The 1987 Fleer Baseball Cards marked a pivotal year in the baseball card hobby. While Fleer had been issuing baseball cards since 1956 as one of the original trading card companies, their 1987 set stands apart due to its limited print run and inclusion of unique specialty parallel sets that are highly coveted by collectors today. The 1987 Fleer set showcased the talent and emerging superstars of the 1980s while also experimenting with new card designs and parallels in a way never seen before in the hobby.
Much like the modern hobby, Fleer aimed to move away from the glut of cards being produced in the mid-1980s by both major brands Donruss and Topps. By 1986 over 10 billion cards had been printed, flooding the market. Fleer took a different approach by intentionally limiting card production for their 1987 offering. The standard base card set contained just 330 cards compared to typically 500-600 card issues at the time. This scarcity increased demand amongst collectors seeking to complete their Fleer sets. However, Fleer did not stop there and also introduced several parallel subsets with their own shortened print runs that added an exciting new element of chase and rarity to the brand.
Chief amongst these were the ‘Diamond Kings’parallel set. Featuring various franchise stars and superstars of the 1980s posed in batting stances wearing jewelry-adorned baseball uniforms, the Diamond Kings paralleled the base cards but were inserted at a far lower ratio, estimated around 1:120 packs. This made pulling a Diamond King one of the ultimate thrills for young collectors. Other subsets like ‘Fleer Futures’ spotlighting up and coming prospects and the franchise history focused ‘Flair’ cards also debuted in much smaller numbers than the base checklist. The innovative premium parallels elevated Fleer above competitors as the ‘it’ brand for advanced collectors chasing these sought-after short prints.
While rarity was the major driving force, Fleer also prioritized card design and photography. Full bleed action shots replaced the simple posed portrait style of the 1980s. Notable performances from the 1986 season like Roger Clemens’ record 20 strikeout game against Seattle and Jose Canseco’s 40-40 season were highlighted. Rookies featured included Tom Glavine, Gregg Olson, and players who would go on to have Hall of Fame careers like Barry Larkin. Veteran superstars like Mike Schmidt, Ozzie Smith, and Nolan Ryan remained fan favorites as the 1980s drew to a close. Design elements like foil stamping, embossed logos, and embossed signatures on the higher end ‘Fleer Signature Series’ insert set pushed the visual presentation of cards far beyond the norm.
The unprecedented chase for limited parallels coupled with cutting edge photography made 1987 Fleer the “it” product on the trading card market. While short printed, an uncirculated Diamond Kings of Wade Boggs or Kirby Puckett can still trade hands for thousands to this day. The huge mainstream popularity of the hobby at the time also increased demand, with Sporting News even reporting one Georgia hobby shop doing over $4 million in baseball card sales in 1987. Packs routinely flew off shelves with collectors trying their luck at scoring a coveted insert. The riskier business model paid off for Fleer as 1987 was considered the pinnacle collection and a true high water mark for the company that other brands tried unsuccessfully to replicate.
While production numbers diminished returns, the immense popularity of 1987 Fleer inspired other card companies to follow suit by experimenting with their own premium parallel inserts and subsets in subsequent years. The “chase card” concept became an industry staple. For collectors, the memorable photographic styles and premier rookies made 1987 a stand out year. It was truly the chase for limited edition Diamond Kings, Futures, and Sig Series inserts that defined 1987 Fleer as a true collector’s set and positioned it as arguably the single most beloved modern-era release despite only a brief print run decades ago. Today, a complete 1987 Fleer set still remains a notable achievement for collectors, but acquiring some of the short printed parallel cards intact remains the true white whale.
In summary, Fleer’s 1987 baseball card set pushed boundaries and broke new ground through innovative design choices, best-in-class photography, and deliberately limited production with inserted parallel subsets at ultra-short print runs. This made chasing and collecting the 1987s an unparalleled thrill that has lasting nostalgia for collectors of the 1980s. While stocks may have faded, the allure and prestige of stars like Boggs, Puckett and Clemens adorned on these classic cardboard remains as strong as ever. The 1987 Fleer cards were truly a landmark collection that redefined the modern trading card hobby.
