1996 Finest

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1996 Finest Series 2 box

Description

1996 Finest is a 359 card set issued in two series of 191 cards and 168 cards respectively. A protective film, designed to keep the card from scratching and to maintain original gloss, covers the front.

One of the bizarrely structured products ever released, '96 Finest provides collectors with the opportunity to complete a number of sets within sets, each with a different degree of insertion. Each card is numbered twice to indicate the set count and the theme count. Series 1 set covers four distinct themes: Phenoms, Intimidators, Gamers and Sterling. Within the first three themes, the cards are fractured into three levels of collectibility: Common (bronze trim), Uncommon (silver) and Rare (gold). For the first series, the breakdown for the player selection of common, uncommon and rare cards is completely random. There are 110 common, 55 uncommon (1:4 packs) and 26 rare cards (1:24 packs).

Series 2 covers four distinct themes also with common, uncommon and rare cards seeded at the same ratio. The four themes are: Franchise, Additions, Prodigies, and Sterling. In addition to the cards' special borders, each card will also have either "common," "uncommon", or "rare" written within the numbering box on the card backs to let collectors know which type of card they hold.

Series One Gold Refractor Lawsuit

As part of the sell sheet for 1996 Finest Series One, Topps claimed that no more than 150 copies of each Gold Refractor would be produced. Dr. Joseph Sentef managed to collect over 220 Greg Maddux Gold Refractors often paying as much as $900 for each card. Sentef sued Topps and settled out-of-court for an undisclosed figure.

Distribution

Hobby boxes contained 24 packs with 6 cards in each pack.

Reviews

Insertion Ratios

Cards Total Cards Numbered To Odds
Bronze 220 - 6:1
Silver 91 - 1:4
Gold 48 - 1:24
Bronze Refractor 220 - 1:12
Silver Refractor 91 - 1:48
Gold Refractor 48 150 1:288

