future talent, the 1987 Fleer baseball card set stands alone as one of the most historically significant and prized issues in the entire hobby. The combination of on-field success and captivating visual presentation enshrines 1987 Fleer as short of the elite year and issues in the entire collecting universe. Its longevity, recognition, and rising values over the past 35 years cement this release as a true heavyweight champion among sports cards.
