November 19, 2020: Fall Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/19/2020
Offered here are a total of 129 cards from the fabled 1959 Fleer Life of Ted Williams issue, comprising 89 percent of a complete set, with about 60 duplicates, most in an outstanding Ex-Mt to Near-Mint condition, with the emphasis to the upper end of the spectrum. As the iconic decade of the 1950’s drew to a close, Topps sat alone atop the baseball card realm, having absorbed archrival Bowman in 1956 to launch a monopoly that would stand largely unchallenged for the next quarter century. But another longtime gum company, Fleer, was eyeballing Major League Baseball and itching to nudge its way into the party, and its first tentative steps came in 1959. With virtually all major league players tied to exclusive Topps contracts, Fleer rolled the dice by securing the rights to perhaps the biggest name in the game: Ted Williams. Fleer’s charming “Life of Ted Williams” set was sold in packs and through vending machines, offering an 80-card set of standard-size cards, with each and every one depicting Teddy Ballgame (set is generally sold as “complete” with 79 of the 80 cards; No. 68 was withdrawn from production because of contractual conflicts with Topps). About 10 of the cards in the group have visible gum stains on the reverse. The Near Set is missing only nine cards: No. 5, 36, 44, 46, 63, 67, 68, 70 and 75.
1959 Fleer Baseball Life of Ted Williams Near Set With Extras (71/80)
Click above for larger image.