The 1987-88 Fleer basketball set has always lived in the shadow of the iconic release that came before it, but that doesn’t mean it’s short on heat. This 132-card checklist still delivers a loaded lineup of 1980s stars, headlined by a second-year Michael Jordan card and backed by names like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and other legends from the era. For collectors, that makes it a much more approachable way to chase some of the game’s biggest icons in their prime.
The set’s sticker subset is where things get especially interesting. One sticker per pack meant 11 of the era’s best players got the treatment, and the designs stand out immediately. The patriotic look gives the stickers a brighter, more striking feel than the base cards, which helps explain why so many of them have become key chase pieces.
Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon is one of the standout sticker names here. The Houston Rockets center was one of the most dominant big men of his time, winning back-to-back NBA Championships in 1994 & 1995 and back-to-back NBA Finals MVPs.
Known for his defense and post game, he spent his career with the Rockets from 1984 to 2001. The highest-selling copy of his sticker was a PSA 10 with a population of just 11, which sold for $6,283 in September 2025, according to Card Ladder.
Larry Bird’s card is another major piece from the set. The image freezes a moment from one of sports’ great rivalries, with LA Lakers power forward Kurt Rambis visible in the background. A PSA 10 copy with a population of 33 brought $8,300 on May 31, 2026.
Magic Johnson’s card also remains one of the set’s biggest draws. Listed as a guard despite standing 6'9", Magic famously filled in at center when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was injured and scored 42 points.
His passing, charisma and rivalry with Bird helped make him one of the game’s most respected and beloved players. His 1987-88 Fleer card is one of the few in the set to reach five figures, with a PSA 10 copy and population of 61 selling for $10,000 in 2021.
No PSA 10 sale has topped $3,000 in 2026.
Alex English, the Hall of Fame forward and eight-time All-Star, also has a strong presence here. He spent most of his 15-year career in Denver and wasn’t an overnight star, instead building his game season by season.
He improved his offensive output in eight of his first nine seasons before winning the 1982-83 NBA Scoring title with 28.4 points per game. His sticker became one of the set’s biggest sellers when a PSA 10 with a population of only five sold for $14,086 on April 26, 2026.
Manute Bol’s card is another high-end performer from the release. The 7'6" Washington Bullets center was a shot-blocking force in the late 1980s and finished his career with more blocks, 2,086, than points, 1,599.
Bol died in 2010. A PSA 10 copy with a population of just 8 sold for $22,222 on May 27, 2025.
In 2026, though, no sale has gone above $2,500. The next highest Bol card sale of any kind was a one-of-one 2020 Panini Immaculate Collection Logoman that sold for $12,900 on March 20, 2026.
Then there’s the card that really jumps off the page: the Michael Jordan sticker, card #2. Jordan is shown smiling against a border that recalls the American flag, giving the card one of the set’s most memorable looks.
It captures one of the rare mid-game smiles from Jordan, which only adds to its appeal. The top sale came from a PSA 10 with a population of 24, which sold for $75,000 in February 2021.
Prices fell after that, but they’ve started to rise again, with a June 2026 sale reaching $60,000.
Even with all that, the true centerpiece is still the second-year Michael Jordan base card. A PSA 10 with a population of 217 sold for $58,800 in February 2021, which looked like the peak for a while. But in May 2026, a PSA 10 with an MBA Gold Sticker sold through Heritage Auctions for $76,250.
Jordan’s base card may be the headliner, but the sticker subset could be the real sleeper of the entire set. The designs are sharp, the top-end populations are tiny, and collector interest keeps building. The 1987-88 Fleer release looks overdue for a much bigger moment in the hobby.
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