The Fleer Corporation was founded by brothers Benjamin and Louis Fleer in Philadelphia in 1885. They began as a chewing gum manufacturer and introduced some of the earliest modern brands of chewing gum including Fleer’s Gum and Fliers Five. The company would make its biggest impact on popular culture through the baseball card market in the later 20th century.
In 1981, Fleer decided to take on industry leader Topps and become the first company other than Topps to produce baseball cards since 1955. Topps had enjoyed a monopoly in the baseball card market for over 25 years after signing exclusive contracts with both Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association. Those exclusive deals had expired by 1981. Seeing an opportunity, Fleer launched its re-entry into the baseball card market with the 1982 Fleer baseball card set.
The 1982 Fleer set featured a few key innovations that helped launch its rivalry with Topps. First, Fleer cards were printed on a thinner stock than previous Topps issues, making them seem more modern and sleek. The thin stock also allowed for wrappers to hold more cards, making the cost per card lower. Additionally, Fleer took design risks with its cards that Topps was less willing to take. For example, Fleer featured action shots on many of its cards rather than traditional posed portraits seen on Topps issues. The action shots helped bring the on-field game itself to life on the cards.
Fleer’s re-entry into the baseball card market was an instant success. Collectors thrilled to have a competitive alternative to Topps for the first time in over 25 years. While Topps still outsold Fleer that first year, Fleer proved there was room in the market for more than one major baseball card manufacturer. The competition between Fleer and Topps would fuel exploding interest in collecting through the rest of the 1980s. In1983, Fleer added another innovation by issuing partial season-long sets in both spring and fall to capitalize on top current players and performances throughout the year rather than just once post-season like Topps.
As the 1980s progressed, the Fleer-Topps rivalry intensified. In 1985, Fleer shocked the industry by signing a deal with the MLB Player’s Association for exclusive player likeness rights the following season. This prevented Topps from using any active player photos in 1986. Topps responded with legal action and won an injunction, but the battle lines were drawn. In other years, Fleer and Topps dueled over the rights to star rookie cards. Memorably, Fleer released the commercial phenom Ken Griffey Jr’s rookie card in 1989 after failing to sign him exclusively, while Topps featured Will Clark’s rookie card in 1986 after Fleer could not.
The competition between Fleer and Topps drove innovation, took more risks, and captivated collectors throughout the 1980s boom in baseball cards. The overproduction of sets in the late 80s sparked the infamous 1990s baseball card crash as saturation caused prices and interest to plummet. Fleer and Topps both struggled financially. A period of mergers and acquisitions followed in the 1990s that changed the card industry’s landscape. The Fleer Corporation was purchased by the Jim Beam Brands Company in 1992 and then by Skybox International in 1996.
In 2000, Skybox was acquired by The Topps Company in a merger that brought the two biggest baseball card rivals together under one corporate umbrella for the first time. While Fleer and Topps products continued to be issued separately for several more years, the fierce competition of the early era had ended. However, Fleer left an indelible mark on the hobby. Its innovation and challenging of the Topps monopoly redefined the baseball card market and fueled new heights of interest, accessibility, and fan involvement during the golden age of the 1980s. To this day, collectors remain passionate about the iconic Fleer cards from that pivotal first decade back in the market. Though the name may no longer exist independently, Fleer baseball cards remain an important part of the tradition and history behind America’s favorite pastime.
