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1991-92 Fleer Basketball pick-up and question

While I am not currently an active basketball collector, at one time, from 1986 to about 1996, did casually collect basketball cards. I was browsing eBay recently for baseball related items, when, as I always do, looked at the seller's other available items, and came across their listing for:

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QTY 6 Fleer 1991 Basketball Cards Unopened 36 Packs Box Michael Jordan

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I had opened perhaps a box or 2 of those back in the day. I didn't really need 6 boxes, but at $20 starting bid with $30 shipping, and no action, I thought why not bid the minimum and see what happens? It would at the least be a fun rip. Besides, even though I was clueless as to what a box, let alone 6, usually sell for, I figured someone would step in and pay more than $50 for the lot.

As the time counted down, and with apparently no other interest, I began to think perhaps I may win. That was when I decided to do a "clean search" and see if anyone could find the listing by typing in the normal key words. You can see above that the listing was described a little wonky, and sure enough, try as I might, someone actually looking for 1991 Fleer Basketball box or boxes, etc, as I moved and changed key words around, would have been unsuccessful in coming across that listing. I only had found it by accident. So, when time expired, I ended up the winner for $20 + $30 S/H, during a 10 percent eBucks promotion, as well.

So the boxes arrived over the weekend, and I finally got around to inspecting the boxes and opening some packs. Right away, I could tell they were Frankenstein boxes. For $8 a box and a few hours of fun, not my best purchase, but certainly nothing that was going to break me. I get to ripping, and the very first pack had a Jordan on the back. The wax took a little paper off. OUCH!

There was also some black material, dried up and brittle, inside the pack. You can see some particles on the back of the Jordan card. Have no idea, and never seen anything like that inside of a pack. Fortunately, that was the only pack so far with that stuff inside.

So, a damaged Jordan, but the promise and hope that there will be more. After a few packs deep into the box, I'd been pulling some great cards of the future Olympic Team members, the various Jordans, multiple pro visions of Jordan and Magic, when suddenly, the wrapper changed. It went from wax to a cellophane wrapper. Both photos have the cello wrapper on the right.

My question for the basketball collectors out there, is how rare is one wrapper version over the other, if at all, and what other info can you tell me about the wrapper variation and distribution? I'm aware Topps baseball did similar dual packaging with the 89-91 product, but had no idea 91-92 Fleer basketball had a wrapper variation.

I continue ripping the rest of the box. I know basketball is a small set, but it seemed like I was getting the same cards over and over, but in a good way! I've come to the conclusion that these Frankenstein boxes were assembled with cherry picked packs! I have only made my way through the second box, but have found several with Jordan showing on front or back, Olajuwon, Robinson, Bird, Barkley, Magic, etc., as well. If there's not a star showing, they're almost always just 1 card deep, as someone obviously knew the collation . I know it's 91-92, not 86-87, but still, it makes my purchase all the more worth it, and quite fun. When I get more time, I'll go through the other 4 boxes. Perhaps they are not all star packs. I've messaged the seller in order to find out more info on their provenance, whether these have been in their collection or possession for some time, or if they are an estate sale or storage locker purchase that they were just flipping. I have not heard back, yet.

I just thought I'd share.

Comments

  • ReggieClevelandReggieCleveland Posts: 3,854 ✭✭✭✭✭

    That's awesome. Are you opening the packs with the stars showing?

    Arthur

  • countdouglascountdouglas Posts: 2,271 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ReggieCleveland said:
    That's awesome. Are you opening the packs with the stars showing?

    Arthur

    Well, to be honest Arthur, at first I was just opening with abandon. I mean, 91-92 isn't really anything special, so wasn't really paying close attention. I just wanted something to thumb through while watching TV. I was noticing a lot of the same runs of cards in pack after pack, and at first just attributed it to the set itself not having near as many cards as in the baseball wax that I am used to. And, remember, I was a bit disappointed that I'd bought boxes that had obviously been pieced together, so wasn't really thinking along the lines that it was maybe a good thing. I had the Jordan in the very first pack with the wax damage/paper loss, and was consistently getting the stars on top and back, including guys like Payton and Kemp and Coleman that didn't really click for me as to being stars.

    You can see through the packs with some effort, with some taking much more effort than others. Again, we're talking 91-92, so I wasn't really spending a lot of time trying to see. I still thought I'd gotten packs that had likely been picked over. It wasn't until I opened the second pack in the box with a Jordan on top that I thought maybe I should slow down. I've ripped about a box and a half, and have gone through the 15 or so remaining packs of the second box, which produced the Jordan showing through that you can see in my previous photo. I've held back Olajuwon, Ewing, and Rodman on top, and several of other stars on back. I will go through the other 4 unopened boxes as the week progresses and report on that. It kind of gives me eye strain to spend too much time all at once looking through the wrappers. I do not intend to open any more packs for now.

    By the way, the seller responded to my inquiry. He said he has owned the boxes for over 25 years. They've been in storage, and he didn't even look through them before listing, selling, or shipping. He was unfamiliar with what I was talking about as far as the wax vs cellophane wrapper, and had no idea that the boxes were assembled boxes, many packs with stars showing.

  • ReggieClevelandReggieCleveland Posts: 3,854 ✭✭✭✭✭

    We're getting to the point now in basketball where there's no such thing as a meh Fleer box. Even the '91 boxes are being bought up. I would definitely check each pack going forward and if you're not opening with a purpose, leave them unopened. I'm not saying they're hard to find, just that they're becoming more and more in demand.

    Arthur

  • billwaltonsbeardbillwaltonsbeard Posts: 3,748 ✭✭✭✭

    I remember both versions of those back in the day. I don't recall one being harder to find than the other. If I had to guess, I'd say that someone at some point in 1992 went to Walmart, Target, Kmart, etc....and bought every pack they had and just pieced the boxes together.

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