Kristian Ferrell
Fleer, a company first established in 1885 to sell confectionery products, found success with sports trading cards. The company started producing baseball cards in 1923 and basketball cards in 1986. Fleer's basketball cards are considered a legacy, with the company producing some of the best rookie cards in basketball history, including Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, and Wilt Chamberlain. The company's basketball cards were produced until 2005 when Fleer filed for State Court Liquidation, similar to bankruptcy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year Fleer started making basketball cards | 1986 |
| Number of cards in the inaugural set | 66 |
| Design of the inaugural set | Simple, with the player at the bottom and the label at the top |
| Notable cards in the inaugural set | Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, Dominique Wilkins, and Hakeem Olajuwon rookie cards |
| Other notable cards | Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Wayne Embry, Hal Greer, Richie Guerin, Bailey Howell, K.C. Jones, Sam Jones, Guy Rodgers, Len Wilkens, Bill Russell, and Bob Cousy |
| Number of cards in the 1987 Fleer set | 132 |
| Features of the 1987 Fleer set | Multi-colored border of red, white, and blue; photo sticker insert; no short prints |
| Years Fleer was the sole producer of basketball cards | 1986-1989 |
| Number of 1986-1987 Fleer basketball boxes manufactured | Over 500,000 |
| Year of the first Ultra set release | 1991 |
| Year Fleer ceased production of trading cards | 2005 |
Explore related products
![Tim Duncan - Spurs [Courting History] 2001 Fleer/Skybox NBA Basketball Card #5 of 10CH](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61kT7aIp4gL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
What You'll Learn
Fleer's first basketball cards were released in 1961
Fleer's 1961 basketball set featured a simple design, with the player at the bottom and the label at the top. The set included 66 standard-sized cards, with 43 featuring Hall of Fame players, including Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, and Jerry West. The set also included action shots, with 23 cards capturing players in motion, and posed photographs for many players.
After the 1961 set, Fleer did not produce basketball cards again until 1986, when they released the iconic 1986 Fleer Basketball set. This set is considered a gem of old-school basketball cards and helped resurrect the basketball card industry. The 1986 set featured the rookie cards of Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, and other basketball greats. Fleer's return to basketball cards in 1986 came at a time when the NBA was gaining in popularity, thanks to players like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and, later, Michael Jordan.
Fleer would continue to produce basketball cards throughout the 1990s, competing with brands like Topps and Upper Deck. However, the company went through a series of acquisitions and, in 2005, ceased all production of trading cards, filing for State Court Liquidation. Upper Deck acquired the rights to the Fleer name and began producing Fleer-branded basketball cards, although the last Fleer-branded basketball cards were released in 2013.
Conditioning for Basketball: Getting Started on Your Journey
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Fleer's second foray into basketball cards was in 1986
The 1986 Fleer basketball cards are now considered highly valuable. The set also included eleven stickers of some of the biggest stars of the day, such as Jordan, Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Bird, and more. The demand for these cards has driven up prices, with unopened packs and boxes reaching thousands of dollars, and unopened boxes in the five-figure range. The cards of Hall of Famers, such as Michael Jordan, whose cultural icon status has sent his rookie card prices soaring, are especially sought-after.
Fleer's 1986 basketball cards were part of the company's significant contribution to basketball card history. From 1986 to 1989, Fleer was the only major card company producing basketball cards, and the company's cards from this period are considered some of the best in basketball history. The 1986 set included rookie cards of players who would go on to become Hall of Famers, such as Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, Dominique Wilkins, and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Fleer's basketball cards from 1986 also hold significance as they helped resurrect the basketball card industry. Topps, another major producer of basketball cards, had ceased production of the less-than-popular NBA cards in 1982, leaving a gap in the market that Fleer was able to fill. The 1980s and 1990s were pivotal decades for the NBA, with the Celtics-Lakers rivalry in the '80s and the Michael Jordan-led Bulls in the '90s, taking the league to new heights. Fleer's basketball cards during this period captured the magic of the NBA's rising popularity and the emergence of new stars.
Big Head Basketball Legends: Top Player Strategies
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Fleer was the sole producer of basketball cards from 1986-1989
Fleer has a long history of producing sports cards, starting in 1923 with baseball cards. Over the years, the company expanded its card offerings to include American football and basketball.
Fleer's inaugural basketball set, released in 1961, was the only major basketball set from 1957-1969. However, it would be 25 years before the company produced basketball cards again, with the release of their 1986 Fleer Basketball set. This set is considered iconic, featuring rookie cards of basketball legends such as Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley.
From 1986-1989, Fleer was the sole producer of basketball cards. During this time, they released important cards for several Hall of Fame players, including the rookie cards of Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, and Oscar Robertson. The 1986-1989 Fleer basketball cards are highly sought-after by collectors, with over 500,000 boxes of the 1986-87 set manufactured in print run.
In 1989, Hoops entered the market, followed by SkyBox in 1990, ending Fleer's three-year run as the sole producer of basketball cards. Despite the increased competition, Fleer continued to release popular basketball card sets in the 1990s, including their first Ultra set in 1991 and the introduction of "hot packs" in 1995. However, the company's fortunes took a turn for the worse in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with a series of acquisitions and financial troubles eventually leading to the end of Fleer's basketball card production in 2005.
