1986 Fleer Basketball signed cards
mktanaka5
Posts: 23 ✭
The 1986 Fleer basketball set is one of the most iconic sets in the hobby. Many collectors strive to complete the entire set in PSA 10 or PSA 9 condition. Similarly, some collectors aim to assemble a fully signed set, including the stickers.
However, with several players having passed away or being unavailable for TTM (through the mail), private, or show signings, certain signed cards have extremely low populations. As a result, when these rare autographed cards come up for sale, there is significant pent-up demand. Currently, a few low-population signed cards are ending soon, and the high bids reflect this strong demand.
Notably, one of the 10 PSA 10 Michael Jordan 1986 Fleer cards was cracked out for MJ’s secret signing in 2024. Of the 10, six received a PSA 10 card and auto grade, while four came back as PSA 9 card auto 10. One of these PSA 9/10 signed Jordans is now up for sale at Sotheby’s. It will be interesting to see how high the final price goes.
For reference, here is the PSA population report: PSA Pop Report – 1986 Fleer Basketball
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https://www.psacard.com/pop/basketball-cards/1986/fleer/36766
A 1986 Fleer Pat Cummings card, graded PSA 6 with a PSA 10 autograph, recently sold for $9,650.
For comparison, a non-autographed PSA 6 typically sells for around $20—meaning the signed version commanded a 483x premium. And it’s not even a 1/1!
According to the PSA/DNA population report, there are 21 total signed copies, with five graded PSA 6 and only three graded higher.
A 1986 Fleer Mike Mitchell card recently sold for $13,700. This card was graded PSA 6 with a PSA 9 autograph.
For context, an unsigned version of this card typically goes for around $22, meaning the signed version commanded a 623x premium.
What we’re seeing in prices for low-pop 1986 signed Fleer basketball cards mirrors what happened in previous years with low-pop PSA 10 1986 Fleer cards (not signed).
In the past, prices for PSA 10 (unsigned) cards of players like Johnny Moore, Jeff Malone, and Alvin Adams skyrocketed, reaching "rare air" levels, as demand far outpaced supply.
Recent Sales of 1986 Fleer Autographed Cards: A Trend or a Fluke?
Pat Cummings 1986 Fleer PSA 6 card with an Auto 10 recently sold for $9,600. Just the day before, another Pat Cummings PSA Authentic card (without a numeric grade) sold for a Buy It Now (BIN) price of $7,400.
The 1986 Fleer Cliff Robinson PSA 3 card—with a Auto 10—sold for $2,600. A PSA 3 card, which typically wouldn’t command much attention, fetched a higher price than expected due to the autograph’s value. A Daryl Dawkins 1986 Fleer PSA 6 card with Auto 8 sold for $3,400.
These sales seem to point to one important trend: the rarity and demand for autographed 1986 Fleer cards. While the card grades themselves may not always be the highest, the low population of these signed cards could be fueling competition among PSA registry set collectors. As these sets become more difficult to complete, collectors are likely paying premium prices to secure these signed cards for their collections.
In my opinion, these recent sales reflect a growing interest in these autographed cards as essential parts of a larger set-building effort. Collectors who are focused on completing their PSA-graded sets are undoubtedly driving demand for these rare autographed cards—especially those with low pop counts, like the ones we've seen selling recently.
To put into perspective the recent sales of Mike Mitchell's PSA 6 Auto 9, which sold for $13,700, and Pat Cummings' PSA 6 Auto 10, which sold for $9,700, it's important to consider the low population of these cards in the PSA population report and the fact that both players are deceased. These factors contributed to the higher prices. In contrast, there are two other players on Ebay with "Buy It Now" (BIN) prices that reflect a different market dynamic. For example, Jerry Sichting's PSA 6 Auto 10, with a population of 86, is listed for just $80, while Michael Cooper's PSA 6 Auto 9, with a population of 55, is priced at $95. Despite similar grades and auto conditions, these cards are priced much lower due to their higher population and the relatively lower demand for these players' autographed cards as well as both are living.