Checklist

Base Set

1 Greg Maddux Silver Intimidators

2 Bernie Williams Silver Gamers

3 Ivan Rodriguez Silver Intimidators

4 Marty Cordova Gold Phenoms

5 Roberto Hernandez Bronze Intimidators

6 Tony Gwynn Gold

7 Barry Larkin Silver

8 Terry Pendleton Bronze Gamers

9 Albert Belle Gold

10 Ray Lankford Silver

11 Mike Piazza Silver

12 Ken Caminiti Bronze Gamers

13 Larry Walker Silver

14 Matt Williams Silver

15 Dan Miceli Bronze Phenoms

16 Chipper Jones Bronze Sterling

17 John Wetteland Bronze Intimidators

18 Kirby Puckett Gold

19 Tim Naehring Bronze

20 Karim Garcia Gold

21 Eddie Murray Bronze Gamers

22 Tim Salmon Silver

23 Kevin Appier Bronze Intimidators

24 Ken Griffey Jr Bronze Sterling

25 Cal Ripken Jr Gold Gamers

26 Brian McRae Bronze Gamers

27 Pedro Martinez Bronze Intimidators

28 Brian Jordan Bronze Gamers

29 Mike Fetters Bronze Intimidators

30 Carlos Delgado Bronze

31 Shane Reynolds Bronze Intimidators

32 Terry Steinbach Bronze Gamers

33 Hideo Nomo Gold

34 Mark Leiter Bronze Gamers

35 Edgar Martinez Silver

36 David Segui Bronze Gamers

37 Gregg Jefferies Silver

38 Bill Pulsipher Silver Phenoms

39 Ryne Sandberg Gold

40 Fred McGriff Bronze Intimidators

41 Shawn Green Silver

42 Jeff Bagwell Gold

43 Jim Abbott Silver

44 Glenallen Hill Bronze Intimidators

45 Brady Anderson Bronze Gamers

46 Roger Clemens Silver

47 Jim Thome Bronze

48 Frank Thomas Bronze Sterling

49 Chuck Knoblauch Bronze Gamers

50 Len Dykstra Bronze Gamers

51 Jason Isringhausen Gold

52 Rondell White Silver

53 Tom Pagnozzi Bronze Gamers

54 Dennis Eckersley Silver

55 Ricky Bones Bronze Gamers

56 David Justice Bronze Intimidators

57 Steve Avery Bronze

58 Robby Thompson Bronze Gamers

59 Hideo Nomo Silver

60 Gary Sheffield Silver

61 Tony Gwynn Bronze Sterling

62 Will Clark Silver

63 Denny Neagle Bronze Gamers

64 Mo Vaughn Gold

65 Bret Boone Silver

66 Dante Bichette Gold

67 Robin Ventura Bronze Gamers

68 Rafael Palmeiro Silver

69 Carlos Baerga Silver Gamers

70 Kevin Seitzer Bronze Gamers

71 Ramon J. Martinez Bronze Intimidators

72 Tom Glavine Silver

73 Garret Anderson Silver

74 Mark McGwire Gold

75 Brian L. Hunter Bronze Phenoms

76 Alan Benes Bronze Phenoms

77 Randy Johnson Silver Intimidators

78 Jeff King Silver

79 Kirby Puckett Silver

80 Ozzie Guillen Bronze Gamers

81 Kenny Lofton Gold

82 Benji Gil Bronze Phenoms

83 Jim Edmonds Gold

84 Cecil Fielder Silver

85 Todd Hundley Bronze Gamers

86 Reggie Sanders Silver

87 Pat Hentgen Bronze Gamers

88 Ryan Klesko Silver Intimidators

89 Chuck Finley Bronze

90 Mike Mussina Gold

91 John Valentin Silver Intimidators

92 Derek Jeter Bronze Phenoms

93 Paul O'Neill Bronze

94 Darrin Fletcher Bronze

95 Manny Ramirez Silver Phenoms

96 Delino DeShields Bronze Gamers

97 Tim Salmon Bronze

98 John Olerud Bronze Gamers

99 Vinny Castilla Silver

100 Jeff Conine Gold

101 Tim Wakefield Bronze

102 Johnny Damon Gold

103 Dave Stevens Bronze Gamers

104 Orlando Merced Bronze Gamers

105 Barry Bonds Gold

106 Jay Bell Bronze Gamers

107 John Burkett Bronze Gamers

108 Chris Hoiles Bronze Gamers

109 Carlos Perez Silver

110 Dave Nilsson Bronze Gamers

111 Rod Beck Bronze

112 Craig Biggio Silver

113 Mike Piazza Bronze Intimidators

114 Mark Langston Bronze Gamers

115 Juan Gonzalez Silver

116 Rico Brogna Bronze Gamers

117 Jose Canseco Gold

118 Tom Goodwin Bronze Gamers

119 Bryan Rekar Bronze Phenoms

