Fleer has a long history of producing baseball cards that stretches back to the early 1980s. The company emerged as a competitor to Topps, which had long dominated the baseball card market. Fleer gained notoriety for designing innovative card sets that broke the mold set by Topps.
In 1981, Fleer released its first baseball card set in over 20 years. At the time, Topps had enjoyed decades with the exclusive baseball card license. Several court rulings in the late 1970s determined that Topps’ license was non-exclusive. This opened the door for Fleer and other companies to start producing baseball cards again.
Fleer’s return was led by brothers Donruss and Bill Goodwin. They acquired the Fleer Corporation in 1980 specifically to enter the baseball card business. For their initial 1981 set, Fleer signed deals with several iconic players who appeared on the cards including Nolan Ryan, Mike Schmidt, and Steve Garvey. Since Fleer did not have an exclusive license either, many star players still appeared in Topps sets that same year.
Nonetheless, Fleer shook up the baseball card industry by introducing innovative design choices that made their cards distinct from Topps. For the first time, Fleer cards included die-cut designs around the borders. They also featured color photos on many cards at a time when Topps mainly used repeating black and white images. Fleer cards took on a glossier, cut-out aesthetic that collectors grew to appreciate.
In subsequent years, Fleer continued pushing the boundaries of baseball card design. Their 1982 and 1983 sets included “oddball” designs that varied significantly from the traditional card layout. Some cards featured creative photo angles, unusual borders, or team logo watermarks. This experimental approach helped establish Fleer as the fresh alternative to the staid Topps designs customers had seen for decades.
A notable development came in 1986 when Fleer landed the exclusive NHL hockey card license. This marked the first time since the 1950s that Topps did not control the hockey market. With designers no longer restricted to baseball-sized cards, Fleer created oversized hockey cards that showed off vibrant action shots. Their innovative hockey sets from the 1980s are still highly coveted by collectors today.
Fleer solidified its position as a major player in the late 1980s by signing deals with multiple iconic baseball stars. They notably acquired the rights to “The Natural” star Robert Redford’s likeness for a popular insert set in 1987. Fleer also poached star players like Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, and Ozzie Smith away from Topps for their highly anticipated 1988 rookie cards. By this point, the baseball card war between Fleer and Topps had become fiercely competitive.
However, Fleer’s run of success was threatened in 1990 when parent company Tonka was acquired by Mattel. The new ownership shifted Fleer’s focus away from sports cards and toward non-sports entertainment cards. Their signature baseball sets during this time lost creative direction and signature player deals. By 1991, Fleer’s market share had fallen behind Topps and rival Score.
In 1992, Mike Berkus purchased Fleer from Mattel and moved operations to Philadelphia. Under new leadership, Fleer rededicated itself to baseball cards and reacquired licenses for MLB players. Their innovative “Fleer Ultra” and “Fleer Authentic” sets from the mid-1990s brought back unique photo variations that collectors loved. Fleer also experimented with materials, using embossed gold foil for some “Fleer Gold Label” inserts in 1996.
However, Fleer’s baseball resurgence was short-lived. In 2000, rival Upper Deck acquired the exclusive MLB license, pushing Fleer out of the baseball market once more. They attempted a brief non-sports expansion but ultimately filed for bankruptcy in 2007. The Fleer name and remnants of the company changed hands between private equity firms for much of the 2000s.
In recent years, licensing company Panini America has acquired the Fleer brand. They have re-released some retro Fleer sets to appeal to nostalgic collectors. Whether Fleer will fully re-emerge as a competitive baseball card manufacturer remains uncertain. But their innovative early 1980s sets and creative designs through the 1990s left an indelible mark on the industry. Fleer shook up baseball cards and introduced collector experiences that still influence card design today.
