The 1981 Fleer baseball card set was the second series of cards released by Fleer after obtaining the license from Topps. The set contains 132 total cards and featured many of baseball’s biggest stars from the 1980 season. Understanding the values and what to look for in the 1981 Fleer set can help collectors determine which cards hold the most value today.
One of the keys to understanding 1981 Fleer card values is knowing the print run sizes for the different series within the set. Fleer released their cards in three series that year – Series 1, Series 2, and Traded. Series 1 had the largest print run size at around 500 million cards printed. Series 2 had a print run of around 250 million cards. The Traded series, which featured players who had been traded to new teams during the offseason, had by far the smallest print run size at only 50 million cards printed. This smaller print run makes Traded cards from 1981 Fleer much scarcer and hold higher values today.
Within each series, there are also certain players and rookie cards that command premium prices in the market. One of the most valuable and sought after cards from 1981 Fleer is the Nolan Ryan card (#106). Even in low grades, this card regularly sells for over $100. In high grades of NM-MT 8 or above, it can fetch over $1000. Another very valuable card is the Fernando Valenzuela rookie card (#107). His rookie season in 1981 where he won Rookie of the Year put him in high demand. Low grade Valenzuela rookies sell for $50-100, while high grade examples can sell for over $500.
Two other rookie cards that have great long term value potential are Rickey Henderson’s (#109) and Wade Boggs’ (#111) rookie cards. While their prices today are lower than Valenzuela or Ryan cards at $10-30 each in average condition, these rookies stand to continue appreciating as Henderson and Boggs have Hall of Fame careers. Another rookie to watch is that of Bobby Grich (#111). He had a solid career but his rookie is still relatively affordable at $5-10 even in higher grades.
Moving beyond the rookies, other star players that command strong prices include Mike Schmidt (#21), George Brett (#39), and Dave Winfield (#55). High grade versions of these future Hall of Famers can sell for $50-100 each. Two unique cards that tend to attract premium bids are Steve Carlton’s Phillies card (#17) since he is wearing a rare Phillies cap logo not used since the 70s, and Tom Seaver’s Reds card (#101) since he was traded from the Mets, making it one of his scarcer team issue cards.
In terms of set building, the 1981 Fleer set lends itself well to both starting a collection from scratch or filling in missing pieces. Series 1 and 2 cards can usually be found for $1-3 each in average condition. The Traded series cards are more elusive and will cost $5-10 each depending on the player. Putting together a complete set in average condition could cost $150-300 depending on how many premium cards need to be acquired. Higher graded 8-10 sets command prices into the thousands.
For collectors looking to potentially profit down the road, targeting 1981 Fleer rookie cards like Valenzuela, Henderson, and Boggs in top grades of NM-MT 8 or above would be a prudent investment. These were some of the biggest stars of the 1980s and their rookie cards have strong potential for future appreciation. The Nolan Ryan and Mike Schmidt cards also offer a very low risk/high reward opportunity since they are proven performers and will likely continue climbing in value as the years pass. The 1981 Fleer set provides collectors a fun opportunity to build an affordable set featuring many all-time baseball greats or pursue valuable individual cards that could pay dividends decades from now. With prices still relatively low compared to similar vintage sets, it remains one of the more collector friendly offerings from the early 1980s.
