1985 Fleer baseball factory set?

Gemyanks10

Hello everyone. I have a question the maybe some of you can help me with. For a while now, I've been in search of a 1985 Fleer baseball factory set. According to the monthly Beckett magazines and the yearly almanac, they state that they DO exist, however, when I research the set anywhere else, all I could find was that in this year of production, all they issued for the base set were wax packs and vending boxes. I bought what was supposedly a 1985 Fleer baseball factory set a few years ago on Ebay when I didn't know any better, and I questioned the seller even at that time as to how he could tell it was a 1985 set because the year isn't on the old boxes back then. He told me that the serial numbers on the bottom of the box (8568-A) were the way to tell that is was a 1985 set. Recently I busted my set open because I was suspicious after never seeing another 85 set after this one. What I found was 1988 fleer cards . Live and learn, but my question is do they actually exist? They are valued at $100.00 according to Beckett but I've never seen one. Are they super rare? I know that did a factory set for the 1988 Fleer Update run as I own that, but what about the base set? Thanks guys

Rudedawg

Based on doing daily searches for any 1985 Fleer Complete Sets, I have yet to see one as a true, designated Factory Set. Any time a seller lists a "Fleer Set lot" and the 1985 is included, that is the one set which is noted as "not a factory set". 1984 and 1986 are definitely available as Factory Sets, but I'm a believer that if there are indeed 1985 Factory Sets, they are rare. At this point, I'm just going to buy a better condition set and go from there.

mygotta

Is Beckett calling Vending boxes factory sets?

1985 Vending Sets 1-4

mgugs46

So is 8568-A the 85 Fleer factory set? If so I'm looking at one right now.

mgugs46

Here is a pic

Gemyanks10

Mine wasn't when I opened it. According to the Beckett Almanac, they do exist and are valued at around 100 bucks, but I've never seen one. The one I purchased from Ebay had the exact same serial numbers and turned out to be a 1988 set. I've still never seen a true 85 fleer set and would love to own one if one ever popped up.

Jimmy

esquiresports

I'd be interested to see one. I have set runs from Donruss, Fleer, Score and Upper Deck tucked away somewhere and will try to pull them out if someone can show me what an '85 set looks like.

mgugs46

Hmmm. I guess the only way to find out is to open it, which of course would ruin any possible value

cefy1

I'm pretty sure I had one as a kid. If I remember correctly the cards were packed in groups that were wrapped in cellophane. Unfortunately, I showed my collection to the wrong folks and it got stolen. That was one of the items that was taken along with all my reggie's, yaz's, boggs rookies and henderson rookies.

jmmiller777

<< <i>I'm pretty sure I had one as a kid. If I remember correctly the cards were packed in groups that were wrapped in cellophane. Unfortunately, I showed my collection to the wrong folks and it got stolen. That was one of the items that was taken along with all my reggie's, yaz's, boggs rookies and henderson rookies. >>



Yes, I believe this is correct now that you mention it...

cardbender

<< <i>

<< <i>I'm pretty sure I had one as a kid. If I remember correctly the cards were packed in groups that were wrapped in cellophane. Unfortunately, I showed my collection to the wrong folks and it got stolen. That was one of the items that was taken along with all my reggie's, yaz's, boggs rookies and henderson rookies. >>



Yes, I believe this is correct now that you mention it... >>



Donruss packaged their factory sets that way, not Fleer. In blocks of 56 cards, each cello wrapped
inside a factory box, with a diamond king header card on the top of each cello. The factory box itself was not
cello/shrink wrapped.
Fleer use to package their factory sets with the cards flip flopped in the box about every 50-60 cards
or so. The cards were loose in the box. The front of the factory set would have one piece of 'fleer tape'
holding the front flap tight. If you bought them from hobby shops, the sets weren't shrink wrapped either.
Not sure how any Fleer retail sets looked however.

Fleer would shrink wrapped their Glossy set tins. Those were first out in 1987.

bcubs

<< <i>

<< <i>I'm pretty sure I had one as a kid. If I remember correctly the cards were packed in groups that were wrapped in cellophane. Unfortunately, I showed my collection to the wrong folks and it got stolen. That was one of the items that was taken along with all my reggie's, yaz's, boggs rookies and henderson rookies. >>



Yes, I believe this is correct now that you mention it... >>



The cellophane wrapped groups of cards in factory set form I have seen were only in Donruss.

WFFL

Correct call on the Donruss. Fleer sets had different colored ink in Fleer name on factory box along with the seal (I know I had a green, red, and blue in the mid-late 80's).

Nascar360

That Green one is the 1988 Set

Fleer Factory Sets
1989 Fleer Set - Red 8614-A (1989 Set)
1988 Fleer Set - Green 8568-A
1987 Fleer Set - Blue 8523-A
1986 Fleer Set - Red Not sure of the number ??????

NO FACTORY SETS (1981 - 1985)
1985 Fleer Set - Four Blue Vending Boxes #1, #2, #3 & #4 (Makes 3 Sets)
1984 Fleer Set - Four Black Vending Boxes #1, #2, #3 & #4 (Makes 3 Sets)
1983 Fleer Set - Four Green Vending Boxes #1, #2, #3 & #4 (Makes 3 Sets)
1982 Fleer Set - Four Blue Vending Boxes #1, #2, #3 & #4 (Makes 3 Sets)
1981 Fleer Set - Four Red Vending Boxes #1, #2, #3 & #4 (Makes 3 Sets)

mygotta

Yes, 1985 Donruss came in packs for their factory sealed sets.

originalisbest

I don't know if this helps the discussion any, but from Steve Hart I once bought a set of 4 '85 Fleer vending boxes that taken together, form (from memory) three complete factory sets. Would think that a simple, single factory set option would have been available as well, but don't recall ever seeing one?

dmurphy3mvp

Steve and I both agreed that this factory set doesn't exist.

originalisbest

Well I would trust you guys as the final word! Thanks, good to know! Looks then like the official Fleer vending boxes for '85 are the closest thing to a factory set for them.

Nascar360

Fleer Factory Sets
1989 Fleer Set - Red 8614-A (1989 Set)
1988 Fleer Set - Green 8568-A
1987 Fleer Set - Blue 8523-A
1986 Fleer Set - Red Not sure of the number ??????

NO FACTORY SETS (1981 - 1985)
1985 Fleer Set - Four Blue Vending Boxes #1, #2, #3 & #4 (Makes 3 Sets)
1984 Fleer Set - Four Black Vending Boxes #1, #2, #3 & #4 (Makes 3 Sets)
1983 Fleer Set - Four Green Vending Boxes #1, #2, #3 & #4 (Makes 3 Sets)
1982 Fleer Set - Four Blue Vending Boxes #1, #2, #3 & #4 (Makes 3 Sets)
1981 Fleer Set - Four Red Vending Boxes #1, #2, #3 & #4 (Makes 3 Sets)