1961 Fleer Baseball Greats

1961 Fleer Baseball Greats marks the second straight attempt by Fleer to offer a set exclusively filled with former players. Like the the 1960 release, the '61 set was not well received by collectors upon release. However, the updated design and larger checklist has made 1961 Fleer Baseball more popular over the years.

Just like 1960 Fleer Baseball Greats, the 1961 Fleer Baseball set features players from multiple eras of professional baseball. In order to keep from violating Topps' exclusive player contracts, all the featured subjects are retired. Also like the previous year's set, there are several pictures that showcase subjects wearing street clothes or in Old Timer's Day uniforms.

Issued in two series over consecutive years, 1961 Fleer Baseball contains cards #1-88, while the 1962 set covers cards #89 -154. Each series begins with a checklist card showing multiple players on the front, and both series have subjects arranged in alphabetical order. Technically a 1961-62 set, most collectors still refer to it as a 1961 product. The first series is more common than the second release, so there is a slight premium for the high-number cards.

The 1961 Fleer Baseball card fronts feature a vertical orientation and a patriotic, flag-like design. Cards display a line of five blue stars on either side of the player's image and a series of four red stripes across the bottom. A blue pennant at the bottom contains the name of the player, manager or executive. Compared to the 1960 release, the 1961 cards are much more visually appealing.