Baseball cards exploded in popularity throughout the 1960s, peaking in 1968 with the release of the iconic Topps and Fleer sets. That year marked a high water mark for the hobby as interest continued to surge. The 1968 Topps and Fleer sets featured some of the biggest names and rising stars in the game at the time.
Topps had been the dominant baseball card producer since the early 1950s. In 1968, they released their standard design featuring vertical player photographs on a colorful background, with basic stats and career highlights on the back. Some of the biggest rookie cards that year included future Hall of Famers Reggie Jackson and Joe Morgan. Other notable rookies were Johnny Bench, Ted Simmons, and Don Sutton. Stars of the era like Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Sandy Koufax, and Roberto Clemente also graced the 1968 Topps set.
The 1968 Topps set totaled 660 cards as the company continued to include more players, coaches, and managers with each passing year. The design remained fairly basic but iconic for collectors. Topps also released high-number cards, traded sets, and oddball promotions to drive interest. Their monopoly on the baseball card market was still dominant despite the entrance of new competitor Fleer the prior year.
Speaking of Fleer, their second year in the baseball card business in 1968 was even more ambitious than their debut set. Fleer issued cards in color for the first time instead of the basic black and white used in 1967. They also featured action shots of players instead of posed portraits. This gave the Fleer cards a livelier and more modern look that appealed to younger collectors.
The 1968 Fleer set totaled 397 cards after issuing only 132 the prior year. They landed major star power by featuring the first cards of future Hall of Famers Tom Seaver, Rod Carew, and Carl Yastrzemski. Other notables included Hank Aaron’s only card produced by Fleer, as well as rookie cards for Bobby Murcer, Matty Alou, and Sonny Jackson. Fleer’s revolutionary color photography set the stage for the aesthetic of baseball cards for decades to come.
Both Topps and Fleer released many innovative promotional inserts in 1968 beyond the base sets. Topps had “Traded” cards to simulate baseball trades, “High Numbers” for additional players, and even mail-away cards featuring team checklists. Fleer issued “Brooklyn Dodger” legacy cards, team-signed cards, and even encased coins with players’ images on them. These special extras fueled excitement among collectors both young and old.
The popularity of baseball cards in 1968 was at a fever pitch, driven mainly by the rival releases from Topps and Fleer. Many kids spent their allowance money chasing and trading for cards of their favorite players and teams. The rise of color photography from Fleer changed the look of the hobby forever. Prices for high-grade vintage 1968 cards have skyrocketed in recent years as more collectors seek out pieces of their childhood collections or chase the iconic rookies from that year.
While it may seem like a simpler time, 1968 was the pinnacle of innovation and competition that defined the golden era of baseball cards. Topps and Fleer battled fiercely for collectors’ dollars and both succeeded in creating memorable sets. The stars, rookies, and technological advances from that year left an indelible mark on the hobby. Fifty years later, 1968 remains one of the most beloved seasons and highly collected vintage issues for baseball card aficionados around the world.
