1961 Fleer # 75 Babe Ruth [#] (Yankees)
| Grade | EX/MINT |
|---|---|
| Book Value | n/a |
| Our Price |
$ 99.95
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|
![1961 Fleer # 75 Babe Ruth [#] (Yankees) cards value](/jpgs/6/1961f-ruths.jpg)
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1968 Topps Action All-Star Stickers |
Boxes had 12 packs (10 cents each) with 1 sticker per pack. Sets could be
made back then for $1.60. Today, the Mantle panel goes for around $2,000. 
1961 Fleer Baseball Cards |
The 1961 Fleer baseball set contained 154 regular-sized cards
honoring careers of Hall-of-Famers Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson,
Lou Gehrig, Honus Wagner, Ted Williams and many lesser
known old-timers. 
Unfortunately the weak card design and retired players made it a
giant dud with kids and the product was not well received.
1959 Fleer Ted Williams baseball cards |
This special 80-card set from the Frank H. Fleer Company honors Ted Williams,
"The Splendid Splinter." While other companies vied for Topps' exclusive player
rights, Fleer successfully secured Ted Williams, who, nearing the end of his
career, remained one of the best and most popular players.
Of particular note is Card #68, "Ted Signs for 1959," which pictures him signing
his contract. The photo also included Red Sox GM Bucky Harris, who was under one
of those exclusive deals with Topps at the time. This led to the card being pulled,
making it extremely scarce. Unfortunately, reprints of the card surfaced in the
1970s. This is widely considered the first baseball card to be
reprinted/counterfeited. Interestingly, the counterfeits were allowed to remain
on the market, so caution is advised when dealing with this card.
Cards were sold in both six-card and eight-card wax packs. For some reason,
the scarcer 8-card packs contained no gum.
Starting approximately in 1886, sportscards, mostly baseball cards, were often included with tobacco products, for promotional purposes and also because the card reinforced the packaging and protected cigarettes from damage. These sports cards are referred to as tobacco cards in the baseball card hobby. Over the next few years many different companies produced baseball cards. Tobacco cards soon started to disappear as the American Tobacco Company tried to develop a monopoly by buying out other companies.
They were reintroduced in the 1900s, as American Tobacco came under pressure from antitrust action and Turkish competition. The most famous and most expensive, baseball card is the rare T206 Honus Wagner. The card exists in very limited quantities compared to others of its type because Wagner forced the card to be removed from printing. It is widely (and incorrectly) believed that Wagner did so because he refused to promote tobacco, but the true explanation lies in a dispute over compensation.
Soon other companies also began producing baseball and football cards. Sports magazines such as The Sporting News were early entries to the market. Candy manufacturers soon joined the fray and reflected a shift toward a younger target audience for cards. Caramel companies were particularly active and baseball cards were one of the first prizes to be included in Cracker Jacks. World War I soon suppressed baseball card production.
