1990 Fleer Baseball Cards – 25 Most Valuable … PLUS Bonus Listings

It’s hard to make the claim that any 1990 Fleer baseball cards are really “most valuable” from a monetary standpoint.

And, even among the overproduced cards from the first year in a decade noted for, well, overproduction, 1990 Fleer baseball cards seem especially plentiful.

Still, that doesn’t mean 1990 Fleer cards have no value. In fact, you may have followed the interesting saga of the 1990 Fleer Jose Uribe card, which some have ludicrously claimed is a rare and valuable card.

To be clear, it’s neither, but it is eye-popping to look at some of those asking prices — like in these eBay listings (affiliate link).

Instead of playing into that hype, though, it’s more instructive and genuine when looking into which 1990 Fleer cards hold some real value to examine how much they actually sold for.

What follows is a list of the 25 most valuable 1990 Fleer baseball cards based on actual selling prices for specimens in PSA 10 condition … plus a look at the top 1990 Fleer Update cards … PLUS a few bonus entries.

Let’s get to it!

(Check out our other posts about card values here and also our post on the 25 Most Wanted Baseball Cards of 1990. Also note that the following sections contain affiliate links to eBay and Amazon listings for the cards being discussed.)

25) 1990 Fleer Juan Gonzalez Rookie Card (#297)

Juan Gonzalez kind of got lost in the shuffle of the home run barrage during the late 1990s and the early 2000s, and especially because he sort of flamed out in his early-to-mid 30s.

But there were few sluggers as feared as Juan Gone through most of the 1990s, and he won two American League MVP awards with Texas, in 1996 and 1998.

At one time, this 1990 rookie card sat near the top of the new-card mountain and still pulls decent collector interest today.

Value: $10-15

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24) 1990 Fleer Randy Johnson (#518)

In 1990, Randy Johnson was still a mystery — a monster arm with control problems who had Hall of Fame potential but more questions than strikeouts.

The year before, though, the Montreal Expos had sent the man who would become The Big Unit to the Seattle Mariners, and it was there that Johnson would blossom as a pitcher.

Nineteen years and nearly 300 additional victories later, Johnson finally hung up his spikes with no doubt about his Cooperstown credentials.

All of the Unit’s cards, including early-career junk wax goodies like 1990 Fleer keep collectors interested all these years later.

Value: $15-20

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23) 1990 Fleer Omar Vizquel Rookie Card (#528)

Omar Vizquel started his Major League life as a light-hitting, slick-fielding shortstop. That’s never been a golden combination for unlocking big card values.

But Omar kept showing up for 24 years and improved his bat enough along the way to eventually accumulate nearly 2900 hits and more than 400 stolen bases.

He’s also something of a legend in Cleveland Indians lore, and his cards are just about as strong as ever (or at least they were until some of his off-field issues reared their ugly heads).

Value: $15-20

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22) 1990 Fleer Ryne Sandberg (#40)

After Sandberg helped the Cubs to their second division title in six seasons in 1989, he followed up with 40 home runs, good enough to lead the National League.

Now, second basemen generally don’t crank enough power to win dinger titles, so it’s no surprise that Sandberg’s 1990 performance ratcheted up his star, and his status in the hobby.

He never really came back to the earth, either, even if 1990 Fleer itself sort of did.

Value: $15-20

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21) 1990 Fleer Greg Maddux (#37)

Maddux turned around a string of losing seasons by posting an 18-8 record in 1988, then upped the ante with a 19-12, 2.95 ERA showing in 1989.

That was enough to get his rookie cards perking a bit, and his first Cy Young Award in 1992 cranked the heat even further.

By then, all of Maddux’s cards – including this 1990 Fleer – were top-loader fodder, even if there were plenty of them to go around.

Value: $15-20

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20) 1990 Fleer David Justice Rookie Card (#586)

You don’t hear much about him today, but man! David Justice was a legitimate phenomenon in the early 1990s. This dude had it all …

Good looks.

Sweet swing.

A strong young team around him.

Movie star wife (Halle Berry).

