1998 Fleer Tradition
Description
1998 Fleer Tradition (the new name for Fleer's annual "flagship" baseball card product), was a 600-card set released in two series of 350 and 250 cards, respectively. This was the first time in five years, and only the second time ever, that Fleer/Fleer Tradition Baseball was released in multiple series. The base set utilized a full-color, non-bordered design with a gold foil-stamped nameplate at the bottom-center of the card. For the first time since 1995, Fleer utilized UV coating all base cards and for the first time ever, a Fleer flagship set contained short-printed subsets (some of which were insert sets used in previous 1990's Fleer products):
- Smoke 'n Heat (301-310)
- Golden Memories (311-320)
- Tale of the Tape (321-340)
- Unforgettable Moments (576-600)
Randomly inserted into Series One packs were 50 hand-numbered Fleer Flashback Exchange cards. Each of these cards could be exchanged for a framed, uncut press sheet from one of Fleer's baseball sets dating anywhere from 1981 to 1993.
The "Insert Mania" craze continued into 1998 and coincided with the Home Run Race of that summer, which brought the popularity of baseball to new highs and drove collector demand for baseball cards in general and specifically inserts and parallels.
Distribution
Hobby/Retail: 36 packs per box, 12 cards per pack (MSRP: $1.49)
Retail Blasters: 14 packs, 10 cards per pack (MSRP: $19.99)
Insertion Ratios
Series One
| Cards | Total Cards | Numbered To | Hobby Odds | Retail Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base | 350 | - | ? | ? |
| short set | 310 | - | ? | ? |
| Golden Memories | 20 | - | 1:6 | 1:6 |
| Tale of the Tape | 20 | - | 1:4 | 1:4 |
| Vintage '63 | 64 | - | one-per-pack | N/A |
| Classic '63 | 64 | 63 | ? | N/A |
| Diamond Standouts | 20 | - | 1:12 | 1:12 |
| Lumber Company | 15 | - | N/A | 1:36 |
| Rookie Sensations | 20 | - | 1:18 | 1:18 |
| The Power Game | 20 | - | 1:36 | 1:36 |
| Decade of Excellence | 12 | - | 1:72 | N/A |
| Decade of Excellence Rare Traditions | 12 | - | 1:720 | N/A |
| Zone | 15 | - | 1:288 | 1:288 |
| Diamond Ink | 10 | - | one-per-pack | one-per-pack |
Series Two
| Cards | Total Cards | Numbered To | Hobby Odds | Retail Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base | 250 | - | ? | ? |
| short set | 225 | - | ? | ? |
| Unforgettable Moments | 25 | - | 1:4 | 1:4 |
| Vintage '63 | 64 | - | one-per-pack | N/A |
| Classic '63 | 64 | 63 | ? | N/A |
| Promising Forecast | 20 | - | 1:12 | 1:12 |
| In The Clutch | 15 | - | 1:20 | 1:20 |
| Mickey Mantle Monumental Moments | 10 | - | 1:68 | 1:68 |
| Mickey Mantle Monumental Moments Gold | 10 | 51 | ? | ? |
| Diamond Tribute | 10 | - | 1:300 | 1:300 |
| Diamond Ink | 10 | - | one-per-pack | one-per-pack |
Checklist
Promos
Alex Rodriguez Promo
NOTE: 750 autographed copies of this card were randomly inserted into 1998 Ultra Series Two packs.
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info from cards WHERE (year = '1998') AND (setname='Fleer Tradition Promo'); </sql2wiki>
Mickey Mantle & Sons Promo
To commemorate Fleer's acquisition of his trading card rights for 1998, Fleer produced a special card of Mickey Mantle and his sons David and Danny for the SportsFest '98 card show in Philadelphia. The back of the card outlined Mickey Mantle's various card appearances in Fleer's 1998 products.
In addition, Danny and David appeared at the show and signed a limited number of cards.
NOTE: This card was reproduced for Fleer's 1998 National Sports Collectors Convention promotional set. That card has the 1998 NSCC logo on the reverse side and is sequentially-numbered "NC2." The card given away at SportsFest is not sequentially-numbered.
