The 1991 Fleer baseball card set was released at the start of the 1990s baseball season and contained several highly valuable and sought after rookie cards. While not as iconic or valuable as the dominant Topps and Donruss sets of the time, 1991 Fleer contained many notable rookie cards and traded valuable veterans that made it an important set in the history of baseball cards. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most valuable and sought after cards from the 1991 Fleer baseball release.
Perhaps the most famous and valuable card from the 1991 Fleer set is the Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. Widely considered one of the best all-around players of his generation, Griffey was already showing signs of superstardom in his rookie season with the Seattle Mariners in 1990. His graceful style of play and pure hitting ability made him a fan favorite from the start. The Griffey rookie captured him in all his youthful promise and potential at the beginning of what would become a surefire Hall of Fame career. In top graded gem mint condition, Griffey’s 1991 Fleer rookie has sold for over $20,000, an amazing price for a card from a product that is not Topps or Donruss. Even well-centered near mint copies trade for hundreds if not over $1,000 still making it one of the most coveted and valuable modern era cards.
Another highly sought after rookie from 1991 Fleer is pitcher Pedro Martinez. Even in his early seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Martinez was showing the dynamic stuff that would make him a future Cy Young award winner and one of the most dominant pitchers of the late 90s and early 2000s. His card captured him at the absolute start of it all. In top condition, the Martinez rookie has sold for over $5,000, making it one of the most valuable pitching rookie cards from the early 90s era. Having starred for the Boston Red Sox dynasties later in his career added to the card’s cachet among collectors.
While 1991 Fleer did not feature rookie cards for stars like Frank Thomas, Tom Glavine, or Chuck Knoblauch like rival sets, it did have the rookie card of slugging outfielder Moises Alou, son of former All-Star Felipe Alou. Alou went on to have a solid 17-year career, including time on World Series championship teams, hitting over 300 home runs. His rookie card sometimes gets overlooked among the big names from 1991 but still holds value within the $100-300 range in top grade.
The 1991 Fleer set is also noteworthy for containing traded cards of veteran superstars like Nolan Ryan and Ozzie Smith, two of the biggest names in the game at the time. While not rookies, these traded cards captured these future Hall of Famers in their early years with new teams, Ryan with the Texas Rangers and Smith with the St. Louis Cardinals. High grade copies of these traded veteran cards in the $75-200 range make them highly collectible pieces from the set beyond just the rookies.
Something quite unique about 1991 Fleer was the inclusion of manager/coach spotlight cards beyond just players. One such card features Yankees legend Yogi Berra in his role as bench coach. Berra had just transitioned to a behind the scenes role after his playing days but was still a hugely iconic figure in baseball. His spotlight card catches him in this new phase has become a very collectible and sometimes pricey piece for Yankee and Berra collectors. Grading services also sometimes use “Yogi Berra” labels to designate this special manager/coach subset when a true rookie card doesn’t exist.
The 1991 Fleer set also contained other key veteran stars who were entering highlight years of their careers like Will Clark, Kirby Puckett, Randy Johnson, and Roberto Alomar. While not rookies, collectors love capturing these greats in their prime years before gradual decline. High graded versions of these stars which are always in demand can reach the $50-150 range. The set also included traded versions of veterans like Bret Saberhagen tracking their free agency moves.
While not the biggest or most iconic set of its time, 1991 Fleer contained several absolutely key rookie cards like Griffey Jr. and Martinez that have grown enormously valuable with time. It also provided some important traded and veteran star cards alongside rookie hits that give the set lasting appeal and collectibility decades later for both investors and fans of the players and era. For its mix of great rookies and stars in their prime, 1991 Fleer deserves recognition among the most noteworthy baseball card releases of the early 90s boom.
