1960 Fleer Baseball Card Price Guide Overview
The 1960 Fleer baseball card set was groundbreaking as it was the first new brand of baseball cards to be released since the 1950s. Fleer shook up the baseball card industry by competing directly with Topps. The set contains 126 cards and featured many of the game’s biggest stars from that era such as Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Sandy Koufax. Due to its historic significance as the competitor that broke Topps’ monopoly, 1960 Fleer cards remain highly collectible and desirable over 60 years later.
Condition and Grading
As with any collectible, condition is extremely important when determining the value of 1960 Fleer baseball cards. Even minor flaws can significantly decrease a card’s worth. The most widely used grading scale is the 1-10 point scale from the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA). On this scale, a 1 would be in poor condition while a 10 is flawless, still in the original mint packaging. Most cards found outside of sealed wax packs will grade somewhere in the middle ranges from 4-8. Cards in top grades of PSA 9 or 10 can be exceptionally rare and valuable. It’s important to carefully examine any cards for centering, corners, edges and surface issues that may detract from condition.
Rookie and Star Cards
Some of the most coveted and expensive 1960 Fleer cards feature rookie seasons or depict the game’s biggest stars. Here are some of the key cards to look for in the set and estimates for top PSA graded examples:
Willie Mays (card #99): Considered the crown jewel of the set. PSA 10 examples have sold for over $25,000. Even lower graded copies in PSA 5-7 range still fetch $1,000+.
Hank Aaron (card #25): Another superstar of the era. PSA 10 is $10,000+. Lower grades around $500-700.
Roberto Clemente (card #111): Clemente’s rookie season. PSA 10 recently sold for $18,000. Lower grades still $1,000+.
Sandy Koufax (card #105): Koufax’s early career. PSA 10 is $12,000-15,000 range. Lower grades $500-1,000.
Bill Mazeroski (card #109): Mazeroski’s rookie season. Top PSA 10 copies have reached $7,000. Lower grades still $300-500.
Don Drysdale (card #100): Early career. PSA 10 is $5,000-7,000. Lower grades around $300-500.
Vada Pinson (card #60): Pinson’s rookie season. PSA 10 has sold for $4,000. Lower grades $200-300.
Ken Boyer (card #33): Boyer’s rookie season. PSA 10 is $3,000-4,000. Lower grades $150-250.
The values of these star cards can vary greatly depending on exact grade. But in top condition they are certainly among the most valuable cards from the 1960 Fleer set. Even well-centered, eye-appealing examples in lower grades still command respectable prices.
Common Players and Short Prints
While the rookie and star cards receive the most attention, there is still collecting interest in many of the more common players from the 1960 Fleer set as well. Cards featuring solid major leaguers can often still be acquired for $10-50 even in lower grades. Some examples include cards of players like Willie Kirkland, Billy Hoeft, Earl Averill and Jim Coates.
There are also several short printed cards in the 1960 Fleer set that are scarcer and hold premium value. The two most notable are cards #106 of Don Zimmer and #118 of Jim Marshall. Both are considered short prints and examples in top condition can reach $500-1,000. Other short prints like cards #21 of Lee Walls and #108 of Jack Fisher are also tougher to acquire and command prices well above common players.
Complete Set Value
Assembling a complete 1960 Fleer baseball card set in lower grades is certainly a challenging and expensive undertaking. But it can be very rewarding for dedicated collectors. A complete set with cards grading around PSA 5 could conservatively be valued around $15,000-20,000 depending on exact conditions. A set with many cards reaching the PSA 7-8 range could push closer to $25,000-30,000. And a true gem mint complete set with many cards grading PSA 9 or better could conceivably be worth $50,000 or more. Of course, finding individual cards like a PSA 10 Willie Mays to anchor such a high end set would be near impossible.
In Summary
The 1960 Fleer set broke new ground as the first true competitor to Topps and remains a highly significant issue. Cards of rookie seasons, stars and short prints hold the greatest value potential. But there is also appeal in collecting many of the more common players as well. Condition is paramount, with high end PSA 9-10 grades exponentially increasing rarity and price tags. The 1960 Fleer set endures as one of the most collected vintage issues and prices remain strong even after decades. Careful shopping and patience can reward collectors with finds from this historic set.
