1960 Fleer Baseball - What's the deal?

[bnorth]

They are post career cards.

[jchcollins]

I think the draw to most vintage is that the cards are of the players while they were active players. Everyone in that set was retired (and some dead) when it was issued. Yeah they are ok, but not really a draw in comparision to tobacco or Goudey cards that show those players when they were actually active. There are a few exceptions to the "while active" rule that I can think of - the most notable being the 1948 Leaf Babe Ruth. Ruth was long retired at that point yes, but the rest of the set features active players (Honus Wagner is another exception) and it doesn't hurt that it's considered one of the toughest and most desireable early postwar sets out there.

[jchcollins]

Another super rare example would be the 1933 Goudey Nap Lajoie. Actually issued in 1934 to fill a number void that left collectors frustrated and writing the company to ask where the card was, Goudey issued the missing number the next year, inexplicably with the retired Napolean Lajoie as the subject. Lajoie hadn't played since 1916. That card is worth a tad more than '60 Fleer cards...