120 David Cone Bronze Intimidators

121 Ray Durham Silver

122 Andy Pettitte Bronze Phenoms

123 Chili Davis Bronze Intimidators

124 John Smoltz Bronze Gamers

125 Heathcliff Slocumb Bronze Intimidators

126 Dante Bichette Bronze Intimidators

127 C.J. Nitkowski Silver Phenoms

128 Alex S. Gonzalez Bronze

129 Jeff Montgomery Bronze Intimidators

130 Raul Mondesi Silver

131 Dennis Martinez Bronze

132 Mel Rojas Bronze Intimidators

133 Derek Bell Bronze

134 Trevor Hoffman Bronze Intimidators

135 Ken Griffey Jr Gold

136 Darren Daulton Bronze

137 Pete Schourek Bronze Gamers

138 Phil Nevin Bronze Phenoms

139 Andres Galarraga Bronze

140 Chad Fonville Bronze Phenoms

141 Chipper Jones Gold

142 Lee Smith Silver

143 Joe Carter Silver Gamers

144 J.T. Snow Bronze Gamers

145 Greg Maddux Gold Sterling

146 Barry Bonds Bronze Intimidators

147 Orel Hershiser Bronze Gamers

148 Quilvio Veras Bronze

149 Will Clark Bronze

150 Jose Rijo Bronze Gamers

151 Mo Vaughn Silver

152 Travis Fryman Bronze

153 Frank Rodriguez Silver

154 Alex Fernandez Bronze

155 Wade Boggs Bronze Gamers

156 Troy Percival Bronze

157 Moises Alou Bronze

158 Javy Lopez Bronze

159 Jason Giambi Bronze

160 Steve Finley Silver

161 Jeff Bagwell Silver Intimidators

162 Mark McGwire Bronze

163 Eric Karros Bronze

164 Jay Buhner Gold

165 Cal Ripken Jr Silver Sterling

166 Mickey Tettleton Bronze

167 Barry Larkin Bronze

168 Lyle Mouton Silver

169 Ruben Sierra Bronze Intimidators

170 Bill Swift Bronze

171 Sammy Sosa Silver Intimidators

172 Chad Curtis Bronze Gamers

173 Dean Palmer Bronze Gamers

174 John Franco Silver Gamers

175 Bobby Bonilla Bronze Intimidators

176 Greg Colbrunn Bronze Gamers

177 Jose Mesa Bronze

178 Mike Greenwell Bronze Gamers

179 Greg Vaughn Silver Intimidators

180 Mark Wohlers Silver

181 Doug Drabek Bronze Gamers

182 Paul O'Neill Silver Sterling

183 Wilson Alvarez Bronze Gamers

184 Marty Cordova Bronze

185 Hal Morris Bronze Gamers

186 Frank Thomas Gold

187 Carlos Garcia Bronze Gamers

188 Albert Belle Silver

189 Mark Grace Silver

190 Marquis Grissom Bronze Gamers

191 Gold Checklist

192 Chipper Jones Gold

193 Will Clark Bronze

194 Paul Molitor Bronze

195 Kenny Rogers Bronze

196 Reggie Sanders Bronze

197 Roberto Alomar Gold Additions

198 Dennis Eckersley Gold

199 Raul Mondesi Bronze Sterling

200 Lance Johnson Bronze Additions

201 Alvin Morman Bronze Prodigies

202 George Arias Gold

203 Jack McDowell Bronze

204 Randy Myers Bronze

205 Harold Baines Bronze Additions

206 Marty Cordova Bronze Franchises

207 Rich Hunter Bronze

208 Al Leiter Bronze

209 Greg Gagne Bronze

210 Ben McDonald Bronze Additions

211 Ernie Young Silver Prodigies

212 Terry Adams Bronze Prodigies

213 Paul Sorrento Bronze

214 Albert Belle Bronze

215 Mike Blowers Bronze

216 Jim Edmonds Bronze

217 Felipe Crespo Bronze

218 Fred McGriff Silver

219 Shawon Dunston Bronze Additions

220 Jimmy Haynes Bronze

221 Jose Canseco Bronze

222 Eric Davis Bronze

223 Kimera Bartee Silver

224 Tim Raines Bronze

225 Tony Phillips Bronze

226 Charlie Hayes Bronze

227 Eric Owens Bronze

228 Roberto Alomar Bronze Sterling

229 Rickey Henderson Silver

230 Sterling Hitchcock Silver

231 Bernard Gilkey Silver Additions

232 Hideo Nomo Gold Franchises

233 Kenny Lofton Bronze

234 Ryne Sandberg Silver Sterling

235 Greg Maddux Silver

236 Mark McGwire Bronze

237 Jay Buhner Bronze

238 Craig Biggio Bronze

