1987 Fleer Michael Jordan Card Value — PSA Grades & Buying Guide
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The 1987 Fleer Michael Jordan card (#59) is one of the most sought-after basketball cards of the late 1980s. While it plays second fiddle to the iconic 1986 Fleer Jordan rookie, the 87 Fleer Jordan has always been a highly desired card — and for good reason. It’s the last widely available early Jordan card that is somewhat affordable, and in high grade, it’s an attractive investment.
With raw copies regularly trading above $400 and PSA 10s back near all-time highs, this is no longer a budget card. Here’s everything you need to know before buying.
A Closer Look: 1987 Fleer Michael Jordan #59
The 1987 Fleer Jordan is card #59 in the 1987-88 Fleer Basketball set — Jordan’s second year card, not his rookie. Following on the landmark 1986 Fleer Basketball set, the 87 Fleer set was, from a collector’s perspective, a worthy successor.
The set featured the second-year cards of all the big rookie stars from the 86 Fleer set, such as Jordan, Barkley, Olajuwon, Drexler, Wilkins, and Ewing, but lacked any big-time rookies. The most valuable rookie card in the set is one of Brad Daugherty (yikes).
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The ’87 Fleer set has a distinctly different design from the ’86 — a gray halftone background, yellow player name text, and a cleaner overall look that many collectors seem to enjoy.
The card back features career stats through Jordan’s first three seasons with the Bulls and uses a combination of halftone and solid ink printing that is worth understanding if you’re evaluating authenticity.
The production run for the 1987 Fleer set is rumored to have been half that of the 1986 Fleer set due to a disappointing collector reception at the time.
1987 Fleer Michael Jordan – Value By Grade
| Grade | Recent Sale Price |
|---|---|
| PSA 10 Gem Mint | ~$30,000 |
| PSA 9 Mint | ~$3,200 |
| PSA 8 NM-MT | ~$1,200 |
| PSA 7 NM | ~$600 |
| PSA 6 EX-MT | ~$450 |
| Raw / Ungraded | $400 – $1,000 |
A note on PSA 10 values: The PSA 10 market for this card has been volatile. Values peaked during the pandemic boom and then retreated sharply — bottoming out around $14,000 before recovering. They’ve since retraced to above $30,000 and are approaching all-time highs again. If you’re buying a PSA 10, you’re buying near the top of a recovery cycle, so factor that into your decision.
The raw market is interesting. At $400–$1,000 ungraded, there’s meaningful upside if you can find a well-centered, clean copy and submit it for grading — but the ’87 Fleer is notoriously difficult to pull high grades on due to centering variance in the original print run. Don’t assume a nice-looking raw copy will grade PSA 8 or better without closely scrutinizing the card.
PSA Population Data: 1987 Fleer vs 1986 Fleer Jordan
One of the more surprising facts about the 1987 Fleer Jordan is how closely its PSA population mirrors the 1986 rookie across almost every grade. Here’s the current population breakdown:
| Grade | 1986 Fleer #57 | 1987 Fleer #59 |
|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | 339 | 217 |
| PSA 9 | 3,069 | 2,886 |
| PSA 8 | 9,295 | 9,080 |
| PSA 7 | 5,048 | 4,902 |
| PSA 6 | 3,188 | 2,049 |
| PSA 5 | 2,035 | 943 |
The PSA 10 population tells the most interesting story. There are only 217 PSA 10 copies of the 1987 Fleer Jordan in existence — versus 339 for the 1986 Fleer rookie. The ’87 is actually harder to find in Gem Mint condition than the rookie, despite being printed in larger quantities. That’s almost entirely a centering issue — the ’87 Fleer print run was notoriously inconsistent in that regard.
From PSA 8 downward the populations are nearly identical (aside from PSA 5 copies). My guess is that in general, despite 87 Fleer having a smaller print run, more collectors have submitted the 86 Fleer rookie for grading.
What To Look For In A High-Grade Copy
Centering is the single biggest obstacle to high grades on the ’87 Fleer Jordan. The card is prone to left-to-right centering issues, and PSA is strict. Even copies that look well-centered to the naked eye can come back with centering issues under measurement. If you’re buying raw with grading in mind, use a ruler or centering tool before submitting.
Surface is the second key factor. The gray halftone background on the front shows scratches and print lines easily — what looks clean in a photo can have visible surface wear under direct light. Always ask for photos in direct lighting before buying raw online.
Corners and edges tend to hold up better on the ’87 than the ’86, but the card’s age means even stored copies can show wear. Look for sharp, pointed corners with no fraying or softening.
It is also notable that many collectors from the 80s and 90s liked to store their cards in screw-down holders. If you are buying an 87 Fleer Jordan that has sat in a (non-recessed) screw-down for years, just know that it could have done irreparable damage to the card.
Is It Worth Grading?
At current raw prices of $400–$1,000, the grading math only works if you have a strong reason to believe the card will come back PSA 8 or better. A PSA 7 at $600 doesn’t leave much upside over a $400 raw copy once you factor in grading fees and turnaround time. A PSA 8 at $1,200 starts to make sense if you can acquire raw in the $400–$500 range and are confident in the centering.
The PSA 9 and 10 are where the real value unlock happens — but those grades require near-perfect copies that are genuinely hard to find in the wild. If you come across a raw copy with exceptional centering, clean surfaces, and sharp corners, it’s worth submitting. Otherwise, buying a graded copy outright is often the more reliable path.
Check out our card grading calculator, which will help you determine whether it’s worth grading.
Watch Out For Fakes
While the 1987 Fleer Jordan is counterfeited far less aggressively than the 1986 rookie, fakes do exist and will become more common as values rise. The good news is that the halftone printing on the ’87 Fleer is actually easier to evaluate for authenticity than the ’86 computer-printed fakes, which struggle to replicate the precise dot patterns of the original press run.
We’ve put together a dedicated authentication guide covering the specific tells on fake 1987 Fleer Jordan cards — from halftone print patterns to font and color discrepancies. If you’re buying raw and want to verify authenticity before submitting for grading, start there.
→ How To Spot A Fake 1987 Fleer Michael Jordan Card
Where To Buy The 1987 Fleer Michael Jordan Card
eBay remains the most liquid market for this card across all grades. For raw copies, look for sellers with strong feedback, and always request direct-lighting photos. For graded copies, filter by PSA, BGS, or SGC certification and verify the cert number on the grading company’s website before purchasing.
Browse current 1987 Fleer Jordan listings on eBay →
Final Thoughts
The 1987 Fleer Michael Jordan card remains one of the more affordable ways to get meaningful exposure to Jordan’s legacy — without the eye-watering price tag of the 1986 Fleer rookie or the 1985 Star #101. That said, like the ’86 Fleer #57, this is not a rare card. Supply is substantial, and collectors should go in with realistic expectations about scarcity. However, Jordan’s cultural footprint isn’t shrinking, and long-term collector interest in his key cards should remain strong.
For collectors looking to buy, I recommend targeting PSA 9 copies. At around $3,200, a PSA 9 ’87 Fleer costs less than a low-grade Jordan rookie card — and with less than 3,000 PSA 9 copies in existence, you’re holding a card with a more constrained population than the price might suggest. It’s not a rookie card, but it’s a legitimate Jordan card in a grade that will always have a buyer.
