1986 Fleer Karl Malone (Rookie Card) PSA 10: A Rare Find For Collectors
When it comes to the 1986 Fleer Basketball set, there’s no doubt that this is one of, if not, the greatest NBA trading card set of all time. The reason the set is so sought-after among collectors is two-fold. For starters, the set contains the rookie cards of NBA legends such as Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, and Michael Jordan. Secondly, the set itself is extremely hard to not only grade, but to grade well, which is due in large part to a wide range of flaws that exist throughout the entire production run.
Now that we’ve got the basics out of the way, one of the most sought after graded rookie cards after such names as Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley, is that of “The Mailman” Karl Malone. Malone who was one of the NBA’s most durable, reliable, and dominant players ever to step on the court, had a 20-year NBA career that earned him MVP Honors twice and All-Star Honors an incredible 14 times. Most of his career was spent with the Utah Jazz which is where he was one half of the games greatest pick-and-roll duos alongside the greatest assist man the NBA has even known, John Stockton.
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For vintage NBA collectors, possessing the PSA 10 Gem Mint rookie card from anyone in this set is an achievement in and of itself, but possessing a PSA 10 Gem Mint rookie of a player such as Karl Malone is some serious next level stuff. The reason why it’s so next level isn’t just because of the scarcity factor (there are 231 PSA 10s in circulation) but also because of how difficult it is to find a card without at least one of the many production flows that this is known to possess. Recent sales, according to PSA, indicate a price range of $2,200 on the low side and upwards of $2,800 on the high side.
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For example, these flaws and blemishes include production-wide centering issues, chipping along the edges of the card due in large part to a thinner than normal card stock and their colored borders, and ink issues that either display spots or blotches that can heavily impact the grade of a card once its submitted.
From a broader hobby perspective, there’s no doubt that Karl Malone’s 1986 Fleer Rookie Card graded PSA 10 is up there with some of the most legendary cards from the 1980’s. Not only is the card legendary, but it also symbolizes the perfect storm of a legendary player’s rookie card combined with the genuine scarcity of a PSA and there’s really only way to go from here based on its value and that’s in an upward trajectory when it comes to price.
Passionate sports card collector and writer based in Queens, NY. Lifelong fan of the New York Mets, Jets, and Rangers. Covering sports cards and collectibles with deep industry knowledge and enthusiasm, while bringing a fresh perspective to the ever-evolving hobby world on http://SI.com/collectibles.