The 1987 Fleer baseball card set was the third issued by Fleer and marked several milestones for both the company and the hobby. It was the first Fleer set to feature rookie cards of future Hall of Famers like Barry Larkin, Greg Maddux, and Tom Glavine. card designs also saw refinements from previous years. The set totaled 792 cards and included players from both the American and National Leagues.
Fleer had made strides since entering the baseball card market in 1986 but was still working to catch up to industry stalwarts Topps. The ’87 set showed the company was committed to continuing to improve its product and capture more of the lucrative baseball card market. Updates included thinner card stock that was easier to handle and store in albums. Glossier photo surfaces provided crisper images. Background colors were also tweaked on some designs to make photos and text pop more.
Rookie cards were the biggest draws for collectors. Future Reds shortstop Barry Larkin had one of the more coveted rookie cards in the set. Still just 24 years old in 1987, his promising career was only getting started. But collectors recognized his talent and the Larkin rookie has become a key piece in vintage sets over the years. Pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine also had their rookie cards, foreshadowing the Hall of Fame careers that would follow for both Braves hurlers.
Other notable rookies included Yankees pitcher Jimmy Key, Cubs outfielder Dwight Smith, and Expos third baseman Tim Wallach. Wallach went on to play 17 seasons and was a stalwart for Montreal. Key would win 143 games over 15 seasons while helping the Blue Jays and Yankees win World Series titles. Smith had a 10-year career primarily with the Cubs and Orioles.
Veteran stars in the ’87 Fleer set included Roger Clemens, Ozzie Smith, Wade Boggs, Rickey Henderson, and Mike Schmidt. Clemens’ Red Sox card showed him in the process of morphing from a good pitcher into the dominant Cy Young winner he became. Schmidt was nearing the end of his Hall of Fame Phillies career while Boggs, Henderson, and Ozzie Smith were still producing at an All-Star level for the Red Sox, A’s, and Cardinals, respectively.
Rookies and veterans alike had unique poses and backgrounds in their Fleer cards. Clemens stared down the camera in intense focus on the mound. Schmidt showed off his smooth fielding motion at third. Boggs crouched into his unique batting stance. Ozzie Smith flashed leather and smiled for the camera all at once on his card. Fleer photos aimed to highlight each player’s skills and persona.
The design template remained similar to 1986. A colored border wrapped around each rectangular card with the team name arched along the top. But background shades were adjusted on certain cards. For example, the dark blue behind Clemens’ photo popped more than the navy used on some ’86 Fleer cards. Subtle changes enhanced the overall visual appeal.
Text was kept to a minimum with just the player’s first and last name above the photo and his uniform number and position below. No statistics were included. The back of each card listed career stats to date as well as a brief bio. Fleer aimed for a clean, uncluttered look to let the photography take center stage. Glossier printing brought all elements into sharper focus.
Rarity and condition greatly impact the value of 1987 Fleer baseball cards in the current market. The best-known rookies like Larkin, Maddux and Glavine command the highest prices, even in average condition. Well-centered, near-mint copies can sell for thousands. The scarcer the card, the more condition matters – with gem mint 10s bringing the most money at auction. Common veterans have more modest values unless received a grade of 9 or 10.
Beyond the stars, error cards have also become highly sought. The most famous is an Ozzie Smith card with his name misspelled as “Ozzie Szith.” Only a handful are known to exist. Other mistakes like missing team logos or stat errors make otherwise ordinary cards quite valuable. The 1987 Fleer set proved formative for the company and introduced future Hall of Famers to the collecting world. Decades later, it remains a favorite of enthusiasts exploring the early years of the modern baseball card boom.
The 1987 Fleer baseball card set showed progress from the company’s initial offerings. Refinements to designs, photos and production quality captured the visual energy of the players and strengthened Fleer’s position in the competitive baseball card market. Rookie cards of future stars like Larkin, Maddux and Glavine took on new importance for collectors and drove interest in the set for years to come. Condition sensitive and error cards added layers of complexity that keep the ’87 Fleer release engaging for vintage collectors even today.
