Say what you will about 1991 Fleer baseball cards, but there’s no denying they’re altogether unforgettable.
I mean, where else can you find so much garish yellow in one place outside of a Banana Runt factory??
Nowhere I know of!
And, while the rough design and gross overproduction make the average card from the set about as desirable as a mosquito in July, that doesn’t mean they’re completely without merit.
In fact, the solid yellow borders mean that these cards are not that easy to find in perfect condition … and that means some of them are worth a little money.
With that in mind, then, here are the ten most valuable 1991 Fleer baseball cards, based on recent eBay sales of cards graded a perfect PSA 10.
1991 Fleer Ken Griffey Jr. (#450)
If anybody could make this bananafest look good, it was a young Ken Griffey, Jr. And here on this card, Junior does a pretty good job of that.
This third-year Griffey features a nicely centered shot of the legend with a bat in his hand … he’s at-bat and coming out of the box somehow — strikeout, walk, pop up.
Given his grimace, I’m betting on the latter.
Anyway, that old Mariners uniform looks great, and the blurred crowd gives us a fitting background for the budding superstar.
Put it all together, and you have a card that’s still popular with collectors and can bring up to $40 in PSA 10 graded condition.
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1991 Fleer Nolan Ryan (#302)
Here you have an action shot of The Ryan Express issued right as he was putting the finishing touches on his personal baseball legend with the Texas Rangers.
So, yeah, it’s popular in high grades.
How popular?
About $30 in perfect graded condition.
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1991 Fleer Bo Jackson (#561)
Once upon a time … like, say, 1990 … Bo Jackson could do just about anything.
Run the football, hit the baseball, catch the football, catch a baseball, run the bases … run for President?
Maybe.
And then came the January 1991 injury with the Los Angeles Raiders that changed all of his careers forever.
But, while Bo may never have become the actual, immortal Superman we hoped he would be, he’s still that guy in mid-swing for the Kansas City Royals here on his 1991 Fleer baseball card.
And collectors still love Bo after all this time, to the tune of about $20 or more for a PSA 10 copy of this card.
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1991 Fleer Ken Griffey Jr.and Barry Bonds (#710)
For a long time, there was great debate in the game about which Major League progeny would turn in the more astounding MLB career — Barry Bonds or Ken Griffey Jr.
So …
Fleer decided to capitalize on the budding popularity of Bobby Bond’s and Ken Griffey’s sons in 1991 with this “Second Generation Stars” card.
And, while the debate was never really settled — both were amazing, though Bonds was tainted by the whole PED scene — this card makes Fleer look prescient in retrospect.
Of course, this card was produced in gagging amounts, just like the rest of the 1991 Fleers, but it still looks great — especially given the yellow borders.
And the two gents pictured are still popular enough to make this a $20 item in PSA 10.
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1991 Fleer Cal Ripken Jr. (#490)
Not many players were more popular than Cal Ripken Jr. in the summer of 1991, as he beat back critics of his devotion to “The Streak” to post the best numbers of his career and snag a second American League Most Valuable Player award (the other came in 1983).
And this card, while not gorgeous, was right there with us as we busted new packs throughout the season.
Today, it can sell in the $10-15 range in PSA 10 condition.
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1991 Fleer Ryne Sandberg (#431)
Sandberg wasn’t far behind Ripken on the heat meter in 1991, having just come off a career-high 40 home runs to take the 1990 National League dinger crown.
While Ryno did not pick up more hardware to go with his 1984 NL MVP award, that power surge served notice that he was, indeed, a legitimate Hall of Fame candidate.
The superstar second baseman long ago made good on that Cooperstown promise, and this card joins Ripken’s in the $10 club for PSA 10 copies.
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