Tag Archives: limited

MOST VALUABLE 1987 FLEER LIMITED EDITION BASEBALL CARDS

Leave a reply

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.

FLEER 1987 LIMITED EDITION BASEBALL CARDS

Leave a reply

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.