The 1987 Fleer limited edition set revolutionized the baseball card industry by featuring brand new imaging technology that produced photographs with much higher quality and detail than previous years. While the standard 187 card Fleer set from 1987 is considered the most common and holds relatively little value today, there were also limited parallel sets produced that have become extremely valuable amongst dedicated collectors. Below we explore some of the most valuable and sought after cards from the rare 1987 Fleer limited edition sets.
Perhaps the single most coveted card from 1987 is the Michael Jordan card produced as part of the Fleer extras set. Only 109 copies of this card were ever created, making it incredibly scarce. Just finding one to add to a collection is a tall task, and when they do surface at auction they consistently shatter records. One pristine graded mint condition MJ Fleer extra card sold at auction in 2021 for an astounding $1.44 million dollars, believed to be the highest price ever paid for a baseball card. The rarity and association with arguably the greatest basketball player of all time have pushed this card into a category of its own in terms of value.
Right behind the elusive MJ Fleer extra in terms of value is another ultra-rare parallel from the 1987 Fleer set – the Mike Schmidt rookie “sticker” parallel. Only 100 copies of this card featuring Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt in his true rookie season of 1973 were ever created with the distinctive “sticker” design on the reverse. Getting your hands on one of these collector’s grails would cost you a minimum of $500,000 today. A PSA Gem Mint 10 graded Schmidt rookie sticker recently went for over $660,000 at Goldin Auctions, showing just how desirable high grade examples remain. Beyond its limited print run, this card holds great historical significance as one of the first premium parallel versions produced.
While the MJ and Schmidt parallel cards sit at the very pinnacle of value from 1987 Fleer, there are still dozens of other ultra-rare parallels, inserts and short prints from that pioneer release that can fetch enormous sums. One such coveted card is the Nolan Ryan “strikeout king” insert, recognizing Ryan for racking up his 5000th career strikeout in the previous season. Only 50 of these were inserted throughout 1987 Fleer factory sets at random. Cracking open a pack and finding one of these highly conditioned specimens today could easily bring in over $125,000 at auction. Another very scarce parallel worth six figures is the Cal Ripken Jr. “turn-back-the-clock” design, limited to a mere 50 copies featuring one of the game’s true iron men at the beginning of his epic consecutive games played streak.
Beyond specific parallels, the overall scarcity and quality of some 1987 Fleer rookie cards have driven values into the stratosphere in recent years. Topping that list are the flagship rookie cards for Hall of Famers like Ken Griffey Jr. and Frank Thomas. In pristine gem mint condition with grades of PSA 10 or BGS/SGC 9.5, these iconic first year cards can sell for mind boggling sums upwards of $300,000 apiece. Even more scarce than the standard rookie cards were special teal acetate parallel issues of stars like Thomas and Mark McGwire. Examples that grade excellently sell for $50,000 on average or more.
While the previously mentioned cards are among the true investment darlings that help drive overall demand for 1987 Fleer, the set is also home to other affordable gems for collectors on a budget. Player collection builders may be interested in cards like an excellent condition Wade Boggs ($1000-1500 PSA 10), Ozzie Smith ($750-1000 PSA 10), or Kirby Puckett ($500-800 PSA 10) rookie in order to add a Hall of Fame cornerstone piece without completely blowing their budget. For team collectors, centered and graded Chicago Cubs short prints like Andre Dawson, Greg Maddux or Rafael Palmeiro can usually be found for under $500 in top condition.
The 1987 Fleer set revolutionized the entire baseball card industry and made cardboard collecting mainstream. But for savvy investors, it was also the limited edition parallels, inserts and short prints found throughout the various premium sets from that year that have provided a clear path to fortunes over the decades since. Examples that grade perfectly still shatter records on the leading auction houses thanks to their immense rarity and historical significance within the collecting hobby. For those with the budget, a pristine 1987 Fleer “short print” in hand is bound to appreciate exponentially and stand as one of the best long term collectible assets available.
