Although the 1986-87 Fleer basketball set is most famous for including Michael Jordan's rookie card (card #57), it also represents the sports cards industry return to basketball after a five year hiatus. After Topps stopped producing basketball cards in 1981, Fleer was the first company to produce basketball cards again with their 1986 set. For investing purposes, this is a critical fact because any rookie drafted from between 1981 and 1985 received their first official, or "rookie" card, in 1986 with this Fleer set. That means the set also contains the official first cards for Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, Dominique Wilkins, among others. All of these "firsts" make the 1986 Fleer Basketball set one of the greatest card sets of all-time.
The 1986 Fleer Basketball Card Set was released on October 28, 1986. The set was produced by Fleer, a company that had been producing basketball cards since the 1960s.
1986 Fleer Basketball Michael Jordan #57 PSA 9.0 MINT
Widely considered to be the GOAT, it's no surprise that Michael Jordan's rookie card is the big kahuna in the 1986 Fleer Basketball set. This card is easier to price since there's significant recent sales data. During the past two months, a PSA 9.0 of this card has sold in the $16,000 to $18,000 price range.
For instance, this PSA 9.0 sold for $16,850 on September 5th on eBay after receiving 37 bids. Another PSA 9.0 sold for slightly less ($16,000) on the same day for a fixed price also on eBay. On the higher end, this PSA 9.0 sold for $17,995 on August 24th on eBay after receiving 20 bids.
As of Thursday, September 7th, the current bid for this card on PWCC was $12,000. PWCC also has this PSA 8.0 of Michael's rookie card up for bids as well.
1986 Fleer Basketball Charles Barkley #7 PSA 9.0 MINT
One of the greatest players in the NBA to never win a title, Charles Barkley, the "Mound Round of Rebound," was named the NBA All-Star Game MVP in 1991, and the league's MVP in 1993. He competed in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games, winning two gold medals as a member of the "Dream Team."
There weren't quite as many recent sales of 9.0s of this card, but those that did sell in the $660 to $865 range in recent months on eBay. For example, back on June 29th, this PSA 9.0 sold for $660 after receiving 41 bids on eBay. Just over a week ago, this PSA 9.0 sold for $833 after receiving six bids on eBay.
As of Thursday, September 7th, the current bid for this card on PWCC was $310.
1986 Fleer Basketball Patrick Ewing #32 PSA 9 MINT
Like Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing is also one of the greatest NBA players to never win a title. If he didn't play in the same era as Michael Jordan, he probably would've won at least one. 9.0s of this card have generally sold in the $300 to $400 range. For example, this PSA 9.0 sold for $399.95 on June 20th for a fixed price on eBay. Most recently, this 9.0 sold for $385 after receiving 14 bids on eBay.
As of Thursday, September 7th, the current bid for this card on PWCC was $120.
Did any other 1986 Fleer basketball cards in this week's PWCC auction catch your attention? Please let our community know in the comments section below!