Oh, and he could also smack the stuffing out of a baseball.

Justice won the NL Rookie of the Year award in 1990 with 28 home runs and 78 RBI, the same year his rookie cards hit hobby shelves.

Though his star waxed and waned over the years, Justice still tallied 305 homers in a 14-year career, and his early cardboard remains popular.

Value: $15-25

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19) 1990 Fleer Deion Sanders Rookie Card (#454)

Deion Sanders was sort of like Bo Jackson Lite, a guy with superstar potential on the gridiron and enough talent to also play baseball in his downtime.

Although he rode Bo’s coattails to some extent, Neon eventually outdid his stockier counterpart – he stayed healthy for the most part and eventually turned his focus to football.

The result was a solid nine-year career in the majors that serves as a nifty garnish to a Hall of Fame resume in the NFL.

For his unique talents and accomplishments, Sanders is a hobby favorite, a status which applies particularly to his rookie cards (like this 1990 Fleer).

Value: $15-25

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18) 1990 Fleer Don Mattingly and Mark McGwire (#638)

There were few players more popular than Don Mattingly and Mark McGwire in the late 1980s, and certainly no pair of first basemen inspired more collectors to crack open a wax pack.

So, when Fleer managed to capture the duo together at the 1989 All-Star Game, they had cardboard gold on their hands – you know, if they hadn’t both stumbled in one way or another.

And if there weren’t 30 trillion 1990 Fleer cards in the world.

In the end, this one isn’t worth a ton, but it’s still pretty neato.

Value: $20-25

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17) 1990 Fleer Roger Clemens (#271)

Clemens “slumped” to 17-11 with a 3.13 ERA in 1989 before rebounding to 21-7 and a nasty 1.93 ERA in 1990.

None of it mattered too much, though, as Rocket was already among the most popular pitchers in the game – and the hobby.

Of course, the best was yet to come … and so was the worst.

These days, there is still plenty of collector interest in Clemens’ cards, regardless of how much of a pariah he has become in some circles.

Value: $20-25

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16) 1990 Fleer Mark McGwire (#10)

In 1990, Mark McGwire enjoyed a rebound season that saw him slam 39 home runs, the most he had logged since his rookie-of-the-year campaign in 1987. That performance helped his Oakland A’s get back to the World Series (where they were swept by the Cincinnati Reds) and served notice that Big Mac was back.

Of course, he’d go on to break Roger Maris‘s single-season home run record, smacking 70 in 1998, before the steroid debacle tarnished his Bunyanesque feats.

Will McGwire ever make it to Cooperstown?

Hard to say at this point, but his cards remain popular, as evidenced by this entry’s high standing among its contemporaries.

Value: $20-30

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15) 1990 Fleer Sammy Sosa Rookie Card (#548)

McGwire’s running mate (or mortal foe) during that magical season of 1998, Sammy Sosa also surpassed Maris but finished second in the homer race. Never mind, that, though, because Sammy nabbed the NL MVP award and then went on to hit 60 homers in a season two more times.

Another player whose legacy was decimated by PEDs, Sosa started MLB life as a more slender and toolsy outfielder who could steal bases, hit home runs, and just be pretty lively in general. That’s the version we see here on his 1990 Fleer rookie card.

Value: $20-30

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14) 1990 Fleer Mike Scott and Nolan Ryan (#636)

For several years during the 1980s, Mike Scott and Nolan Ryan lit up National League batters as rotation mates with the Houston Astros.

Then, before the 1989 season, Ryan defected to sign with the Texas Rangers.

The two fireballers weren’t quite done with each other, though, and Fleer was there to capture their reunion at the 1989 All-Star Game.

The result is this pretty cool card that has more strikeouts than between them than a bag full of Dave Kingmans.

Value: $20-30

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13) 1990 Fleer Nolan Ryan (#313)

By 1990, Nolan Ryan was just turning 98 years old but still had plenty of gas in the tank — enough time for four more seasons, in fact. That kept him in the Major Leagues through 1993 and allowed him to amass more than 5000 strikeouts and 300 wins, not to mention his seven no-hitters.

