The 1989 Fleer Michael Jordan: The Rookie Card's Overlooked Cousin Is Gaining Ground

• Posted: June 18, 2025, 2:52 pm
• in Sports Card News
• by bionic

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Everyone talks about the 1986 Fleer rookie. And sure, it's the undisputed king of Jordan cards—but if you're a collector with decent taste and a not-so-bottomless wallet, the 1989 Fleer #21 might be more your speed. And guess what? It's been quietly climbing in value while the hobby's been busy drooling over bigger fish.

This card doesn’t scream hype, but it’s been doing some solid numbers behind the scenes. PSA 10s of the 1989 Fleer Jordan were going for around $1,001 back in 2021. Fast forward to June 2025, and that same gem mint beauty is fetching $1,200—a tidy 20% jump. It’s not headline-grabbing, but it’s steady growth. And in the collecting world, steady often wins the race.

According to PSA, there are about 1,240 PSA 10s and over 11,000 PSA 9s floating around. That might sound like a lot, but demand hasn’t let up. Collectors seem to have caught on that not every Jordan card has to come with a comma in the price tag.

What’s really wild is the spike in raw copies. Back in 2022, you could grab one for around six bucks. These days? You’re looking at twenty. That’s more than triple the price, and we’re not talking about a rare promo or some fancy insert—just a solid, base-era Jordan that used to get ignored.

So why the love now? Chalk it up to a few things: rising grading fees pushing collectors toward cards already slabbed, nostalgia for late '80s hoops, and the fact that a lot of people just want to own a Jordan without going broke.

The 1989 Fleer isn’t trying to be the loudest card in the room. It’s not dunking over Ewing or sporting a gold foil border. But it’s MJ in his prime, printed during the rise of Bulls mania, and it's slowly becoming the thinking collector’s choice.

If you’re hunting value and long-term upside—and maybe just a break from the usual suspects—this card’s worth a second look. Jordan didn’t need the rookie stamp to dominate on the court, and his 1989 Fleer doesn’t need the spotlight to deliver solid gains.