The Fleer Corporation first began producing baseball cards in 1956, marking the first direct competition to the long-dominant Topps brand. At the time, Topps had held a monopoly on the baseball card market for over a decade with no other company producing cards featuring active Major League players with their teams’ permission. In 1956 Fleer was able to obtain licenses from a handful of teams and players to produce its own set.
The 1956 Fleer baseball card set contained a total of 133 cards and featured players from 8 different teams – the Boston Red Sox, Brooklyn Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Braves, New York Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and St. Louis Cardinals. Fleer was unable to obtain licenses from the other 8 teams at the time, most notably the New York Yankees who were the biggest franchise in baseball. Each card in the set measured approximately 2 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches and featured a color photo of the player in action on the front. On the back was statistical information for that season as well as a short biography.
One of the biggest differences between the 1956 Fleer set and Topps’ offerings was the photography. Whereas Topps used simple headshots on a solid colored background, Fleer went for action shots on the field to make the cards more visually interesting and appealing to collectors. The quality of the photos varied widely from card to card. Some were quite blurry while others came out nicely focused. This was due to limitations in photographic technology and printing at the time which made consistency challenging across the entire set.
In addition to variations in photo quality, there were also differences in the colors used for the borders which have led collectors to categorize the 1956 Fleer cards into several different “color variants.” The most common variants seen are red, blue, green, and gray borders. Within each color there may also be slight shade variations. The red border variant is considered the most common while blue and green are somewhat scarcer. The gray border is the rarest variant and more valuable to collectors.
Another noteworthy aspect of the 1956 Fleer set was the inclusion of player signatures on many of the cards. At the time, Topps did not feature any autographed cards in their sets. Fleer took the novel approach of having some players personally sign their cards, likely during photo shoots. Stars like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Warren Spahn are among those who signed. The signed cards are now highly valuable to collectors. It was later discovered that not all signatures were completely authentic. Some were reportedly pre-printed facsimiles.
When the 1956 Fleer set was released, it sold fairly well despite competition from the more established Topps brand. However, Topps took issue with Fleer using photos of current players without permission. Topps owned the exclusive rights to Major League photos as part of their player contracts. This sparked a major legal battle between the two companies that went all the way to the Supreme Court. In the end, the Court ruled in favor of Topps, dealing a major blow to Fleer’s baseball card operation. They would struggle to compete on level ground for many years.
Despite the legal issues, the 1956 Fleer baseball card set has gone down as a very important and historic release in the hobby. It was the first serious competitor to Topps and helped spark greater innovation and competition that benefited collectors. Today, high grade 1956 Fleer cards in the most popular variants can sell for thousands of dollars. The set remains one of the most iconic in the early years of the modern baseball card era. It represents when Fleer took a risk to enter the market and create something new, even if they faced challenges along the way. Collectors now look back with appreciation for Fleer’s pioneering effort over 65 years ago.
The 1956 Fleer baseball card set was truly groundbreaking as the hobby’s first serious competitor to the long-dominating Topps brand. While it faced legal and production issues, it helped push the industry forward with its novel use of action photos and autographs. Over six decades later, the set continues to hold historical significance and cards remain a popular collectible for enthusiasts of the early modern baseball card era. The 1956 Fleer release was an ambitious beginning that showed the potential of competition to create new collecting opportunities and experiences for fans.
