Fleer was a popular American manufacturer of bubble gum and collectible trading cards that was known for its baseball cards from the mid-1950s through the 1980s. The company produced several iconic baseball card sets during the golden age of the hobby that featured many of the game’s biggest stars and are still prized by collectors today.
Fleer got its start in the trading card business in 1956 when it acquired the rights to produce baseball cards from the Bowman Gum Company. Bowman had been a leader in the baseball card market for decades but was looking to exit the business. This allowed Fleer to launch its first baseball card series just as the modern baseball card collecting craze was taking off.
The 1956 Fleer baseball card set featured over 400 players and was the first to include rookie cards of future Hall of Famers like Hank Aaron and Roberto Clemente. The set ruffled feathers in the established baseball card industry as it directly competed with Topps, which had been the sole producer of modern cards since 1951. This kicked off a bitter rivalry between Fleer and Topps that would last for decades.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Fleer issued a number of innovative baseball card sets that helped drive interest in the hobby. The 1958 set introduced the concept of featuring a specific team on the front of each card. The 1960 and 1961 sets were the first to include player statistics on the back of the cards. Fleer also experimented with new sizes and shapes for its cards that were different than the standard Topps issues.
However, Fleer was dealt a major blow in 1964 when Topps was able to secure an exclusive license with Major League Baseball, preventing Fleer or any other company from using images of current MLB players. In response, Fleer issued a number of “non-sport” sets in the mid-1960s that featured celebrities and other subjects instead of baseball players.
In 1971, Fleer was finally able to break back into the baseball card market when its exclusive agreement with the MLB Players Association allowed the use of player names and stats. This led to the popular Fleer baseball card sets of the 1970s that featured the likes of Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Nolan Ryan during the final years of their careers. Fleer also produced the first Traded set in 1971, highlighting players who had been dealt to new teams.
Throughout the 1970s, Fleer issued a variety of innovative baseball card designs and sets that competed fiercely with Topps for collectors. Notable 1970s Fleer issues included the color photo fronts of the 1972 and 1973 sets, the first Glossy All-Stars subsets in 1975, and the large format and oddball shaped cards of 1978 and 1979. Fleer also introduced the first annual Traded and Update sets in the late 1970s.
Fleer’s licensing agreement with the MLBPA expired after the 1981 season. In 1982, the company produced its last traditional baseball card set featuring images from the previous season. Fleer attempted to stay in the baseball card market after this by issuing sets with team logos and generic player photos into the mid-1980s. It was no longer able to directly compete with Topps and Bowman for licensed MLB products.
While Fleer ultimately lost its battle for baseball card supremacy against Topps, the company left an indelible mark on the hobby during its peak years in the 1950s-1970s. Fleer introduced many innovations, produced iconic designs, and captured the biggest stars of the era that are still popular with collectors today. Cards from classic Fleer sets regularly sell for premium prices at auction. The company helped drive interest in baseball cards to new heights during the golden age of the hobby.
