The 1989 Fleer Update baseball card set was issued midway through the 1989 MLB season as an update to Fleer’s main release earlier that year. Compared to the enormous junk wax era sets of the late 1980s, the Fleer Update set was fairly small, featuring only 132 total cards. Despite its modest size, the 1989 Fleer Update set contains several valuable and desirable rookie cards that continue to hold significance for collectors today. Let’s take a closer look at some of the top stars and rookies featured in the 1989 Fleer Update set and discuss their current estimated values.
Perhaps the most famous and valuable card from the 1989 Fleer Update set is the Barry Bonds rookie card. As one of the greatest players of all time, Bonds’ rookie is highly sought after by collectors. Bonds had an outstanding rookie campaign in 1986 when he played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, smashing 7 home runs in only 63 games. However, Fleer did not issue Bonds a true rookie card until this 1989 Update set since he was not included in their main 1986 or 1987 releases. In top loaded near mint condition, Bonds’ 1989 Fleer Update rookie card can fetch around $500-$600. Higher graded versions in the PSA 8-10 range have sold for over $1,000. With Bonds’ legendary career and Hall of Fame induction, his rookie remains a premiere find for collectors almost 35 years later.
Another legendary slugger with a valuable rookie in the 1989 Fleer Update set is Frank Thomas, known as “The Big Hurt.” Thomas exploded onto the MLB scene in 1990 with his AL Rookie of the Year campaign for the Chicago White Sox, bashing 21 home runs. Like Bonds, Thomas’ rookie season occurred a few years prior to the 1989 Fleer Update, so this served as his true baseball card debut. Thomas’ shiny rookie card in near mint condition is valued around $50-$75 today. Higher PSA graded copies in the 8-10 range can reach $200+. With Thomas as a two-time AL MVP and certainly headed for the Hall of Fame soon, his rookie card is primed to increase further in value over time as one of the bestpower hitters of the 1990s.
While Bonds and Thomas garner the most attention and value out of the 1989 Fleer Update set, there are several other notable young stars and future Hall of Famers who debuted as well. Craig Biggio, for example, was entering his 3rd MLB season with Houston in 1989 after winning Rookie of the Year in 1988. Biggio would go on to have a spectacular 20 year career mainly with the Astros and accumulate over 3,000 career hits, earning Hall of Fame induction in 2015. His 1989 Fleer Update card is valued around $15-$25 currently. Fellow inner circle Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell also appears for the first time in the set as a rookie for the Astros organization in 1989. Though Bagwell would not make his MLB debut until 1991, his rookie card can be acquired for $10-$15 today and will likely rise steadily as his Cooperstown induction anniversary approaches.
Other future eventual All-Stars and notables that appear as rookies or early career cards in the 1989 Fleer Update set include Moises Alou, Kenny Lofton, Andres Galarraga, Bobby Bonilla, Mariano Rivera, Johnny Damon, and more. Even players like Randy Velarde, Gary Redus, and Todd Zeile, who had decent careers as serviceable MLB regulars, can still hold value to dedicated team and player collectors at $2-5 per card. Fleer did a good job in 1989 of identifying and highlight young up and coming talent from a variety of teams that would soon shape the next decade of baseball.
In terms of chase cards outside the rookies, any notable star performer from 1989 holds added value. Wade Boggs’ 1989 Update card, depicting his pursuit of a .400 batting average that season, comes in around $15 in near mint condition. Other star veterans like Rickey Henderson, Carlton Fisk, Tony Gwynn, and Ozzie Smith can each fetch $5-10. The massive performance of Ken Griffey Jr. also began to take shape in 1989. His first All-Star season is commemorated in the set at a reasonable $10-15 average price. The scarcer Mike Scott and Nolan Ryan cards also depict noteworthy pitchers from 1989 at around $20-25 depending on condition.
While production numbers were massive in the late 1980s, the compact 1989 Fleer Update baseball card set remains an intriguing microcosm of the talent coming into the next decade in MLB. Headlined by the invaluable rookie cards of superstars like Bonds and Thomas, it serves as an affordable single year collection for enthusiasts. Condition matters greatly, but even well-loved near mint copies of stars, rookies, and key performers from 1989 can still be acquired today for under $50 across the entire 132 card checklist with a little shopping around. For the dramatic talents it featured at their earliest stages and capsule examination of an historic season it provides, the 1989 Fleer Update baseball card set remains a enjoyable and historic snapshot of the sport for collectors over 30 years later.
