The 1990 Fleer Update baseball card set is a highly sought after release by collectors due to some very scarce and valuable short print cards that were included. Issued midway through the 1990 MLB season, Fleer Update was a 96 card release that featured players stats and team updates from early in the year. While most of the base cards hold minimal value today, there are a handful of short print variations that can be worth thousands.
One of the most coveted cards in the set is the Frank Thomas rookie card. Still early in his career in 1990, Thomas would go on to have a Hall of Fame worthy career hitting over 500 home runs. His base rookie card from Fleer Update is fairly common but there are two prominent short print variations that command big money. The first is the Thomas card with ‘1990 Topps’ printed below his picture instead of ‘1990 Fleer Update.’ This was a printing error and is incredibly rare, with experts speculating there may only be a handful known to exist. In gem mint condition, a Thomas ‘1990 Topps’ error has sold for over $25,000 at auction.
The other valuable Thomas short print replaces his team, the Chicago White Sox, with the Milwaukee Brewers. Thomas was originally drafted by the Brewers but never played for them. This minor team error has significant rarity as well, with perhaps only a couple dozen or so believed to exist. High grade examples have sold for $10,000 or more. These uber scarce Thomas variations make him arguably the most sought after card in the set by a wide margin.
Beyond rookies, the 1990 Fleer Update also features some valuable short prints involving veteran stars. Perhaps the highest profile is the Ken Griffey Jr card with ‘Seattle’ replaced by ‘Cincinnati.’ Griffey played his entire career with the Mariners but this elusive error uses his future team. Less than a dozen are believed to exist and in mint condition it can pull $3,000-$5,000. Nolan Ryan also has a coveted short print where his team ‘Texas Rangers’ text is replaced by a blank white space. Extremely rare, a pristine example crossed the $2,000 mark at auction.
Beyond stars, there are also some short print variations involving less heralded players that remain quite valuable given their scarcity. Foremost among these is the Scott Bankhead card featuring the Cleveland Indians first baseman/outfielder. On his short print his name is misspelled as ‘Bankhed’ which is believed to only exist a couple times. This would be a true blocakbuster pull from a 1990 Fleer Update pack. Other usually-affordable players that have valuable errors include Dave Magadan (‘Boson Red Sox’ text error), Tim Raines (‘Expos’ replaced with blank space), and Tony Pena (‘Royals’ replaced with blank space).
When it comes to the true blue chip cards in the 1990 Fleer Update, condition is absolutely paramount. Even the most prized short prints like the Thomas ‘Topps’ error need to grade mint or better to realize their full potential values. Most estimates believe only a couple Examples for each error remain in pristine condition today, making finds in high grades truly unique. For collectors trying to track down a valuable short print from this classic late 80s/early 90s release, be prepared to pay up – especially raw as there is little superficial damage forgiveness given the stakes. The 1990 Fleer Update is perhaps the greatest overall vintage release when it comes to scarce short prints and their potential to yield five and six figure returns for savvy collectors.
While the base 1990 Fleer Update cards hold little value, there are some extremely scarce and thus expensive parallel short print variations featuring big name stars like Frank Thomas and Ken Griffey Jr. Card errors replacing a player’s team or name altogether can be among the rarest mistakes in the entire hobby. Simply put, valuable finds from this exciting set can dramatically impact collection value and remain a potentlial jackpot for those hunting through the release decades later. With such a small surviving population estimated for the true blockbuster errors, the 1990 Fleer Update may be one of the most intriguing modern era releases for short print card aficionados.
