By the time this card hit packs, Michael Jordan was already reshaping the league and Fleer had settled into a look that now reads like pure late 80s basketball. The white frame, the clean Bulls nameplate, the patriotic trim, it all puts the focus on a sharp in-game shot and lets the uniform do the talking. As a third-year Fleer, it sits in a sweet spot for collectors who want a vintage-adjacent Jordan without rookie-card pricing, and it remains one of the most liquid slabs in the entire run.
The last few weeks tell a tidy story about value by grade. On September 12, 2025, a PSA 6 sold for 74.95 dollars on a Buy It Now out of Washington, while a PSA 4 from Virginia closed at 45 dollars the same day. PSA 7 has been changing hands in the mid-double digits, with a September 11 auction at 85 dollars after 12 bids from Kentucky. PSA 9 continues to be the line where prices jump, with one example selling at 375 dollars Buy It Now out of Delaware on September 11 and another PSA 9 Mint finishing at 338 dollars on 32 bids via a major consignor in New Jersey. At the top of the ladder, a PSA 10 GEM MT moved on August 31 for 5,500 dollars on a Buy It Now from Florida. Raw copies, when genuinely clean, have been landing in the 150 to 300 range depending on centering and surface.
Condition is where this set separates fast. Centering drifts more often than you would like, so start there, front and back. The glossy stock can show light scratches and tiny print snow under angled light, and the white border makes even pinpoint corner wear easy to spot. Faint tilt cuts, rough edges from the factory, and small fisheyes are common enough to knock a grade even when the rest looks strong. Eye appeal is the tiebreaker. A well-centered PSA 7 with crisp color can present better than a similar grade with a left lean, and that shows up in offers.
What keeps this card popular is how well it anchors different collecting lanes. Pair it with the same-year All-Star and sticker for a compact 1988-89 Bulls story. Slide it next to the 1987-88 and 1986-87 Fleer for a three-year progression that shows Jordan’s rise through the hobby’s most recognized basketball brand. If you prefer a single target to upgrade over time, the price rungs are clear. Mid-grades sit near and sometimes below the cost of clean raw, the 7 to 8 range is the liquid middle, PSA 9 is a real step up, and PSA 10 remains a steep premium because truly gem copies are hard to find with dead-on centering and clean surfaces.
If you are inspecting one in person, keep a simple routine. Check centering with your eye using the inner picture frame and nameplate as guides, move the card slowly under bright light to spot roller lines or print, examine corners and the top edge where chipping hides, then flip to the back for registration and any factory marks. When the fundamentals line up, the card looks timeless in a slab, and that is why the 1988-89 Fleer Michael Jordan #17 continues to move quickly whenever a well-presenting copy hits the market.
