Remembering the 1986 Fleer Baseball Card Set
For collectors who were active in the Hobby in 1986 or just today's collectors with a penchant for history, chances are the 1986 Fleer set is mainly known for one thing: its Eric Plunk/Jose Canseco shared rookie card. Canseco would of course go on to be the 1986 AL Rookie of the Year, win the 1988 AL Most Valuable Player award, and famously parlay his speed and power into the sport's first 40-40 season. Plunk on the other hand, well, he actually turned out to be a pretty good pitcher, winning 72 games, saving 35 more, and living up to his name by "plunking" 32 batters.
Still, collectors wanted Canseco solo, which meant Fleer took a serious backseat to Donruss in the battle for cardboard supremacy. In a Hobby ruled by rookie cards, the approach made perfect sense. At the same time, Canseco aside, Fleer put out one of the finest sets of the decade. Here are just five of the great things 1986 Fleer had going for it, whether collectors cared or not.
Inserts
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Collectors today take insert cards for granted as they are part of just about every set issued. What they may not realize is that it was Fleer that re-introduced insert cards to the Hobby in 1986 after a long hiatus dating back to the early 1970s. The Fleer inserts came in two varieties: an absolutely stacked All-Star team that came in wax and cello packs and a Future Hall of Famer set that came in rack packs.
Super Star Specials
Though the cards lacked the iconic logo of the Donruss Rated Rookies or the exquisite artwork of the Donruss Diamond Kings, the Fleer Super Star Specials of the 1980s were no less era-defining. They were also the subset in which the humor and personality that marked Fleer offerings came through the strongest. Take the Don Baylor card from 1986, for example, highlighting the former MVP's penchant for getting beaned. Where Topps might have favored a more traditional headline such as "Baylor sets HBP mark," Fleer went simply enough with "OUCH!"
In Action Cards
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Though Topps had used a similar format in 1962, the multi-panel action cards of 1986 Fleer, which featured New York superstars Dwight Gooden and Don Mattingly, were a new concept to a good 90% of collectors. And more importantly they were awesome. In truth, the subset's only flaw was that it included only two cards.
Combination Player Cards
Like the "In Action" cards, combination player cards were another highlight of the larger Super Star Special subset. Though Topps, Donruss, and eventually Upper Deck would pair multiple players on a single card, Fleer was always the best in the business. After all, this was the same company that brought collectors "Steve and Carlton, Carlton and Fisk" back in 1982.
Mickey Hatcher
Is there any wackier baseball card from the 1980s than the giant-glove Mickey Hatcher card from 1986 Fleer? In truth, there may be a few candidates—all Fleer of course—but the Hatcher no doubt makes it onto Wacky Card Mt. Rushmore somewhere. So yes, the 1986 Fleer set didn't quite give hobbyists the Canseco rookie they demanded, but that's no reason to overlook the set's other 659 cards that warrant a spot among the decade's very best.
Jason A. Schwartz is a collectibles expert whose work can be found regularly at SABR Baseball Cards, Hobby News Daily, and 1939Bruins.com. His collection of Hank Aaron baseball cards and memorabilia is currently on exhibit at the Atlanta History Center, and his collectibles-themed artwork is on display at the Honus Wagner Museum and PNC Park.