The 1987 Fleer Baseball set is one of the most recognizable releases of the late 1980s and a true snapshot of baseball’s growing card-collecting boom. The 660-card set features a distinctive light-blue and white design surrounding colorful player photography, giving the cards a clean, bright look that stands apart from the 1987 Topps and Donruss releases.
What really makes 1987 Fleer memorable is its incredible rookie class. Barry Bonds, Bo Jackson, Will Clark, Barry Larkin, Bobby Bonilla, Wally Joyner, John Kruk, and Devon White are among the notable rookies featured in the set. Alongside those future stars are legends such as Nolan Ryan, Cal Ripken Jr., Rickey Henderson, George Brett, and Mike Schmidt.
Fleer also expanded its use of subsets in 1987, including the SuperStar Specials, Major League Prospects, and seven checklist cards at the end of the set. The release was available in wax, cello, and rack packs, along with factory and Glossy sets, reflecting just how popular baseball cards had become during this era.
Today, 1987 Fleer sits firmly in the early Junk Wax Era, but calling it simply “junk wax” overlooks what makes the set special. It has a memorable design, a deep lineup of stars, and one of the strongest rookie classes of the decade—making it a fun set to collect and a perfect representation of baseball cards in the late 1980s.
