This is easily the nicest example of the iconic 1960 Fleer Football set that we have ever offered, a blazing accumulation with the entire issue essentially Near-Mint or better (94 percent) and more than ½ of the checklist reaching Near-Mint to Mint status, including almost four dozen duly ensconced in glistening PSA 8 slabs. Headlined by a PSA 8 Sammy Baugh and Near-Mint examples of the No. 58 Blanda and the key No. 124 Jack Kemp Rookie, the set is a blazer with vivid colors and uncommonly clean card backs enhanced by crisp red spot color. It’s rare for sports cards to so neatly confront genuine historical significance, and few offerings have ever done so with the serendipity of the inaugural Fleer football effort in 1960. Tasked with chronicling the first year of the American Football League, Fleer’s 132-card issue recounts that historic beginning that would culminate a decade later with the merger with its rival National Football League. In 1960, Topps produced cards for the NFL, and Fleer stepped in to produce a new set for the new league. Given the convergence of a new league and new card company, the set has more than two dozen rookie cards and would have had many more except that several dozen players in the issue never actually played in the AFL. The breakdown: PSA 9 – No. 26 Tripucka; PSA 8 (47) – No. 13, 15, 19, 20 Baugh, 21, 23, 25, 27, 28, 29, 32, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 47, 50, 51, 52, 55 Saban, 59, 67, 69, 70, 80, 86, 90, 91, 93, 97, 101, 102, 103, 107, 109, 110, 113, 115, 119, 122, 123, 126, 128 McGuire Rookie, 129, 130 and 132 Beagle Rookie; PSA 7.5 – No. 92; PSA 7 – No. 45; Raw card keys and condition anomalies – No. 1 White Rookie – Near-Mint, 2 Tharp Rookie – Nr-Mt, 3 McGrew Rookie – Nr-Mt-Plus, 4 White Rookie – Nr-Mt, 5 Jamieson Rookie – Nr-Mt, Salerno Rookie – Nr-Mt, 7 Gilman Rookie – Nr-Mt-Plus, 58 Blanda – Nr-Mt, 66 Cannon Rookie – Very Good, 73 Haynes Rookie – Excellent, 75 Rookie – Ex, 76 Lowe Rookie – VG, 78 – Ex, 116 Stram Rookie – presents Ex-Mt but gum stain on reverse, 118 Mix Rookie – Nr-Mt and 124 Kemp Rookie – Nr-Mt.