The 1993 Fleer Ultra Series 1 Baseball Set
Contents
The 1993 Fleer Ultra Series 1 Baseball Set was released in early 1993. It was the first Fleer Ultra set and featured many of the game’s Top Players The set is comprised of 220 cards and is noted for its clean design and sharp photography.
Introduction to the 1993 Fleer Ultra Series 1 Baseball Set
The 1993 Fleer Ultra Series 1 baseball set was released in early 1993. The 286-card set contains the usual 220 base cards, as well as 66 rookie cards The card fronts feature full-bleed color action photos of the players with a multi-colored overly, and the backs have text printed on a gray background. rookie cards in the set include future All-Stars Jim Thome Derek Jeter and Mike Piazza
The Design of the Set
The 1993 Fleer Ultra Series 1 baseball set consists of 660 cards that measure 2-1/2″ by 3-1/2″. This was Fleer’s first foray into the “super premium” card market. The design for the set is a great deal more subdued than the later releases in the Ultra line. The card fronts feature a white border, with the player’s name and team appearing at the bottom. The player’s photo is set against a very light color background, with a Fame FatHead logo in the lower left corner. The backs are printed on silver foil, and contain biographical information, along with statistics and ultrafacts for the player featured on that card. Overall, the design is attractive, if a little bit bland.
The Cards
The 1993 Fleer Ultra Series 1 Baseball Set consists of 660 cards that measure 2-1/2″ by 3-1/2″. As was the case with its predecessor, the front of the card features full-bleed action photography. The backs carry player statistics as well as a color headshot. Also included are fifteen cards which spotlight top rookies and prospects of the day. The key rookies in this set are multiple All-Stars Gary Sheffield and Mike Piazza Sheffield is featured on card #476, while Piazza is pictured on card #487. Both players have autographed versions of their rookie cards which were randomly inserted into packs at stated odds of 1:288 and 1:576 respectively. In addition, there are three subsets in the set: “League Leaders” (cards #1-9), “Diamond Skills” (cards #193-201), and “All-Star Selections” (cards #369-377).
The 1993 Fleer Ultra set was released in two separate series of 330 cards each. A preview insert set, highlighting 33 extra cards not found in either series, was made available to collectors prior to the release of Series 2 in early 1994. These inserts could be obtained through a special mail-in offer that required the purchase of four specially marked 12-card packs along with two UPC codes from any Fleer product. Eachinsert card measures 2″ by 2-7/8″, with a glossy surface on both front and back. These “super premium” cards were printed on 25 percent thicker cardboard stock than the regularissue cards.
The Significance of the Set
The debut of the Ultra line by Fleer in 1993 was an important moment in baseball card collecting. The set featured a radical new design that was quite different from the traditional card designs of the time. The set is also significant because it was the first time that Fleer had used holograms on baseball cards
The Legacy of the Set
While many baseball fans consider the 1986 Topps Traded set to be the first “true” rookie card set of the modern ERA the 1993 Fleer Ultra Baseball set is also highly regarded by collectors. The set is loaded with rookies and future stars, including Derek Jeter who would go on to become one of the greatest players in Major League Baseball history.
The 1993 Fleer Ultra set was released in two series, with Series 1 consisting of 300 cards and Series 2 consisting of 100 cards. The set was notable for its use of foil technology, which gave the cards a shiny appearance. The front of each card featured a color photo of the player, with the back of the card featuring biographical information and statistics.
Many of the cards in the set are now highly sought-after by collectors, particularly those of Derek Jeter and other star players The 1993 Fleer Ultra set remains a popular choice among collectors due to its combination of strong rookie class and use of foil technology.
The Prices of the Set
The 1993 Fleer Ultra baseball set contained 800 cards and was originally released in two series of 400 cards each. The set was noteworthy for its holograms, which were featured on cards Nos. 1-200 (first series) and 401-600 (second series). Each 20-card pack contained one hologram. The suggested retail price for each pack was $1.49, and the set had a total production of 36 million cards.
The first series of Fleer Ultra cards was released in early February 1993 and the second series became available in late April 1993. In the months following the release of the set, hobby shops began selling unopened boxes of Fleer Ultra for as much as $60.00 per box. A Complete Set consisting of all 800 cards could be assembled for approximately $25.00-$30.00, although some collectors paid as much as $50.00 for a mint condition set.
The Condition of the Set
The 1993 Fleer Ultra Series 1 baseball set was released in two different versions, the regular 792-card set and the 792-card gold version. The regular set contains cards 1-792, while the gold version contains cards 1-792 with a gold foil stamp on the front of the card. Both versions of the set were printed on 18-point stock and were released in May of 1993. The regular set was originally sold in 36-pack boxes, while the gold version was originally sold in 12-pack boxes. Each pack contained 11 cards and each box contained 36 packs.
The 1993 Fleer Ultra Series 1 baseball set is one of the most condition sensitive sets ever produced. The problem lies with the black print on the fronts of the cards which is easily susceptible to chipping and flaking. As a result, many of the cards in this set have minor to major print defects on the front of the card. In addition, because of the way that Fleer packaged this set, many of the corners on these cards are also quite susceptible to chipping and wear.
Despite these condition issues, the 1993 Fleer Ultra Series 1 baseball set remains a popular set with collectors. Many collectors enjoy trying to put together a complete set in mint condition, while others enjoy collecting their favorite players from this era. There are also many collectors who enjoy chasing after the few high-end rookie cards that are included in this set, such as Derek Jeter and Manny Ramirez
The Rarity of the Set
In 1993, Fleer Ultra released their first series of cards, and they were an instant success. The set is loaded with Rookie Cards of players who went on to have great MLB careers, including Derek Jeter, Chipper Jones and Jim Thome. Even though the set is highly sought-after by collectors, it is actually quite rare. In fact, according to Beckett.com, less than 10% of the total number of cards printed for the set are currently accounted for. That means that for every 100 Fleer Ultra Series 1 cards that were printed, only around 10 have been found.
The Future of the Set
The 1993 Fleer Ultra Series 1 Baseball Set was released in the spring of 1993. This set was very popular with collectors at the time and is still popular today. The set features some of the top players in baseball, including Barry Bonds Frank Thomas and Ken Griffey Jr. The set also has several chase cards, which are very valuable to collectors.
The future of the set looks bright, as there are many collectors who still love collecting these cards. The value of the set will continue to rise as more collectors join the hobby and demand for the cards increase.
Conclusion
The 1993 Fleer Ultra baseball set contains 660 cards and was released in two series. The first 360 cards comprise the basic set, while series two features 300 cards which were inserted into packs at a rate of one in four. A total of 30 cards were short-printed in the second series and are considered very valuable by collectors. Despite some initial Quality Control issues with the printing of the cards, the overall design and presentation of the set is impressive and it has become a favorite among collectors.