Jump Shots: Mastering the Art of Scoring in Basketball
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The 1986 Fleer set is considered the gem of old-school basketball cards
The 1986 Fleer set is highly regarded in the basketball card collecting community, with some collectors considering it a gem among old-school basketball cards. This set is particularly notable for several reasons, including its iconic rookie cards, the overall design, and the significance of the players featured.
The 1986 Fleer set is known for its impressive roster of rookie cards, including basketball legends such as Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, Dominique Wilkins, and Hakeem Olajuwon. Jordan's rookie card is especially famous and highly sought-after by collectors, with its value increasing significantly over the years. Jordan's cultural icon status has had a ripple effect, increasing the value of the entire 1986 Fleer set.
In addition to the rookies, the set also includes non-rookie cards of established stars such as Bill Russell and Bob Cousy. Of the 66 standard-sized cards in the set, 43 feature Hall of Fame players, making it a collector's dream. The set also offered 11 stickers featuring the biggest stars of the day, including Jordan, Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and Bird. These stickers are also highly valuable today, with some in pristine condition being worth thousands of dollars.
The design of the 1986 Fleer set is another aspect that makes it stand out. The cards featured a simple yet effective layout, with the player's photo at the bottom and the label at the top. The photographs themselves are also praised for their quality, especially Jordan's iconic action shot, capturing him flying through the air. The cards were issued in wax packs with a multi-coloured border of red, white, and blue, a departure from the inconsistent packaging of previous years.
The 1986 Fleer set holds a special place in basketball card history, not only for its content but also for the context in which it was released. Fleer stepped in to fill the gap left by Topps, which had ceased producing NBA cards in 1982 due to their declining popularity at the time. By the time Fleer released its 1986 set, the NBA was experiencing a resurgence, with the Celtics-Lakers rivalry in the 80s and the emergence of the Michael Jordan-led Bulls in the 90s, elevating the league's popularity to new heights.
Wins Above Bubble Basketball: Calculating Player Performance
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Upper Deck acquired Fleer in 2005
The Fleer Corporation, founded by Frank H. Fleer in 1885, was the first company to successfully manufacture bubble gum. It remained a family-owned enterprise until 1989 when it was sold for just under $70 million. The company originally developed a bubble gum formulation called Blibber-Blubber in 1906, which could be blown into bubbles but was vastly inferior to regular chewing gum. In 1928, a Fleer employee, Walter Diemer, improved the formulation to produce the first commercially successful bubble gum, Dubble Bubble.
Fleer started making sports cards in 1923, beginning with baseball cards. They also released American football and basketball card sets. In 1986, Fleer released an officially NBA-licensed 132-card 1986-87 Fleer Basketball set, which included the rookie cards of NBA Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, Chris Mullin, Clyde Drexler, Joe Dumars, Hakeem Olajuwon, Isiah Thomas, Dominique Wilkins, Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, and Charles Barkley. From 1986-1989, Fleer was the only major card company producing basketball cards.
In 1995, Fleer merged with the trading card company SkyBox International. However, by 2005, Fleer was crippled with $40 million in debt and announced that it would cease all productions of trading cards and file for State Court Liquidation, similar to bankruptcy. Upper Deck acquired Fleer in July 2005 for $6.1 million, significantly less than the $25 million they had offered a year earlier. Upper Deck began producing Fleer-branded basketball, ice hockey, and American football cards, as well as baseball sets under various Fleer brand names. Upper Deck also acquired Fleer's inventory of $1 million in miniature team buses and other die-cast toys, as well as a potentially huge liability in the form of an estimated 30,000 unfulfilled mail-in cards.
Upper Deck's acquisition of Fleer was part of a series of quick acquisitions for Fleer. After being sold for $70 million in 1989, the company was then sold for $340 million in 1992 and $30 million in 1999 after a bankruptcy. Upper Deck had attempted to buy the company in 2003 and 2004, but Fleer rejected these offers, hoping that the market would turn in their favor. Upper Deck's eventual acquisition of Fleer in 2005 allowed them to add basketball cards to their existing lines of hockey, baseball, and football cards.
Starting a Non-Profit Basketball League: A Step-by-Step Guide
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Fleer started making basketball cards in 1961. However, they only produced one set that year and didn't make basketball cards again until 1986.
In 1986, Fleer released a basketball set that featured the iconic rookie cards of Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley. This set is considered to be the gem of old-school basketball cards.
Yes, Fleer's inaugural basketball set in 1961 featured a Wilt Chamberlain rookie card, which recently sold on eBay for $12,000. Fleer's basketball cards from 1986 to 1989 are also highly sought-after by collectors.
Fleer ceased production of trading cards in 2005 and filed for State Court Liquidation, similar to bankruptcy. Upper Deck acquired the rights to the Fleer name and began producing Fleer-branded basketball cards, although the last Fleer-branded basketball cards were released in 2013.
