How to Spot a Fake 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan Rookie Card

MV Guides · Buying safely

The 1986-87 Fleer #57 Michael Jordan is the card everyone wants, so it's also one of the most copied. Fakes have been around for decades and some are good. Here's what to check, and why buying one graded is the safest way.

The short answer: buy it graded

For a card this valuable, buy one already graded by PSA, BGS, SGC or CGC, and check the slab properly (see how to check a graded slab is genuine). A raw Jordan rookie at a "too good" price is almost always a fake or a reprint.

Checks on the front

• The Fleer logo (top right). On a real card the arrow in the logo sits inside its box, and is a darker shade than the box. On many fakes the arrow overlaps the box edge, or is the same colour.
• The small symbols. The registered mark (®) next to the Fleer logo should be clear and readable. Blurry or missing small print is a warning sign.
• The basketball graphic. On a real card you can make out faint lines on the little basketball. Fakes often show a plain filled circle.
• The name. "Michael Jordan" should match the font and spacing on known genuine cards. Fakes often have letters spaced too wide or a slightly different font.
• Print quality. Under a magnifier, genuine 1980s printing shows a fine dot pattern. Fakes printed on a home or office printer often look blurry, too sharp in the wrong way, or have a different dot pattern.
• Colours and gloss. Compare with a known genuine card from the same 1986-87 Fleer set. Fakes are often too bright, too dull, or too shiny for a card from 1986.

Checks on the back

• The copyright line. The © in front of "1986 FLEER CORP" at the bottom should be clearly readable.
• The card stock. 1986 Fleer cards are thin, slightly soft card. A fake on modern stock can feel stiffer, glossier or thicker.
• The print. The stats and text should be crisp, with no fuzzy edges on the letters.

Compare against a real one

The best single test is putting it side by side with a genuine card from the same set (any common player from 1986-87 Fleer works for stock, colour and print). Most fakes fall over on that comparison straight away.

Fake slabs are the bigger risk now

Counterfeiters now put fake Jordans in fake slabs, sometimes with a real cert number copied from a genuine card. Always look up the cert number yourself on the grader's website, and check every detail matches: year, set, card number and grade. If the lookup shows images, compare them with the seller's photos.

Red flags

• A price far below recent sold prices. Check the Market Value guide.
• Stock photos, blurry photos, or a seller who won't send more.
• "No returns", or pressure to pay outside the platform or by PayPal Friends and Family.
• A raw card described as "PSA 10 quality" or "should grade high".

How MVCollect helps

• Every graded listing shows its cert number with a link to the grader's own lookup.
• MV blocks known stolen PSA cert numbers and checks every cert number against all other listings.
• Sales are paid only through PayPal Goods & Services, which comes with buyer protection.

Checked November 2026. These are common checks used by collectors, not a guarantee. For a card worth this much, professional grading is the only certain answer.