2020 October Legends Closing Oct 31 & Nov 1
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/31/2020
A complete and intact, counter-sales box of a treasured, vintage product is presented. The offered display box, and its 24 unopened 5¢ wax packs of 1961/62 Fleer basketball cards, are specialty items of wondrous importance. They were produced well in advance of Topps' lengthy run of basketball products, and more than two decades before Fleer itself regained control of a new and vibrant card-market niche in 1986/87. Two aspects of these items make them particularly amazing. These cards were minimally distributed, as fan loyalty with regard to basketball was in the developmental stage. And, they were produced in just the smallest of quantities, with a correspondingly miniscule survival rate.
Any of the packs could contain Mint condition specimens of such coveted star and rookie cards as #'s 1 Attles, 3 Baylor, 8 Chamberlain, 10 Cousy, 19 Heinsohn, 34 Pettit, 36 Robertson, 38 Russell, 43 West, 47 Chamberlain IA, 49 Cousy IA, 61 Robertson IA, 62 Russell IA, 66 West IA and others.
The packs remain undisturbed in their box, which itself reflects a bare minimum of handling and concedes generally routine, mostly superficial faults from shelf wear and storage. The unit is now protected by securely sealed "Baseball Card Exchange" plastic wrapping (with BBCE descriptive label, Cert. #X0162). A number of popular players' cards can be recognized through white areas of the wrapper on the sides of certain packs. BBCE's Steve Hart discovered five of these during the authentication process, and he conscientiously recorded the details on the box's certification label. They include: 1 pack, Chamberlain Rookie on top; 1 pack, Chamberlain Rookie IA on back; 1 pack, Robertson Rookie on back; 1 pack, Baylor Rookie on back; 1 pack, West Rookie IA on back.
Unopened material from the 1961/62 Fleer issue, especially of this magnitude and quality, is virtually never found in the modern hobby. This is a splendid box with its full complement of packs, and its presentation at auction here must be regarded as an extremely auspicious opportunity.