The 2022 Fleer baseball card set is one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year from the legendary Fleer brand. Fleer is known for its iconic photography and classic designs that have made many of its sets very popular with collectors over the decades. While Fleer had been dormant for several years, Topps’ loss of the MLB license in 2021 opened the door for Fleer’s return to the baseball card market in 2022.
Fleer captured the attention of collectors immediately with its throwback 1950s-inspired design on the base cards. The clean white borders and team logo at the top harken back to some of the earliest Fleer sets from the 50s and 60s that are now considered very valuable. Each base card features a modern action photo of the player with their name, team, and position above the image and stats on the bottom. Rosters include all MLB teams with variations for rookie cards, stars, and veterans. Parallels and insert sets were also planned to be included.
The release of the 2022 Fleer baseball set was highly anticipated, but production and distribution challenges led to shipment delays. The pandemic caused ongoing issues obtaining paper supplies and shipping bottlenecks slowed delivery of the product to retailers. This created frustration for collectors who pre-ordered boxes and wanted to rip packs on release day. The delays are understandable given the large-scale manufacturing and logistical challenges faced by the entire trading card industry in the last two years.
In April 2022, Fleer began shipping the first wave of 2022 baseball products to retailers. Boxes featured 12 packs with 11 cards per pack, including the base cards and a chance at various inserts. Hobby boxes had an MSRP of $99 but market prices rose over $150 as initial supplies sold out quickly. The base rookie cards of star prospects like Julio Rodriguez, Bobby Witt Jr., and Adley Rutschman were hot pulls that drove early hobby box sales.
Multi-sport parallel and acetate insert sets added variety. The “Black Gold” parallel featured intricate gold foil designs on a black card front. Short prints and autographs were the big Chase cards inserted about 1 per case. Franchise Frank and Generation Now inserts highlighted players past and present. Veterans, stars, and legends of the game from the 80s, 90s, and 2000s were spotlighted in the Blast from the Past inserts as well.
A special “Master Set” puzzle box was also released containing 9 puzzles featuring vintage Fleer logos that collectors could assemble and display. Overall the 2022 Fleer Master Set contained over 700 total cards to collect including all base players along with all the inserts and parallels. With initial waves selling out so quickly, continued restocks of hobby boxes helped keep collectors’ interest throughout the spring and summer.
By mid-summer, Fleer had shipped the bulk of its 2022 MLB license baseball card releases to stores. Response has been very positive with collectors praising the attractive throwback design and photography quality reminiscent of classic Fleer sets from decades ago. Initial rookie card pulls maintained high values on the secondary market. While distribution hiccups caused delays, Fleer still delivered a thoroughly enjoyable flagship release for its return to the baseball card world. Their licensed product gives collectors a viable alternative to Topps, breathing new life into the annual card season.
As 2022 baseball seasons winds down, attention is turning towards 2023. Fleer has already announced they will have another MLB licensed baseball card release next year along with similar basketball and football products. Their mix of classic designs and chase inserts seem well received by the collecting community. With a full year now under their belt addressing production and shipping, Fleer is better positioned to build on the foundation laid in 2022. Their comeback as a prominent brand in the trading card industry appears well on track. Collectors look forward to more vintage-inspired designs and memorable rookie cards from Fleer for many baseball seasons to come.
