I remember having stacks and stacks of 1990 Fleer baseball cards as a kid...
Despite their plain look and feel, I didn't care.
I just wanted to acquire as many cards of the game's biggest stars of the day.
After all, isn't that what collecting baseball cards should be about?
Time has not treated this set very well as most of the cards in it have no value at all due to how they were massively overprinted...
But, despite that, I still managed to find the 10 most valuable 1990 Fleer baseball cards and write about them.
Let's jump right in!
1990 Fleer #74 Jose Uribe
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50
I honestly hesitated to mention this card...
But, due to all the strange hype around it, I've received many emails from people asking if it truly is worth a lot of money.
At some point, these cards started popping up on eBay listed for sale for well into the six figure price range.
Jose Uribe was an average player and the card is not rare...
So, why on Earth would this card be worth so much?
Some people have suspected that money laundering is somehow involved.
Others just suspect it's nothing more than a hobby joke that's gotten carried away.
No matter the reason, the card is not worth thousands of dollars...
I've recently seen these cards graded in PSA 10 condition sell for around $50...so, in some strange way, this card has generated some value after all.
1990 Fleer #513 Ken Griffey Jr.
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $45
During the 1990s, there was perhaps no bigger name in Major League Baseball than Ken Griffey Jr.
His towering home runs and incredible defensive ability in center field left fans in awe.
Given his size, you wouldn't think Griffey Jr. would be one of the game's best power hitters of all-time...
But, because of that sweet swing of his (arguably the most beautiful swing the game has ever seen) he was able to generate enough power and torque to send 630 baseballs over the fence over his career.
Griffey was one of the most popular players of the era and his cards were always in high demand.
This one is no exception and still holds some value, especially in its Canadian version.
1990 Fleer #10 Rickey Henderson
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
Excitement comes in all different forms in baseball, which is what makes this game so great.
On the base paths, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who was more exciting than Rickey Henderson.
Rickey wasted no time showing you the type of career he was going to have as a base stealer after he swiped a jaw-dropping 130 during the 1982 season.
Nobody even comes close to stealing 100 bases in a season anymore.
Henderson is also widely known for speaking in the third person...
But, hey, if the guy is the career leader in stolen bases I guess he's earned it.
1990 Fleer #110 Bo Jackson
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
Remember how Bo Jackson seemed to be everywhere back in the late 80s and early 90s?
Television commercials, videogames, merchandise...you name it, he was on it.
His two-sport stardom created astounding hype and his popularity soared through the roof.
While his career was cut short due to injury and we'll never know just how great he could have been, kids who were collecting in those days are now adults.
And those adults will never forget Bo Jackson and are still keeping his cards in strong demand.
1990 Fleer #157 Tony Gwynn
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
1990 Fleer #187 Cal Ripken Jr.
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
1990 Fleer #313 Nolan Ryan
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
Nolan Ryan is another one of those guys who is amongst the most highly demanded within any baseball card set.
The fireballer is a baseball icon whose popularity is timeless.
Ryan also appeared in this set on a "300 Strikeout Club" card with former Astros teammate, Mike Scott.
I always found this odd because Ryan had most recently eclipsed that mark the season before in 1989 but Scott did so back in 1986...
And, he'd also be included in the "Update" set that year which paid tribute to his no-hitters across three different decades.
I also found that odd because Ryan had eclipsed the 5,000 career strikeout mark the year before in 1989 as well but Fleer, unlike Topps, Donruss, and Upper Deck did not create to recognize this monumental achievement.
Not that throwing a no-hitter in 3 separate decades was no big deal but still...5,000 strikeouts is probably worth mentioning, too.
1990 Fleer #447 Don Mattingly
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
Don Mattingly could flat out play--he could hit for average and a bit of power while at the same time maintaining a solid glove at first base (he won 9 Gold Gloves in his career).
He'd never get a World Series ring but during the mid to late 80s, he was one of the sport's best players and his cards were on fire in the hobby as a result.
Everyone wanted Don Mattingly cards when I was a kid.
His 1990 Fleer card was no exception and has enough value left in the tank to earn a spot on this list.
1990 Fleer #645 Human Dynamos
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
1990 Fleer #363 Larry Walker Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $30
As a kid, there were few hitters I enjoyed watching more than Tony Gwynn, Wade Boggs and Larry Walker.
Sure, Griffey Jr., Bonds, McGwire and those guys were all fun to watch because of their power but the other guys were fun to watch because of their pure mastery at the plate.
How would you like to face a guy during a season in which he hit 49 home runs, 143 runs scored, 130 RBI and a .363 batting average?
That was the season Walker had in 1997--not quite good enough for the Triple Crown but he did win the MVP.
1990 Fleer #383 Kirby Puckett
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $30
1990 Fleer #461 Barry Bonds
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $30
1990 Fleer #591 Dale Murphy
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $30
1990 Fleer #636 300 Strikeout Club
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $30
1990 Fleer #40 Ryne Sandberg
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25
1990 Fleer #103 George Brett
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25
1990 Fleer #260 Ozzie Smith
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25
1990 Fleer #268 Wade Boggs
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25
1990 Fleer #454 Deion Sanders
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25
1990 Fleer #548 Sammy Sosa Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25
Because of the PED scandal that rocked baseball at the turn of the century, Sosa's legacy will forever hang under a cloud.
But, there's no question that he was one of the game's most popular players of his era.
Seeing Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds and him going toe-to-toe trying to break the single season home run record was exciting to watch and his notoriety grew as a result.
Because of that, he still holds a certain degree of popularity amongst fans and his rookie card from this set makes our list of the valuable as a result.
1990 Fleer #638 A.L. All-Stars
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25
1990 Fleer #3 Jose Canseco
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $20
1990 Fleer #217 Darryl Strawberry
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $20
1990 Fleer #297 Juan Gonzalez Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $20
1990 Fleer #485 Albert Belle Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $20
1990 Fleer Update #U-87 Frank Thomas Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40
Technically, Frank Thomas wasn't part of the regular 1990 Fleer set but would later appear in the "Update" set later that year.
But, how could I not at least mention this rookie card of one of the era's premier power hitters?
I grew up in Indiana so I would regularly see Frank Thomas playing in White Sox games televised by WGN in my area.
Man, was he fun to watch.
Frankly, given his size and strength, I'm surprised he didn't end up with more career homers or that he never eclipsed 50 in a season.
His 1990 Topps rookie card may be his most recognizable, but his 1990 Fleer rookie card is popular enough to keep it high atop this list.
1990 Fleer Baseball Cards In Review
So there you have it, the ten most valuable 1990 Fleer cards.
As you can see, it will take them being professionally graded in gem mint condition to be worth much.
And by the time I got to the end, you could say any number of guys like Roger Clemens, Cal Ripken Jr., Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire or any other number of stars from the day could be on the list.
The truth is, cards from this list just don't have much value anymore...
This set was large with a 660 card checklist and was massively printed.
That's what's ruined the value over the years.
Within the set were also several different subsets, including:
- Checklists
- Major League Prospects
- Player of the Decade
- Several Speciality Cards (ex. Ryan 300 Strikeout Club)
The set is rather unexciting compared to Topps and Donruss of that same year.
But, for those of us who grew up collecting these as kids, they'll always have a huge nostalgic factor to them despite not having the most monetary value.