239 Todd Stottlemyre Silver

240 Barry Bonds Bronze Franchises

241 Jason Kendall Silver

242 Paul O'Neill Silver

243 Chris Snopek Gold

244 Ron Gant Bronze

245 Paul Wilson Bronze

246 Todd Hollandsworth Bronze

247 Todd Zeile Bronze

248 David Justice Bronze

249 Tim Salmon Gold

250 Moises Alou Bronze

251 Bob Wolcott Bronze Prodigies

252 David Wells Bronze

253 Juan Gonzalez Bronze

254 Andres Galarraga Bronze Franchises

255 Dave Hollins Bronze Additions

256 Devon White Silver Additions

257 Sammy Sosa Bronze Franchises

258 Ivan Rodriguez Bronze

259 Bip Roberts Bronze

260 Tino Martinez Bronze

261 Chuck Knoblauch Silver

262 Mike Stanley Bronze

263 Wally Joyner Silver

264 Butch Huskey Bronze

265 Jeff Conine Bronze

266 Matt Williams Gold

267 Mark Grace Bronze

268 Jason Schmidt Bronze Prodigies

269 Otis Nixon Bronze

270 Randy Johnson Gold

271 Kirby Puckett Bronze

272 Andy Fox Silver Prodigies

273 Andy Benes Bronze

274 Sean Berry Silver Additions

275 Mike Piazza Bronze

276 Rey Ordonez Bronze

277 Benito Santiago Silver

278 Gary Gaetti Bronze

279 Paul Molitor Gold

280 Robin Ventura Bronze Sterling

281 Cal Ripken Jr Bronze

282 Carlos Baerga Bronze

283 Roger Cedeno Bronze

284 Chad Mottola Silver Prodigies

285 Terrell Wade Bronze Prodigies

286 Kevin J. Brown Bronze

287 Rafael Palmeiro Bronze

288 Mo Vaughn Bronze

289 Dante Bichette Silver Franchises

290 Cecil Fielder Gold

291 Dwight Gooden Silver

292 Bob Tewksbury Bronze

293 Kevin Mitchell Silver Additions

294 Livan Hernandez Gold

295 Russ Davis Silver Additions

296 Chan Ho Park Silver

297 T.J. Mathews Bronze Prodigies

298 Manny Ramirez Bronze

299 Jeff Bagwell Bronze

300 Marty Janzen Gold Prodigies

301 Wade Boggs Bronze

302 Larry Walker Silver

303 Steve Gibralter Bronze Prodigies

304 B.J. Surhoff Bronze

305 Ken Griffey Jr Silver Franchises

306 Royce Clayton Bronze Additions

307 Sal Fasano Bronze Prodigies

308 Ron Gant Gold

309 Gary Sheffield Bronze Franchises

310 Ken Hill Bronze

311 Joe Girardi Bronze

312 Matt Lawton Bronze Prodigies

313 Billy Wagner Silver Prodigies

314 Julio Franco Bronze

315 Joe Carter Bronze

316 Brooks Kieschnick Bronze Prodigies

317 Mike Grace Silver

318 Heathcliff Slocumb Bronze

319 Barry Larkin Bronze Franchises

320 Tony Gwynn Bronze Franchises

321 Ryan Klesko Gold

322 Frank Thomas Bronze Franchises

323 Edgar Martinez Bronze Sterling

324 Jermaine Dye Gold

325 Henry Rodriguez Bronze

326 Marvin Benard Bronze

327 Kenny Lofton Silver Franchises

328 Derek Bell Silver

329 Ugueth Urbina Bronze Prodigies

330 Jason Giambi Gold

331 Roger Salkeld Bronze

332 Edgar Renteria Bronze Prodigies

333 Ryan Klesko Bronze

334 Ray Lankford Bronze Sterling

335 Edgar Martinez Gold

336 Justin Thompson Bronze Prodigies

337 Gary Sheffield Silver Sterling

338 Rey Ordonez Gold

339 Mark Clark Bronze

340 Ruben Rivera Bronze Prodigies

341 Mark Grace Silver Franchises

342 Matt Williams Bronze

343 Francisco Cordova Bronze Prodigies

344 Cecil Fielder Bronze

345 Andres Galarraga Silver Sterling

346 Brady Anderson Bronze

347 Sammy Sosa Gold

348 Mark Grudzielanek Bronze Prodigies

349 Ron Coomer Bronze

350 Derek Jeter Silver Sterling

351 Rich Aurilia Bronze Prodigies

352 Jose Herrera Bronze

353 Jay Buhner Silver

354 Juan Gonzalez Gold

355 Craig Biggio Gold

356 Tony Clark Bronze

357 Tino Martinez Silver

358 Dan Naulty Bronze

359 Checklist Bronze