Fleer is one of the iconic baseball card brands that collectors have enjoyed for decades. In 2023, Fleer will release new baseball card sets continuing its tradition of delivering classic designs and compelling rookie cards to the hobby. Let’s take a closer look at what Fleer has in store for collectors next year.
Fleer was one of the original baseball card manufacturers starting in 1956. It broke new ground by having brighter, bolder colors on its cards compared to competitors at the time like Topps. Fleer lost the baseball license in 1981 but regained it in 2008. Since returning to the hobby, Fleer has found the right balance of nostalgia and modernization to appeal to collectors both young and old.
For 2023, Fleer will have its standard flagship release along with an exclusive set available only at Target stores. The flagship Fleer Baseball release is scheduled to hit shelves in April 2023. There will be 188 cards in the base set showing current MLB players. Collectors can expect parallels, autographs, and memorabilia cards to be inserted randomly. Rated rookies from the 2022 season like Adley Rutschman, Julio Rodriguez, and Bobby Witt Jr. should be hot commodity cards in the set.
Look for Prizm-style parallel variations to add to the excitement. Fleer likes to include different border colors, refractors, and etching effects to reward collectors who purchase hobby boxes over retail packs. Serialized auto/mem cards of stars and top prospects will boost value for those who can pull the rarest versions. With Fleer focusing on bringing back the 80s/early 90s aesthetic, collectors will enjoy flashes of that retro design baked into some of the inserts and parallels.
While specifics have yet to be announced, multi-player relic cards and 1/1 plates seem likely inclusions given Fleer’s high-end products in recent years. Memorabilia has become a major driver of interest across the modern card landscape and Fleer will surely satisfy relic collectors in 2023. Expect premium portfolios with top rookies and HOF veteran swatches or autographs to headline the chase.
Adding to the excitement for next season, Fleer will collaborate with Target on an exclusive baseball card set available only through the big box retailer. Target has partnered with card brands before for limited edition exclusives, and Fleer collectors are eager to see what bonuses this collaboration could bring. The Target set could feature parallel designs and variations not found in the flagship release to entice foot traffic in-store.
Baseball cards have again exploded in popularity in the collectors market over the last few years. Demand for current rookie cards and mid-80s/90s nostalgia products in particular is through the roof. This resurgence has accelerated the release schedules of the top card companies as they work to capitalize. Fans are chomping at the bit for the next wave of baseball wax to rip in hopes of landing coveted young stars before they break out.
Fleer understands the collector psyche thoroughly after decades in the industry. They know what elements drive excitement and how to curate a product that scratches a variety of hobby itches. Expect the flagship 2023 release and Target exclusive to nail that combination of retro charm and modern innovation that has served Fleer’s recent re-entry into the baseball market so well. With an exciting class of prospects from 2022 poised to break out next season, Fleer’s timing could not be better to introduce those stars to a whole new generation of collectors.
Plenty of twists and bonuses have yet to be announced, but initial buzz and early mock designs spreading online point to 2023 being a true landmark year for Fleer baseball. After over half a century providing the cards that fueled childhood summers, Fleer once again looks primed to rekindle that nostalgic flame of addiction that draws us back to the hobby with fresh cardboard year after year.