Ryan didn’t land with the Texas Rangers until 1989, but he became synonymous with that team thanks to his Texas swagger and the records he smashed in the Red, White, and Blue Rangers garb. And since 1990 was the first time base sets showed The Ryan Express with Texas, and they’re popular among collectors.

Value: $25-30

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12) 1990 Fleer Rickey Henderson (#10)

Henderson returned to Oakland in 1989, which meant his 1990 cards featured him in A’s Green and Gold, just like the baseball gods intended.

It was just in time, too, as Rickey was about to turn in one of the greatest seasons of his career (1990) before taking down Lou Brock’s all-time stolen base record in 1991.

Value: $25-35

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11) 1990 Fleer Bo Jackson (#110)

Bo Jackson was one of the most exciting players to ever step foot on an MLB diamond and, though his career was cut short by a hip injury suffered in the NFL, he still inspires our imaginations all these years later.

And nothing drives card values more than wondering what might have been (well, OK, maybe buckets of home runs would work, too).

Value: $25-35

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10) 1990 Fleer George Brett (#103)

Brett was nearly ten years removed from his incredible 1980 season, with its .390 batting average, when this set debuted.

But in the interim, Mullet had solidified his standing as one of the greatest third basemen of all time, a future Hall of Famer, and a hobby icon.

As a consequence, his cards almost always appear on lists like this one.

Value: $30-35

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9) 1990 Fleer Kirby Puckett (#383)

Thanks to a string of .300+ seasons with good power and a contagious excitement for the game, Puckett was already hobby royalty by the time the 1989 season dawned.

His first – and only – batting title that summer only served to further bolster his status, and this 1990 Fleer was a must-have pull from wax packs all through the first year of the new decade.

Value: $30-35

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8) 1990 Fleer Tony Gwynn (#157)

Gwynn won his third straight NL batting title in 1989, and his fourth overall.

That sort of performance pretty much guarantees your cards will be popular pulls the next year, even if a five-year “drought” ensues.

For Mr. Padre, it was more of a dry spell, as he resumed his title-winning ways in full force, winning four in a row from 1994 through 1997.

This 1990 Fleer shows Gwynn doing what he did best.

Value: $30-35

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7) 1990 Fleer Cal Ripken Jr. (#187)

Long about the time this set started spewing forth across the land, Ripken was taking a ton of flak for showing up to work every day.

Take a day off now and then, the naysayers naysayed, and he might produce better numbers. Help the Orioles. Really fulfill his legacy.

But Cal had another sort of legacy in mind.

So … he cranked up his game to new levels in 1991, capturing his second American League MVP award while staying in the lineup all season long.

He stayed there through 1995 and beyond, too, more than enough time to surpass Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive games played AND to amplify his already massive hobby presence to Ryanesque proportions.

Value: $35-35

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6) 1990 Fleer Albert Belle Rookie Card (#485)

Don’t mention it to the man himself, but Albert Belle made his first appearance in a base Fleer set on this card … as Joey.

You know, as in, “Don’t call me Joey.”

We definitely won’t, though we will call him one of the greatest hitters of the 1990s, a fact often overlooked in the glare of the post-strike home run explosion, Belle’s relatively short career, and his generally churlish reputation.

Value: $35-45

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5) 1990 Fleer Larry Walker Rookie Card (#363)

One thing the 1990 Fleer set has always had going for it is a nice selection of rookie cards, with any number of the players involved seemingly headed toward the Hall of Fame at various points over the last 30+ years.

And yet, it was Walker, one of the more unassuming of the bunch who made the Cooperstown cut first … and he may not get company on that front anytime soon.

Even though Walker gets dinged by some critics for spending a good proportion of his career at Coors Field, he is plenty popular with collectors, with a special boost for starring with the for-now-defunct Montreal Expos.

Value: $35-45

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4) 1990 Fleer Don Mattingly (#447)

By the time this card was issued, Mattingly’s back problems had already started to take a toll on his power stroke, with his slugging percentage tumbling from a peak of .573 in 1986 all the way down to .486 and .472 in 1988 and 1989, respectively.

