1986/87 Fleer Basketball

arex · August 21, 2011 2:06AM

Ive never collected basketball cards but this set has a certain appeal to me. I dont know much about the set but obviously Jordan is in there as well as a ton of other great rookies and stars. It seems to be the Caddy of basketball sets.
So a couple of questions:
Is this a tough set to put together in NM/MT condition?
What would be the best way to go about putting it together? Lots off of eBay? Obviously digging through boxes at shows and shops would work.
What is the average price point for the commons?
Other than the Jordan, are these counterfeited?

Just general info is what I am looking for.

burke23 · August 21, 2011 2:29AM

Tough set? Outside of 5-10 cards (eg Brad Davis), for the most part its easy because of how many people collect and have subbed the cards. I put mine together (sans Jordan) in maybe 2 months (mostly through buying 2 or 3 big lots of graded 8's). Easier to put together that way since on a per/card price I was at $4 for most cards - so unless you want to hope for 9's and 10's, I would advise doing graded for sure.

MBMiller25 · August 21, 2011 3:41AM

This set in NM/MT has become much easier to put together recently than it once was. The Jordan in PSA 8 is going to cost you $600-$700 depending on how well centered you decide to go. From there, the cards take a step down in price. You still need to plan on paying $20-$40 ea on the major HOFers (Karl Malone, Isiah Thomas, Chris Mullin, Barkley, Olajuwon, Ewing and Dominique Wilkins). You will also pay a premium price for cards in multiples of 11. So cards 11, 22, 33, 44, 55, 66, 77, 88, 99, 110, 121, 132(checklist) you will not be able to purchase for the $4-$5 that commons are bringing. These were the last cards on the sheet and are tougher to find centered. I have built this set three times (minus the 6 cards I need right now to finish a set) and think its a blast to build. Make sure to reach out to board members, as there are some here that have PSA 8's and will generally give you good pricing. Good Luck, Let me know if I can help.

wallst32 · August 21, 2011 3:56AM

All of the big rookies have been counterfeited. It sounds like you want to put together a raw set. There are always auctions for raw partial sets on ebay if you want a shortcut. It probably makes sense financially to go the big lot option to cut down on shipping. Since 8's aren't too expensive now I'd probably suggest you buy the big rookies graded.

cadets68 · August 21, 2011 7:15AM

I put it together in less than a year in PSA 8 or better. I think the stickers can be a little bit trickier. The Jordan and Jabbar stickers in 8 will cost you about $100 each.

Do it graded, at least the stars. There are tons of fake/trimmed/recolored cards out there. I learned if you see a raw Jordan - it is raw because it will fail grading. Not because you are the luckiest person and found a good price on a raw card.

Good luck. Probstein sold off all my extras or I would help you. The checklist and the other 11's will cost more. Just the way it is.

I am submitting 4 more Jabbar stickers the next time there is a decent special. If I get lucky I may have an extra for you. That card is trimmed way to often. All these are crackouts from slabbed cards. I have submitted a few crackouts before and they were trimmed (BGS).

Shawn

arex · August 21, 2011 9:50AM

Thanks for the info guys! I think this is a set im going to work on.
So, what do raw commons cost? And is it just as cheap to buy them already graded? Although subbing cards is always a fun exercise.

1986/87 Fleer Basketball

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