The 1986 Fleer baseball card set is one of the most coveted issues in the history of the hobby. Fleer’s re-entry into the baseball card market after a long hiatus brought excitement from collectors. While the set overall doesn’t contain legendary player favorites like Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays, it does feature legendary players in their primes like Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, and Ozzie Smith. Some key rookies from the ’86 Fleer set have also grown to extreme valuations due to their exceptional careers. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of the most valuable 1986 Fleer baseball cards.
Perhaps the most well-known and valuable card from the ’86 Fleer set is the Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. Widely considered one of if not the best player of his generation, Griffey’s rookie is the crown jewel for collectors from this era. In pristine mint condition, Griffey’s rookie now routinely sells for well over $10,000 and has reached above $25,000 at auction. Even well-centered near mint copies can sell for $3,000-$5,000. What makes Griffey’s rookie so highly valuable is not just his legendary playing career filled with records and MVP awards, but also how rarely high grade copies even appear on the market today due to the fragile vintage cardboard stock. Finding one with a true mint 10 grade is like striking gold.
Back when the 1986 Fleer set was brand new, Ken Griffey Jr. was just a rookie with plenty still left to prove, but for collectors his card showed promise of things to come and has held value tremendously. While Griffey’s is unquestionably the marquee card, several other stars and key rookies from the ’86 Fleer set have also grown enormously in value through the years. Arguably the second most valuable card is the Roger Clemens rookie, which makes sense given he went on to capture 7 Cy Young Awards and pitch into his 40s, cementing himself as one of the greatest pitchers ever. High grade Clemens rookies have sold for over $4,000 while average near mints commonly reach $1,000-$2,000.
Ozzie Smith is another all-time defensive wizard who made his living with the glove, becoming a 13-time Gold Glover at shortstop. His flashy play and memorable backflips into the stands upon making outs earned him the nickname “The Wizard.” Smith’s prime years card from the ’86 Fleer set often sells for $800-$1,500 in top condition due to his memorable highlight reel plays and 15 All-Star nods over a career that lasted until 1996 with the last few seasons with the NL champion Cardinals.
Wade Boggs is another Hall of Famer whose star shone extremely bright during most of the 1980s, during which time his card was issued by Fleer. His impeccable batting eye, consistency, and ability to hit for average made him a 5-time batting champion. Boggs’ 1986 Fleer card usually fetches $400-$700 for mint copies given he spent over a decade in the AL East with the Red Sox and racked up 3,000 career hits by the end.
Two other notable rookies that have grown vastly in value included Dwight Gooden and Barry Bonds. Dr. K burst onto the scene by winning NL Rookie of the Year and Cy Young in 1984 at age 19 and proceeded to strike out over 200 batters in each of the next 3 seasons, taking the league by storm. His hot rookie campaign led to a highly sought after 1986 Fleer card that commonly sells for $400-$600 today. Bonds’ 1986 Fleer rookie also sells quite well for around $300-$500 given he evolved into the most feared slugger in baseball history and shattered records while refusing steroids allegations later on, making every one of his cards coveted.
Some dark horse valuable cards from the 1986 Fleer set include Don Mattingly’s stellar performing years card, which during the late 80s sold in the millions as he smashed records and won MVP awards. Today a high grade Mattingly ’86 Fleer will fetch $200-$400. Lenny Dykstra, Darryl Strawberry, and Dwight Gooden’s rookie seasons with the World Champion 1986 Mets are also prized with Dykstra between $150-$250 and Strawberry rookie around $175-$300 range. That ’86 Mets team captured the excitement of baseball unlike any other that year.
While chase rookie cards of Griffey, Clemens, and Bonds understandably demand top dollar, savvy collectors know to also target prized cards showing prime years or rookie seasons of other all-time greats and legends from the ’80s generation. The 1986 Fleer baseball set will always be a premier vintage issue since it marked Fleer’s return nearly a decade after the infamous lawsuit from Topps, while featuring so many future Hall of Famers and MVPs in their early primes. With a combination of star power, memorable performances, and the fragile high grade collectibility of the vintage Fleer cardboard, key ’86 Fleer cards will remain blue-chip investments.
