Fleer Companies Auctioned to California’s Upper Deck

Upper Deck paid $6.1 million for Fleer’s name, trademark and inventory.The name and assets of the Fleer companies, a pioneer in the collectible baseball card industry, have been auctioned off to Upper Deck, a Carlsbad, California-based rival.
According to published reports, Upper Deck paid $6.1 million for Fleer”s name, trademark and inventory at an auction held in the Morristown law office of Warren J. Martin, Jr.
A statement posted on Upper Deck”s Website notes that the company, which also bought the assets of Fleer Collectibles, plans to enter the die-cast business, which usually features miniature replicas of famous people. When Fleer closed its doors in May due to declining sales, it had more than $35 million of debt.
Upper Deck, which markets to the adult collector market, notes that “The Fleer trademarks and brand name will add tremendous heritage” to the company”s product lineup.