The issue would become more acute and obvious in 1990, when Donnie Baseball made it onto the field just 102 times and hit an anemic .256.

At least collectors had this snazzy shot of Mattingly doing his thing to help us remember the good times.

Value: $40-45

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3) 1990 Fleer Bo Jackson and Kirby Puckett (#635)

There may never have been more energy and excitement wrapped up in a single baseball card than this Fleer Super Star Special featuring Bo Jackson and Kirby Puckett.

These two lit up a ballpark with their verve for the game like few before or since.

Of course, you might not know that looking at this card, given their … uh … pensive expressions.

Value: $45-50

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2) 1990 Fleer Ken Griffey Jr. (#513)

In 1990, Ken Griffey, Jr., was still more about potential than production. While he had finished third in voting for the 1989 American League Rookie of the Year balloting, he did so with only 16 homers, 16 stolen bases, and an uninspiring .264 batting average.

It didn’t take long for The Kid to ramp things up from there, and he soon took his rightful place as one of the two or three best players in the game. When he finally wrapped up his career in 2010, his stat line looked like a video game high-scorers table: 630 home runs, 1836 RBI, 1662 runs, nearly 2800 hits, and even 184 stolen bases.

Not surprisingly, Griffey’s cards have been among the most popular in the hobby since his 1989 debut, and this early Junior entry still sells well, though at reasonable prices.

Value: $60-70

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1) 1990 Fleer Barry Bonds (#461)

No matter how you feel about Barry Bonds, you have to admit the man had extraordinary talents for baseball and did some amazing things on the diamond … at every stage of his career.

This 1990 Fleer card captures a young Bonds right as he was entering his first breakout stage, when he put together all those tools of his into a run of all-around great seasons that yielded three division titles for the Pirates and Barry’s first two MVP awards.

Not the most desirable Bonds card ever made but still a nice cardboard hunk of baseball history.

Value: $80-85

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Honorable Mention

This set is the epitome of Junk Wax, so it’s a minor miracle that those 25 cards have kinda sorta kept up with the booming market.

What’s not so amazing is that the Junk Wax Prince here is also sort of, well, junky.

As in, Fleer made some gaffes. But they corrected them, too, which makes for some limited version of scarcity and a bit of demand.

Plus, there is another sort of crappy card that for some reason has become a sensation.

Here’s the rundown on all that 1990 Fleer trash …

5) 1990 Fleer George Brett Error (#621)

Fleer decided to look back ten years and celebrate George Brett’s .390 average in 1980.

They were SO impressed with old G.B., in fact, that they credited him with ten seasons of hitting .390 or better.

Yeah, that should have been .300.

Since Fleer corrected the card, though, that left us with two versions, and the wrong version seems to be more scarce, and thus more valuable.

Value: $30-40

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4) 1990 Fleer Dave Martinez Yellow 90 (#353)

Dave Martinez was a pretty decent major leaguer who eventually became a probably even better manager.

In 1990, Martinez was an outfielder with the Montreal Expos, with whom he appeared on his 1990 Fleer baseball card.

That little “90” in the upper left-hand corner was supposed to be red on all the Fleer cards that year, but some of Martinez’s cards came out with a yellow “90” instead.

Probably a printing defect, truth be told, but collectors love error cards, and this one still carries a premium all these years later.

Value: $35-40

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3) 1990 Fleer Will Clark (TB 32) (#630)

Fleer honored Will Clark as a “Player of the Decade” in their 1990 set, detailing his case at great length on the back of his tribute card.

In some versions of that card, they even credited him with 32 total bases in 1989.

Amazing number for a superstar.

Fleer eventually corrected that to 321, leaving the error version with a premium 30+ years later.

Value: $15-70

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2) 1990 Fleer Cal Ripkin Jr. Error (#624)

When you want to celebrate one of the greatest players in the game, an all-time legend who was taking aim at another all-time legend, the least you could do is get his name right.

Right?

Maybe.

But not Fleer, and not in 1990.

