1923 Fleer W515 Set and Checklist

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	W515 Fleer
Year	1923
Size	1 5/8″ x 2 1/2″
Images	Color
Type	Strip
Number in Set	70 (?)

1923 Fleer W515 Strip Card Overview

1923 Fleer Back.jpg

Two separate sets make up the W515 strip card series. Both have a similar look and design with colored pictures on the fronts and blank backs. Both also utilize the same checklist. the second of the two sets (W515-2) is slightly larger than its counterpart.

However, the most intriguing W515 cards are actually Fleer’s first baseball cards. The Fleer company that grew to prominence in the 1980s got its early start way back in 1923. Fleer used the same cards as the W515 issue, only placing an ad for their company on the back to distinguish them.

The cards, it should be pointed out, are not easy to find. They are pretty rare and not seen too often, only occasionally popping up for sale a auction houses.

A total of 60 baseball players are included the set and the rest of the 120-card issue is made up of other famous personalities. However, it is not known if all cards were printed with the Fleer advertising as only some of the cards are known with that back. Adding to the difficult in a potential set is that there are two Babe Ruth strip cards in the main W515 set.

Fleer distributed these cards with their Bobs and Fruit Hearts packages. Not much is known about that product today. Additionally, the backs of the cards state as such:

“Every five-cent package of Fleer’s Bobs and Fruit Hearts contains a picture of a famous person. Get the complete set of 120 – Frank H. Fleer Corporation, Philadelphia.

Most strip cards, by design, are not very attractive. The W515 set, though, tests the limits by fans and is one of the least artful issues among W-Cards. Still, because Fleer was involved with these makes it an interesting set.

Here’s a little more on the first Fleer set and the origins of Fleer.