In the colorful, hyper-competitive world of sports card collecting, the Michael Jordan name reverberates like an echo in a vast canyon, leaving collectors in awe and investors feverishly clutching their beloved ’86 Fleer rookie cards. But the illustrious championship-winning silhouette of MJ isn’t simply confined to those hallowed pieces of cardstock. There’s another card lurking just outside the spotlight, whispering sweet promises of gains to those with an ear keen enough to hear its subtle call. Enter the 1989 Fleer Michael Jordan card—a sleeper hit in the vast collection landscape that’s primed for collectors both nostalgic and shrewd.
For years, the 1989 Fleer #21 has been cast as the unassuming cousin to the grand ’86 rookie—overshadowed and underappreciated, much like the quiet character actor poised to steal an Oscar from under the noses of leading heartthrobs. It’s a card that doesn’t need to blare its significance through heavyweight price tags and boisterous sales figures, but instead consistently whispers value to those with the foresight to see beyond sparkling headlines.
Back in 2021, enthusiastic card hunters could snatch a PSA 10 of this card for around $1,001. Fast forward a couple of years, and this dark horse of the trading card realms has trotted its way up to $1,200. Sure, it’s no landslide victory, but a tidy 20% increase certainly speaks volumes in a world where steady strides can often outpace speculative gallops. A note to aspiring hobbyists: slow and steady may not just win the race—it might secure the trophy, throne, and treasure chest to boot!
Peeling back the layers of graded card circulation reveals some telling numbers: about 1,240 PSA 10s along with over 11,000 PSA 9 ratings out there in the wild. Initially, those figures might seem intimidating, but here’s where the plot thickens—a devoted legion of collectors seems to have discovered the allure of this more accessible treasure. Perhaps it’s the realization that not every chunk of cardboard artistry requires a second mortgage—or maybe, it’s the acknowledgment that a Jordan card doesn’t have to be defined purely by its commas.
More fascinating still is the rags-to-riches tale of the raw 1989 Fleer copies—once the pauper of the trading masses, these ungraded beauties have leaped from their humble $6 origins in 2022 to a far more respectable $20 per card.
What’s spurring this renaissance, you ask? Picture a three-part formula: the relentless rise in grading fees subtly nudging collectors towards pre-graded slabs, a heartfelt nostalgia sweeping through the hearts of those who remember the golden era of late ’80s basketball, and a swelling group of enthusiasts yearning to own a piece of basketball history without surrendering a bank vault to do so.
The intriguing flair of the 1989 Fleer lies in its unpretentious nature; it doesn’t burst onto the scene with grandiose imagery or flashy hullabaloo. This card of MJ is from his prime—a snapshot at the peak of the Bulls’ meteoric ascent, a solid contender for those looking to grab a piece of history without getting caught up in a frenzy of loudness.
As collectors stand at this fork in the investing road, the choice is clear. The 1989 Fleer Michael Jordan card might not seduce with promises of overnight riches, but it entices with the guarantee of thoughtful, considered growth. Perhaps that’s the subtle charm it’s been cultivating all this time, waiting for collectors to recognize that sometimes, the less glamorous path leads to treasures just as great.
So, if you’re on the prowl for a blend of value and long-term promise—or if you’re just plain weary of the usual, dazzling suspects—then this card deserves a thoughtful nod. Just as Michael Jordan himself didn’t need rookie labels to rule the court, his 1989 Fleer doesn’t need the gawking masses to spread its wings and catch the favorable winds of the card collecting universe.
