The sports card industry is marking the 30th anniversary of something that collectors, manufacturers and their employees, and most dealers in the industry do not know about. The ‘something’ is a lawsuit that paved the way for an entire segment of the industry. It wasn’t just a David vs. Goliath scenario. It was more like David vs. a team of Goliaths. The David in this case … [Read more...] about Thirty Years Ago, Tri-Cards Lawsuit Changed The Hobby Forever
Fleer
1993 Flair Set Introduced Another Premium Brand to a Crowded Market
In 1991, Fleer had already jumped into the premium market of baseball cards with their first set of Fleer Ultra. But two years later, the company went even further in efforts to keep up with more expensive brands, such as Topps Finest and SP, with its inaugural 1993 Flair set. This year marked the 25th anniversary of the set and I thought it fitting to take a look back. 1993 … [Read more...] about 1993 Flair Set Introduced Another Premium Brand to a Crowded Market
1959 Fleer Ted Williams Set Gave Splinter the Spotlight
It had been nearly 40 years since the Frank H. Fleer Corporation last created baseball cards. After its 1923 strip card release, the company made its triumphant return to the baseball card market by snaring an exclusive deal with one of the game's biggest names: a larger than life figure who was big enough to have a set made where every card was about him. Thus was born the … [Read more...] about 1959 Fleer Ted Williams Set Gave Splinter the Spotlight
Yes, Virginia, There’s a 1923 Fleer Baseball Card Set
Most collectors tend to think of Fleer as a modern trading card company. But what many don't realize is that Fleer actually got its start in baseball cards in the 1920s with the 1923 Fleer set. Fleer's baseball cards pre-date Topps, Bowman, and even the pre-war Goudey cards. Fleer's 1923 issue was a strip card release, which were popular in that era. An extremely scarce … [Read more...] about Yes, Virginia, There’s a 1923 Fleer Baseball Card Set
90s Themed 2015-16 Fleer Showcase Hockey Returns
The Fleer Corporation may be relegated to hobby lore, but the brand names associated with the Philadelphia-based company are still around. The latest nod comes from 2015-16 Fleer Showcase Hockey, produced by Upper Deck and set for release Wednesday, April 6. A full checklist is below. Upper Deck, which owns the rights to those old Fleer logos and monikers, promises five … [Read more...] about 90s Themed 2015-16 Fleer Showcase Hockey Returns
It’s A Wrap: Collecting Football Wrappers Can Be A Challenge
Be honest. If you were a kid growing up in the 1960s or ’70s, saving those wax wrappers for football cards were an afterthought. Packs of cards were usually stacked on shelves at small candy stores and five-and-dime counters. The wrappers were colorful, but unappreciated. Occasionally, an astute youth would notice an advertisement for a sports product on the side panel and … [Read more...] about It’s A Wrap: Collecting Football Wrappers Can Be A Challenge
Set of the Week: 1980 Topps Baseball Marked the End of a Monopoly
When they ripped open their first packs of baseball cards to greet a new decade, collectors couldn't have known that they were looking at the end of a monopoly AND the seeds of a hobby boom. The 1980 Topps baseball set was not too far removed from its recent predecessors in look and feel, but it was in a different league entirely when it came to making history. Indeed, by … [Read more...] about Set of the Week: 1980 Topps Baseball Marked the End of a Monopoly
Fleer Photographer Recalls Career
Chances are you have dozens of Bob Bartosz’s photographs in your collection. If you collected Fleer trading cards in the 1980’s, his work is in your box or binder. He shot Glen Hubbard with the snake wrapped around his neck. Pete Rose. A young Ryne Sandberg. Bartosz was a newspaper photographer who went to work for Fleer Corporation after the end of the long Topps … [Read more...] about Fleer Photographer Recalls Career
Pack Break of the Week: 1984 Fleer Baseball
There was quite a buzz around the hobby in the spring of 1984. Donruss and Fleer had gained traction in the marketplace and there were some new rookies ready to make a splash at the big league level. While Topps cards could be found just about anywhere you looked, Fleer and Donruss were a little harder to locate. After utilizing a beige colored border in '83, Fleer went … [Read more...] about Pack Break of the Week: 1984 Fleer Baseball
1996-97 Fleer Sprite Basketball Issue Features Kobe Bryant Rookie, Australian Version
When a player collector thinks they have every card that was ever made for their guy, they often find out about others that were available in products as part of a promotion or were sold in an overseas market. If a Kobe Bryant collector wants all his cards from his first season, they will need to track down his 1996-97 Sprite basketball card that was only available at … [Read more...] about 1996-97 Fleer Sprite Basketball Issue Features Kobe Bryant Rookie, Australian Version