The 1987 Fleer Baseball Card set is renowned among collectors for its short print run and inclusion of several hugely valuable and sought-after cards. Unlike Topps and Donruss who issued regular series sets that year, Fleer took a different approach by releasing a much smaller and more limited series with several special variations.
The 1987 Fleer set consists of just 360 total cards with no parallel or insert sets. The checklist was headlined by superstar players like Wade Boggs, Ozzie Smith, Kirby Puckett, and Roger Clemens. It’s the iconic rookie cards and parallel variations that make certain 1987 Fleer cards hugely valuable today. The limited nature of the print run means finding high grade examples of key cards in the set is extremely difficult.
Chief among the coveted 1987 Fleer rookie cards is Ken Griffey Jr.. Often cited as one of the holy grail rookie cards, Griffey’s iconic upper deck swing pose made him an instant fan favorite as a teenager. The hype around his potential led to huge demand for his rookie card. However, Fleer only printed about 100,000 Griffey rookies as part of the set’s short print run. In high grade, a PSA 10 Griffey Jr. 1987 Fleer RC has sold for over $100,000, showing its status as one of the most iconic and valuable modern rookie cards ever issued.
Another hugely valuable and sought-after card is the Greg Maddux rookie. Like Griffey, Maddux would go on to have a Hall of Fame career and his rookie is a widely collected piece. It’s believed there were only around 50,000-75,000 Maddux rookies printed, making high grade examples incredibly tough to find. Comedically, the photo on Maddux’s rookie card shows him with a terribly mismatched cap/uniform combo in an otherwise ordinary action shot. This quirk has endeared it to collectors over the years.
Aside from the rookies, there are some huge stars featured throughout the set in their main careeruniformed photographs and stats, including Ozzie Smith, Wade Boggs, Darryl Strawberry, Roger Clemens, Kirby Puckett and more. For high-end collectors, acquiring a complete 1987 Fleer set with all the big names and rookies in high grade is an enormous challenge due to the scarcities.
What truly separates the 1987 Fleer issue though are the parallel short print variations that were secretly inserted without announced ratios. Chief among these is the ‘hand-collated’ parallel which features thicker cardstock and a purple Fleer logo. Less than a dozen are believed to exist, with the Griffey ‘hand-collated’ being the holy grail at an estimated valuation of $500,000+. Other ultra-rare short prints include the ‘black back’ parallel featuring a black Fleer logo on the reverse.
While still scarce, the ‘Green Shadow’ parallel is slightly more obtainable for collectors. Featuring a green-tinted photo and plate number, they were printed on standard cardstock but with radically lower distribution. Getting a key name like Griffey, Boggs or Clemens in the rare ‘Green Shadow’ parallel is a true achievement. Even mid-range stars hold great valuation in the Green parallel due to the limited availability.
To top it off, uncut sheets of the 1987 Fleer base set featuring four cards still attached sell for over $10,000 when in pristine condition. Opening and cutting the sheets destroys their rarity and value. Only the most elite collectors could feasibly afford and justify owning examples across all the different variants, parallels and uncut sheets that comprised this ultra-limited 1990s baseball card release.
In the ensuing decades since 1987, the scarcity combined with starring careers of young talents like Griffey and Maddux have made the 1987 Fleer set achieve legendary status. Along with the flagship brands of Topps and Donruss, it established the modern era of licensed sports card manufacturing and created superstar cards that have followed players throughout their careers. The allure of uncovering one of the uber-rare ‘hand-collated’ or ‘black back’ parallel issues from a wax pack still captures the imagination of collectors today. For blended rarity, star power and financial upside, the 1987 Fleer Baseball Card set stands out as one of the most coveted issues in the entire hobby.
