The 1987 Fleer baseball card tin is one of the most iconic collectibles from the 1980s. Inside each tin collectors could find 100 brand new 1987 Fleer baseball cards ready to add to any growing collection. For baseball card fans of the era, finding this tin under the Christmas tree was surely one of the best gifts they could ask for.
Fleer was one of the major baseball card manufacturers of the time, along with Topps and Donruss. In 1987, Fleer produced their set with 400 total cards to collect. Ranging from superstars to minor leaguers, the 1987 Fleer set featured cards of everyone in the majors at the time. Some of the biggest names included Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, Ozzie Smith, Rickey Henderson, and Don Mattingly. Each card had a photo of the player on the front along with their stats and information on the back.
What made the 1987 Fleer tin so special was the packaging and experience of opening it. The tin itself measured about 6 inches wide by 4.5 inches tall. It had a colorful design on the outside with baseball imagery and the Fleer logo prominently displayed. When you opened the lid, inside were 100 plastic sleeves each containing a 1987 Fleer baseball card. The cards were arranged neatly in 10 rows of 10 cards each.
Opening this tin on Christmas morning was a nostalgic experience for many. Kids would carefully remove each row of cards, taking their time to look at each player before moving on to the next. It allowed for a slow opening experience compared to just ripping open a pack of cards. The plastic sleeves also helped protect the cards as you handled and looked through them. Many report fond memories of trading and sorting through the 100 cards with family and friends after opening their Fleer tin.
While retail price points for trading cards and memorabilia have risen significantly in recent decades, in 1987 the suggested price of the Fleer baseball card tin was only $9.99. For under $10, you got a colorful collector’s item to store your cards in plus a complete start to an entire baseball card collection. The tin packaging and 100 card windfall made it perfect for the holiday season. It’s estimated Fleer produced hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of these tins that holiday season.
Even though over 30 years have passed, 1987 Fleer baseball card tins remain very collectible and desirable items today. On the secondary market, unopened tins in mint condition can sell for hundreds of dollars. Part of the appeal is the nostalgia they evoke for baseball card collectors and fans of the 1980s. Finding one of these tins in attics or at garage sales is like discovering a time capsule. They also make for great display pieces to show off a vintage baseball card collection.
For dedicated collectors, the hunt continues to find one of these tins still factory sealed. As with many collectibles, the packaging and condition are everything. Even partially opened or well-worn tins that just contain the cardboard insert and plastic sleeves still hold value. And of course, the 100 cards inside can include valuable rookie cards or stars of the era that have appreciated greatly over the decades. A pristine tin full of near mint vintage 1987 Fleer baseball cards would be the ultimate find for collectors today.
The 1987 Fleer baseball card tin was simply a fun and affordable way for kids to start or add to their baseball card collections in the 1980s. But thanks to the nostalgia and collecting community, these tins have taken on a whole new level of popularity and value today. Their colorful design and the experience of opening them to find 100 fresh cards makes the 1987 Fleer tin a truly iconic collectible from the golden era of baseball cards.
