October 26, 2023: Fall Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/26/2023
Presented is an amazing example of the classic 1959 Fleer Life of Ted Williams set, found here with nearly every card in a PSA 8 holder (77/80). The three outliers: No. 11 – PSA 8.5, No. 44 – PSA 8.5 and the famed No. 68 Ted Signs rarity in an SGC 88 holder. With blazing color and outstanding centering, the set provides a marvelous, consistent presentation of arguably the most important non-Topps or Bowman issue of the era. 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. The offered set includes a striking SGC 88 example of that coveted No. 68 Ted Signs card, even though the set is generally sold as “complete” with 79 of the 80 cards; No. 68 was withdrawn from production because of contractual conflicts with Topps. This remarkable accumulation provides a great opportunity to pick up a blazing Near-Mint to Mint or better example of the sole vintage card set with national distribution that was focused on a single MLB player, one that chronicles the life of one of the most beloved figures in baseball history. And, for many, the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived. Ted would have wanted us to add that last line.
Super-High-Grade 1959 Fleer Ted Williams Set, All PSA 8 or Better, No. 68 SGC 88 (80)
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