So, dear collector, please meet the esteemed Cal Ripkin, Jr.

He was later replaced by a more expected, more plentiful, and less valuable Mr. Ripken.

Hey, at least Cal didn’t get the Billy treatment.

Value: $40-50

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1) 1990 Fleer Jose Uribe (#74)

It’s pretty much required that I talk about this card in any article about 1990 Fleer these days.

So …

Jose Uribe was a solid MLB shortstop for most of his ten-year career, and he was quite a bit less than solid at the bat.

He was born on January 21, 1959.

His 1990 Fleer card says he was born on January 21, 1960.

So does his 1988 Fleer.

It’s an error. Or, more likely, a discrepancy in reported dates – possibly even perpetrated intentionally by someone somewhere along the line to try and game the perception of Uribe’s “prospect” status.

The 1990 Fleer card was not corrected (because there was really nothing to correct).

The 1990 Fleer Jose Uribe is as common as dog hair.

The 1990 Fleer Jose Uribe should be worth as much as dog hair, or less, since dog hair often comes attached to an actual dog.

The 1990 Fleer Jose Uribe often sells for stupid prices thanks to some scheming scammers.

Don’t get schemed.

Don’t get scammed.

This thing sells all over the place, pricewise, online — don’t be shocked to see then gavel down at $20, $50, $100, or even $500.

The reality? It’s a common.

Value: $2-500

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1990 Fleer Update Baseball Cards

Update and Traded sets have always been driven by rookie card power, even when said RC power isn’t all that powerful.

The 1990 Fleer Update set did OK in the rookie power category, at least at the top of the heap.

Down below?

Mostly scraps, with some old guys coming up behind to clean up the mess.

Here they are …

5) 1990 Fleer Update John Olerud Rookie Card (#U-128)

The 1990 Fleer Update set is not teeming with high-profile rookie cards, but Olerud sort of quietly put together a good-to-great career that stacks up with some guys already in the Hall of Fame.

If Mr. Helmet-in-the-Field were ever to get some Cooperstown love, you can bet this card would jump in value.

Value: $25-30

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4) 1990 Fleer Update Dale Murphy (#U-46)

Murphy was pretty much toast by the time this card was issued, but he still managed a decent power showing for the Phillies in 1990.

As one of the first cards to show Murph with Philadelphia, this one has hobby support from two large fan bases (Braves and Phillies), not to mention all the folks who think the slugger belongs in Cooperstown.

Value: $30-35

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3) 1990 Fleer Update Nolan Ryan No-Hitters (#U-131)

Fleer captured Nolan Ryan in his Texas Rangers uniform in their base 1990 set, but you can never have too many – or even enough – cards of The Express.

So imagine Fleer’s relief when Ryan hurled a sixth career no-hitter in June 1990, paving an easy road to a Fleer Update card that fall.

Value: $30-40

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2) 1990 Fleer Update Curt Schilling Rookie Card (#U-68)

Yeah, nobody seems to like Schilling these days, but the guy did some amazing things on the field and has stats worthy of the Hall of Fame.

If he ever gets there, you can expect movement in his “rookie” cards, though this one trailed behind Donruss by a year and a half or so.

Value: $40-45

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1) 1990 Fleer Update Frank Thomas Rookie Card (#U-87)

In 1989, Frank Thomas emerged from Auburn University and almost immediately started putting “The Big Hurt” on Major League pitchers (OK, at least by the next summer). By the middle of the decade, Thomas was putting up numbers reminiscent of the great Ted Williams and many thought he might develop into the greatest all-around hitter ever. He slowed down as he aged, but Thomas still finished with monster numbers that included 521 home runs, 1704 RBI, nearly 1500 runs, more than 2400 hits, and a .301 lifetime average.

While he had other, more high-profile rookie cards (1990 Leaf, for example), the 1990 Fleer Update card of the 2014 Hall of Fame inductee is an overlooked gem that can still be had for reasonable sums.

Value: $40-50

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Check out our full catalog of posts about the most valuable baseball cards in the hobby.

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