The 1986 Fleer baseball card set was a landmark release that broke the stranglehold Topps had held on the baseball card market for decades. Issued during a pivotal time in the collector’s market, the ’86 Fleer set helped usher in the modern era of baseball cards and introduced innovations that are still used today.
Up until the early 1980s, Topps had enjoyed a virtual monopoly on baseball cards, producing the only widely distributed cards each year under agreements with MLB and the players association. In 1980 the US Supreme Court ruled that sports leagues could no longer grant exclusive licenses, opening the door for competitors to enter the market. Fleer seized this opportunity and in 1981 began producing its own line of baseball cards to challenge Topps.
The early Fleer sets in 1981-1985 were modest in size, featuring onlyabout 300 cards each compared to the much larger Topps releases. They also suffered from production quality and licensing issues that limited their appeal. But Fleer saw potential and was determined to establish itself as a serious competitor. For 1986, Fleer rolled out an ambitious redesign that fundamentally changed the baseball card marketplace.
The 1986 Fleer set was the company’s most extensive to date at 396 total cards. What made it truly groundbreaking, though, was Fleer’s deal to sign an agreement with the players association granting them photo and licensing rights equal to Topps for the first time. Prior Fleer issues had to settle for artist drawings or photos from outside sources when Topps owned the official game pix. Now Fleer could feature crisp, colorful action shots straight from the diamond on every card.
Having the authenticated player images was a huge boost in legitimacy and collectability. But Fleer didn’t stop there. In a shrewd marketing move, they decided to distribute the cards in wax-sealed packs just like Topps, rather than the loose paper packs of earlier Fleer releases. This mimicked the nostalgic experience baseball card collectors knew and further connected Fleer products to the hobby mainstream.
The ’86 set also employed revolutionary card stock and coating technology. The thinner cardboard stock allowed for more cards per pack while maintaining rigidity. A slick laminate finish protected the photos and statistics and resulted in a noticeably sharper, glossier look versus the duller, pulpier Topps cards of the time. These pioneering physical attributes set the precedent that is still used by card companies today.
On the content side, Fleer added several unique card types that had never been seen before. Superstar Spotlights highlighted the biggest names in the game with oversized headshots and gaudy borders. All-Star Stamps could be collected and affixed to an insert page to complete full All-Star rosters. And Traded inserts tracked midseason trades, presenting players in their new uniforms.
The ’86 Fleer set achieved instant popularity and commercial success, selling out its initial production run. It proved there was plenty of room in the market for multiple card companies to thrive. The competition forced Topps to step up their offerings as well. Perhaps most importantly, the ’86 Fleer cards have endured as one of the most historic issues in the hobby due to the innovations and precedents they established.
While subsequent Fleer releases had their ups and downs, the 1986 edition ensured the company’s future in the business and cemented their place alongside Topps as one of the big two card manufacturers. They helped open the collector’s market to new possibilities. The photography, wrappers, and supplemental inserts pioneered in 1986 are still staples of the modern trading card experience. Three decades later, Fleer baseball’s groundbreaking ’86 set remains one of the most influential in the history of the hobby.
