A Look Back at the 1987 Fleer Baseball Update Factory Set

The Fleer baseball Update set was released in 1987 and featured players who had been traded or otherwise moved during the 1986 season. This set is now considered one of the key sets of the 1980s.

The Fleer Update Set

The Fleer Update set was released in the late summer of 1987 and was the second and final baseball card set released by the company that year. The set featured 90 cards, all of which were veterans or rookies who had made their debut during the 1986 or 1987 seasons. The cards were similar in design to the regular 1987 Fleer set, except for the blue and yellow borders and the “U” in the lower right hand corner.

One of the most notable cards in the set is that of Mark McGwire who was a rookie in 1987. This card would be his only Fleer card until 1991, when he would appear in Fleer’s “Future Stars” subset. Other notable players include Jose Canseco Reggie Jackson Nolan Ryan George Brett and Cal Ripken Jr. All of these players are represented in this set with new cards.

The Fleer Update set is significant because it was one of only two baseball sets released by Fleer in 1987. The other was the regular 1987 Fleer set, which was released earlier in the year. The Update set is also significant because it includes several players who would go on to have Hall of Fame careers, including Mark McGwire and Cal Ripken Jr.

The Notable Cards in the Set

The 1987 Fleer baseball Update set was released in late 1987 and contained 132 standard-size cards. The set is considered by many collectors to be a subset of the regular Fleer cards for that year and is often included with wax boxes and cases of the regular issue. This is due in part to the fact that 14 of the cards in the update were included in the regular issue, while another 10 were exclusive to the update. The other 108 cards were a mix of veterans and rookies, with 57 players appearing on Fleer cards for the first time.

Notably, the set contains two rookie cards #1 Greg Maddux and #132 Mark McGwire Maddux would go on to have a Hall of Fame career, winning 355 games and four Cy Young Awards. McGwire would play for 16 seasons, hitting 583 home runs and becoming one of baseball’s most feared sluggers.

The 1987 Fleer Update also contains a number of significant veteran cards. Among them are #16 Roger Clemens #70 Barry Bonds #98 Kirby Puckett and #99 Ryne Sandberg Clemens would win 354 games over his 24-year career, while Bonds would hit 762 home runs – the most in Major League history – over 22 seasons. Puckett was a ten-time All-Star who spent his entire 12-year career with the Minnesota Twins while Sandberg was a nine-time All-Star who spent 15 seasons with the Chicago Cubs

The Significance of the Set

The 1987 Fleer baseball Update Factory Set is significant for a number of reasons. First, it was the first complete update set ever released by a major card company. It included cards for every player who had been traded or otherwise acquired during the 1986 season, as well as for rookies who had made their debuts that year. This was a huge undertaking, and Fleer should be commended for their effort.

Secondly, the set is also significant because it marked the beginning of Fleer’s decline. The decision to release the set in factory form rather than as individual cards was a mistake, as many collectors were put off by the high price tag. Additionally, the quality of the cards was not up to par with what Topps and Upper Deck were putting out at the time. As a result, Fleer would never again be a major player in the baseball card market.

Despite its flaws, the 1987 Fleer Baseball Update Factory set remains an important part of Baseball Card history, and it is highly prized by collectors today.

The Design of the Set

The design of the set is very similar to that of the regular Fleer set that year. The front of the card features a large photo of the player with a small inset photo in the top left corner. The team logo is in the bottom right corner and the player’s name and position are above the photo. The back of the card has a much smaller photo with biographical information and statistics. One notable difference between this set and others from Fleer at the time is that there are no ads on the back of cards in this set.

The Printing of the Set

The 1987 Fleer Update set was printed byfleer on thin, 24 point stock and consists of 220 cards. The front of each card has a player photo with a green or red border. The back of the card has biographical information, leading up to the player’s current team as of the 1987 season. Card #1 in the set is Jose Canseco who was traded to the Oakland A’s midway through the 1986 season. Fleer decided to update their base set to include Canseco with his new team. All 220 cards in the set were individually hand collated and bagged by Fleer employees.

The Checklist of the Set

The Fleer Corp. released a 132-card factory set of baseball cards in late 1987 that featured updates of players who had switched teams or otherwise been omitted from the regular 1986 Fleer and Donruss sets, as well as a handful of rookies. The set is notable for including two cards each of two future Hall of Famers one a rookie card the other in his final season.

The Cost of the Set

The 1987 Fleer Baseball Update set consists of 132 cards and was released in late 1987. The set features rookie cards of future Hall of Famers Tim Raines Barry Larkin anddiscontinued in 1992 . It was the first in a series of annual “update” sets released by Fleer until the product line was The set was originally priced at $9.95 when it was released. In today’s dollars, that price would be $21.48. The set is currently selling for an average price of $30 on eBay.

The Rarity of the Set

The 1987 Fleer baseball update set is one of the most rare and sought after collectibles in the hobby. Consisting of 132 cards, the set was a update to the regular 1986 Fleer Baseball Set and featured many Future Hall of Famers including; Wade Boggs Roger Clemens Kirby Puckett and many more. The set also included 2 standout rookie cards in Jay Buhner and Mark McGwire The rarity of the set comes from the fact that it was released as a factory set only and was never inserted into packs of 1986 Fleer baseball cards like many other sets from that era. In recent years unopened boxes of 1986 Fleer baseball cards have been selling for close to $100,000 at auction, with individual mint condition cards from the 1987 Fleer update set selling for as high as $5,000.

The Condition of the Set

The 1987 Fleer Baseball Update Factory Set is one of the most popular sets of the 1980s. The set features 132 cards of players who were traded during the 1986-87 offseason, as well as All-Star and Rookie cards. The set is highly sought after by collectors, and a mint condition set can sell for hundreds of dollars.

The condition of the set is often a deciding factor in its value. A mint condition set will have all cards in perfect condition, with no stains, creases, or other damage. A set in good condition will still have all cards intact, but may show some wear and tear. A set in poor condition will be missing cards, and those that are present will be heavily damaged.

When considering the purchase of a 1987 Fleer Baseball Update Factory Set, be sure to inspect the condition of the set carefully. Sets in mint condition are extremely rare and can be quite valuable. Sets in good or poor condition are much more common, but still may be worth considering for your collection.

The Value of the Set

The value of the set has increased significantly since it was first released in 1987. Today, a mint condition set is worth upwards of $5,000. The increase in value is largely due to the popularity of Baseball Cards in the 1980s and the set’s limited production. In 1987, Fleer produced just 2,500 of these sets, making them very rare.