The 1991 Fleer baseball card set featured cards for all major and minor league players as well as managers, coaches and officials. The set totaled 792 cards and was the only Fleer checklist issued that year. Fleer lost the MLB license after the 1991 season to Upper Deck.
While not as valuable as some iconic vintage sets from the 1950s and 60s, the 1991 Fleer cards have developed a following among collectors in recent years. With the advent of the internet and online auction sites like eBay, there is now a very active market for these cards from when many current collectors were children.
The top rookie cards and stars from the early 1990s tend to be the most in demand and valuable from the 1991 Fleer set. Some notable rookie and star cards that often sell for $20 or more include Reggie Sanders, Jeff Bagwell, Kenny Lofton, Andy Benes, David Justice, Eric Davis, Tom Glavine, Gary Sheffield, Frank Thomas, John Kruk and Terry Pendleton.
Powerhouse rookie cards like those of Barry Bonds and Curt Schilling can often fetch $50-100 depending on condition. An mint condition Bonds rookie has sold for over $500. Superstars like Cal Ripken Jr, Nolan Ryan, Wade Boggs, Ozzie Smith and Kirby Puckett command $10-25 each normally.
The 1991 Fleer set is known for its photo variation parallels. Many cards were printed with two slightly different action photos on the front. These photo variations, while usually not drastically different pictures, are popular with advanced collectors trying to complete rainbow sets with all variations. Variations can increase a card’s value by 25-50% depending on the player.
Condition is very important when evaluating the true value of any 1991 Fleer card. Like most older cardboard, these cards are quite fragile and prone to damage from aging, bending, creasing or surface wear over 30 years. Near mint to mint copies in sleeves are usually required to achieve higher prices. Heavily played cards may only be worth a couple dollars even for big stars.
The most expensive regular issue card from the 1991 Fleer set is likely the Frank Thomas rookie card #234. High grade Thomas rookies in near mint to mint condition with strong centering can bring $200-300. Pristine copies that grade gem mint 10 can sell for well over $1000. A PSA 10 Thomas rookie set a record when it sold for $27,912.50 on eBay in early 2022.
Back in the early 90s, Star cards and commons from the 1991 Fleer set retailed for around 50 cents to a few dollars apiece. Some stars boxes like Frank Thomas retailed for $1.50-2 each. Today, even very low-end common players can be 25 cents or more. But the true stars, rookies and key cards have appreciated greatly due to nostalgia and increased collector demand over the decades.
The market values for 1991 Fleer cards continue to rise gradually year after year. There are still plenty of unopened wax packs and factory sets available for purchase at online auction sites. But with each passing season, more of these packs are cracked open while sealed sets become increasingly scarce. This supplies and demand dynamic helps lift prices overall for vintage 90s cards as time goes on.
Higher graded specimens in top population holders like PSA/BGS Gem Mint 10 have seen the greatest appreciation. Six figure auction prices are not unheard of now for true 9.5-10 condition gems of the biggest stars and rookies. The 1991 Fleer set may never reach the astronomical levels of the iconic 1952 Topps or 1954 Topps sets. But for collectors of 1980s-90s cardboard, the 1991 checklist remains one of the most revered and collected from that era.
1991 Fleer is a true snapshot of the MLB in that transitional early 90s period right before the ascension of superstars like Griffey Jr, Bonds, and A-Rod. Rookies like Thomas, Sheffield, Bagwell, and Maddux were just arriving on the scene. Career leaders like Ripken, Gwynn, and Molitor were in their primes. The 1991 edition was the last Fleer set before the appearance of the acclaimed Upper Deck brand in 1989 shook up the sports card market forever. All these factors make the 1991 Fleer baseball cards a nostalgic favorite for collectors and an historically important release worthy of further appreciation.
While perhaps not equal in cachet to the esteemed vintage 1951 Bowman or 1969 Topps sets today, high quality examples of cards from the 1991 Fleer checklist are attractive investment pieces for savvy collectors. With strong, consistent demand to own a piece of the early 90s MLB, prices for this iconic release should continue rising gradually but steadily well into the future.
