The 1987 Fleer Limited Edition baseball card set is one of the most valuable and sought after issues in the entire hobby. Containing only 500 sets produced, the extreme scarcity has helped drive values sky high for intact sets and individual cards over the past 30+ years. Let’s take a deeper look at what made this set so unique and discussed the modern value of various cards and subsets within the 1987 Fleer Limited set.
Released right at the height of the original baseball card bubble in 1987, Fleer saw an opportunity to capitalize on collector demand and manufacture excitement with a very limited production run. Where typical Fleer and Topps sets of the time contained cards numbered in the hundreds of millions, this special issue would have just 500 complete sets available. Each 108-card base set was individually numbered on the back of the final card.
In addition to the incredibly low print run, Fleer went the extra mile to make these cards visually stand out from regular issues. They utilized a premium grey cardboard stock that gave the cards a high-end aura. Silver foil stamping and embossing was added to the fronts and backs. And the photo quality and centering tended to be sharper than a typical Fleer product of the era. All of this lent to a true “limited edition” premium collector experience.
Naturally, with such a tiny production quantity, finding intact 1987 Fleer Limited Edition sets in mint condition is exceedingly rare today. PSA or BGS gem mint 10 example full sets in their original factory-sealed wax boxes often command well into the mid-five figure range when they surface at public auction. Even lower graded sets still fetch prices approaching $10,000 due to the extreme limited availability.
Within the set, there are a handful of particularly valuable individual cards and subsets that typically demand premium prices versus run-of-the-mill commons. At the top of the list are the six franchise player subsets – one card each was inserted featuring Derek Jeter, Cal Ripken Jr., Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, Orel Hershiser and Dwight Gooden. In PSA 10 condition, prices start at $3,000-$5,000 per card and can escalate upwards of $10,000 for some of the more desirable names.
The “Special Screen” parallel subset is also extremely popular with collectors. Featuring additional photo screens and darkened backgrounds, there are 30 Special Screen cards hand-picked by Fleer. Some of the biggest stars featured include Kirby Puckett, Andre Dawson, Fernando Valenzuela and Keith Hernandez. Mint condition copies can also eclipse $3,000 each based on player demand.
Of course, true key rookie cards from this set carry the highest values of all when found in pristine shape. The MLB debut cards of Tom Glavine, Barry Larkin, Roberto Alomar, David Justice and Gregg Olson are consistently the set’s most expensive individual cards in top grades. Glavine and Larkin have both sold at auction for over $20,000 in PSA 10 – reflecting their Hall of Fame careers as well as the rarity of finding ’87 Fleer rookies in such perfect condition after 35 years of existence.
On the lower end, mint common player cards tend to start at $100-300 depending on the name. But even base cards of all-time greats like Nolan Ryan, Rickey Henderson and Mike Schmidt rarely fall below $500 in pristine condition. Overall player levels and demand also factor heavily into the final pricing.
The 1987 Fleer Limited Edition baseball card set holds an elite status and astronomical values due entirely to its production of just 500 complete factory sealed sets. The extreme scarcity, premium aesthetics and presence of iconic rookies have made this perhaps the most coveted issue of the late 1980s collecting boom. Prices continue rising each year as fewer specimens remain available, establishing it as a true heavyweight in the vintage sports card world.