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 1998) AND (setname = 'Fleer Mantle and Sons'); </sql2wiki>
Postcard Mantle Promo
To promote the release of Fleer Tradition Series Two, Fleer mailed 3,500 serial-numbered postcards to their dealer network with a depiction of Mickey Mantle's Vintage '63 parallel. The back read, "Isn't it about time your customers complete their '63 set?"
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 1998) AND (setname = 'Fleer Postcard Mantle Promo'); </sql2wiki>
Diamond Skills Commemorative Sheet
This eight-card unperforated sheet was distributed by Hobby shops that participated in Fleer's Diamond Skills youth baseball program. Each shop that enrolled with Fleer in early April 1998 received 25 sheets to give away to young baseball fans participating in the contest.
From April 1st through June 30th, 1998, MLB and Fleer/SkyBox distributed more than 600,000 questionnaire surveys. Instructions directed participants to complete the survey and bring to a participating local card shop and purchase two packs of Fleer/SkyBox trading cards. In exchange for the two wrappers from those packs and the completed survey, the youth received one of these commemorative sheets.
Individual cards cut from this sheet have surfaced over the years.
Jim Edmonds / Mike Piazza / Scott Rolen / Mark McGwire / Jeff Bagwell / Roger Clemens / Cal Ripken, Jr. / Derek Jeter
Diamond Skills Competition Cards
These cards were given to participants in the Fleer sponsored Diamond Skills competition. The fronts of each card have the "Diamond Skills" logo, while the backs have a form where contestants can enter their scores.
<sql2wiki database = "carddb"> SELECT num,player FROM cards WHERE (year = 1998) AND (setname = 'Fleer Tradition Diamond Skills Competition'); </sql2wiki>
Base Set
Series One
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info from cards WHERE (year = '1998') AND (setname='Fleer Tradition') and (num < 301) ORDER BY num +0 ASC; </sql2wiki>
Smoke 'n Heat
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player from cards WHERE (year = '1998') AND (setname='Fleer Tradition') and (num BETWEEN 301 AND 310) ORDER BY num +0 ASC; </sql2wiki>
Golden Memories
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player from cards WHERE (year = '1998') AND (setname='Fleer Tradition') and (num BETWEEN 311 AND 320) ORDER BY num +0 ASC; </sql2wiki>
Tale of the Tape
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player from cards WHERE (year = '1998') AND (setname='Fleer Tradition') and (num BETWEEN 321 AND 340) ORDER BY num +0 ASC; </sql2wiki>
Checklists
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player from cards WHERE (year = '1998') AND (setname='Fleer Tradition') and (num BETWEEN 341 AND 350) ORDER BY num +0 ASC; </sql2wiki>
Series Two
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info from cards WHERE (year = '1998') AND (setname='Fleer Tradition') and (num BETWEEN 351 AND 570) ORDER BY num +0 ASC; </sql2wiki>
Checklists
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player from cards WHERE (year = '1998') AND (setname='Fleer Tradition') and (num BETWEEN 571 AND 575) ORDER BY num +0 ASC; </sql2wiki>
Unforgettable Moments
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player from cards WHERE (year = '1998') AND (setname='Fleer Tradition') and (num > 575) ORDER BY num +0 ASC; </sql2wiki>
Parallels
Vintage '63
Vintage '63 was a 128-card, Hobby-exclusive, partial parallel spread across both series. Player photos were the same as the base set but the cards utilized the design from the 1963 Fleer set. Each 64-card series contained 63 cards plus one unnumbered checklist.
Series One
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info from cards WHERE (year = '1998') AND (setname="Fleer Tradition Vintage '63") AND (num between 1 and 63) or (player = 'Checklist A') ORDER BY num +0 ASC; </sql2wiki>
Series Two
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info from cards WHERE (year = '1998') AND (setname="Fleer Tradition Vintage '63") AND (num > 63) OR (player = 'Checklist B') ORDER BY num +0 ASC; </sql2wiki>
Classic '63
A gold-foil, diamond-stamped "Classic '63" parallel was available for all players in the Vintage '63 set. Each Classic '63 card is serial-numbered to 63 copies.
Inserts
Diamond Standouts
This 20-card, Series One set highlighted some of the game's top performers on a color-foiled background featuring both a baseball diamond and geological diamonds.
