The 1990 Fleer baseball card set is memorable for many collectors and fans of the game as it marked the year two of the greatest players of all time reached major career milestones. That year, Nolan Ryan threw his record 6th career no-hitter at age 43 and George Brett got his 3,000th career hit. The set itself contains 404 total cards including 384 base cards and 20 special insert cards marking those achievements. While not the most valuable release historically, there are still several valuable and desirable cards that can be found in the 1990 Fleer set.
One of the real gems of the set is card #330 which depicts Nolan Ryan’s record-setting 6th no-hitter for the Texas Rangers. This iconic moment caught on card is one of just a handful in the entire set to feature action shots instead of posed portraits. In high grade it can fetch upwards of $100 raw but in a PSA 10 gem mint condition it has sold for over $1,000. Another noteworthy achievement card is #363 showing George Brett’s 3000th hit. Graded versions in the 8-10 range bring $50-150.
Among the regular base cards, some of the most valuable revolve around the game’s biggest stars at the time who were entering or in the prime of Hall of Fame careers. Not surprisingly, Ken Griffey Jr’s impressive rookie card from this set in a PSA 10 is one of the most expensive at $2,000-3,000. His father Ken Griffey Sr’s card can also fetch over $100 in top grades as a notable tandem. Another star on the rise was Toronto’s Roberto Alomar. High graded versions of his 1990 Fleer card have sold for $400-600 in recent years.
Other top performers with cards that maintain strong values include Hall of Famers Rickey Henderson, Wade Boggs, and Ozzie Smith. PSA 10 copies of Henderson’s card have exceeded $600. Boggs and Smith have reached $300-400 in best condition as well. Frank Thomas’ rookie is also one of the key rookie cards from the set, garnering $150-250 in pristine shape. Cleveland’s Joe Carter holds value at $80-150 graded and Mark McGwire at $100-250 before the steroids era.
Amongpitchers, Nolan Ryan’s card remains the most popular. PSA 10’s sell in the highly desirable $400-600 range. Atlanta’s Tom Glavine also has found support attaining $150-300 in top grades. Meanwhile, San Diego closer Mark Davis has gained cult status and his card sells for $150-250 in high ends. Toronto’s highly talented but controversial Dave Stieb has also seen gains in recent years reaching $80-150 graded.
For team and player collectors, there are also several stars whose cards maintain significance and value relative to performance and fan popularity. Oakland’s Jose Canseco delivers $50-100 in top condition. Cleveland workhorse Steve Ontiveros has sold for $60-120 graded. St. Louis fan favorite Ozzie Smith is always in demand reaching $75-150. Atlanta perennial all-star Terry Pendleton can be found for $60-120 in pristine shape.
While not the most expensive vintage set, the 1990 Fleer baseball release remains an affordable way for collectors to obtain rookie and star cards from the late 1980s/early 1990s period. For being over 25 years old at this point, the condition sensitive nature and star power of the included players makes finding high quality valued copies of Hall of Famers, accomplishments, and rookies still an exciting endeavor at the typical weekly card show or online marketplace. With the nostalgia factor only growing stronger over time, desirability and prices for vital entries in the 1990 Fleer set should remain steady.