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info from cards WHERE (year = '1998') AND (setname='Fleer Tradition Diamond Standouts') </sql2wiki>
Lumber Company
This 15-card set highlighted some of the top hitters in the game at the time on a foil card background that resembled wood-grain. This set is only available in Series One retail packs.
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info from cards WHERE (year = '1998') AND (setname='Fleer Tradition Lumber Company') </sql2wiki>
Rookie Sensations
This 20-card Series One insert was the seventh iteration of the notable set and highlighted the top young players in the game on a canvas card background featuring a stone-colored border design pattern.
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info from cards WHERE (year = '1998') AND (setname='Fleer Tradition Rookie Sensations') </sql2wiki>
The Power Game
This 20-card Series One set featured some of the top home run hitters and strike out pitchers in the game on a team-colored, embossed background.
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info from cards WHERE (year = '1998') AND (setname='Fleer Tradition Power Game') </sql2wiki>
Decade of Excellence
This set, exclusive to Series One Hobby packs, highlighted 12 players who appeared in both the 1988 and 1998 Fleer sets. Each card is done in the style of the '88 Fleer set, but is not a reprint since different photography is used. Each card also had "Decade of Excellence" foil-stamped on the front.
The set was also available in a "Rare Traditions" parallel that had the blue and red diagonal stripes foil stamped.
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info from cards WHERE (year = '1998') AND (setname='Fleer Tradition Decade of Excellence') </sql2wiki>
Zone
This 15-card Series One set highlighted some of the best players in the game at the time on a wave-patterned, silver holographic foil background.
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player from cards WHERE (year = '1998') AND (setname='Fleer Tradition Zone') </sql2wiki>
Million Dollar Moments
See 1997 Fleer Million Dollar Moments.
Promising Forecast
This 20-card Series Two set featured young players with the most potential to become stars in the game on a weather radar-map themed background.
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info from cards WHERE (year = '1998') AND (setname='Fleer Tradition Promising Forecast') </sql2wiki>
In The Clutch
This 15-card Series Two set featured some of the best "crunch-time" performers in the game on a circular holographic green (to resemble a scoreboard) background.
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info from cards WHERE (year = '1998') AND (setname='Fleer Tradition In The Clutch') </sql2wiki>
Mickey Mantle Monumental Moments
In the spring of 1998, Fleer signed an exclusive trading card contract with the estate of Mickey Mantle and to celebrate, created this 10-card career highlights set. The set was similar to Upper Deck's Baseball Heroes inserts and featured various black and white photos of Mantle with a large, blue-foil nameplate that ran vertically down the side of the card. These inserts were randomly inserted into Series Two packs at the rate of 1:68 to match his final season, 1968.
A Gold Edition parallel was also produced and featured a gold holographic "Gold Edition" stamp on the front for distinction. Further, each Gold Edition parallel was serial-numbered to 51 copies, matching the year (1951) Mantle made his Major League debut.
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info from cards WHERE (year = '1998') AND (setname='Fleer Tradition Mickey Mantle Monumental Moments') </sql2wiki>
Diamond Tribute
This ten-card Series Two set highlighted some of the top players in the game on a die-cut baseball design layered on top of a second background layer. Because of the layered card design and finish used for both layers, this set is condition sensitive and prone to chipping.
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info from cards WHERE (year = '1998') AND (setname='Fleer Tradition Diamond Tribute') </sql2wiki>
Autographs
Diamond Ink
Fleer/Fleer Tradition
|
|---|
| Pre-License Era: 1959 Fleer Ted Williams - 1960 - 1961 - 1963 |
| Triopoly Era: 1981 - 1982 - 1983 - 1984 - 1985 - 1986 - 1987 |
| Junk Wax Era: 1988 - 1989 - 1990 - 1991 |
| Marvel Entertainment Era: 1992 - 1993 - 1994 - 1995 - 1996 - 1997 |
| Fleer Tradition Era: 1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 |
| Upper Deck Era: 2006 - 2007 |
| Update Sets: 1984 - 1985 - 1986 - 1987 - 1988 - 1989 - 1990 - 1991 - 1992 - 1993 Final Edition - 1994 - 1995 - 1996 - 1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2002 - 2003 |
| Other Fleer/Fleer Tradition Brands: 2002 Fleer - 2006 Fleer Tradition |