1998 Zenith
Description
1998 Zenith was a 100-card set released by Pinnacle Brands in May, 1998. Dubbed the "Dare to Tear" set, each pack had three 5" X 7" jumbo-sized cards with one 2.5" X 3.5" standard-sized card embedded inside. In one of the stupidest gimmicks ever conceived, collectors were faced with the dilemma of having to choose to keep their jumbo 5" X 7" card intact, or tear open (and thus physically destroying) the jumbo card to see and obtain the standard-sized card. Ultimately, collectors by and large chose to perform "Cardboard Caesarians" by slicing the backs of the jumbo cards with a razor blade to remove the smaller card - when opening, it is recommended to slice along the edges to avoid damaging the card inside.
Each card featured an off-white, black, and team-colored border and gold-foil accents on the logo and nameplate.
The standard-sized insert was usually embedded in the middle/second jumbo-sized card in each pack.
Distribution
12 packs per box, three 5" X 7" jumbo-sized cards with one 2.5" X 3.5" card embedded inside per pack (MSRP: $5.99)
Insertion Ratios
Standard Sized
| Cards | Total Cards | Numbered To | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base | 100 | - | ? |
| Z-Silver | 100 | - | ? |
| Z-Gold | 100 | 100 | ? |
| Epix | 24 | - | 1:11 |
| Raising the Bar | 15 | - | 1:25 |
| Rookie Thrills | 15 | - | 1:25 |
| Z-Team (1-9) | 9 | - | 1:35 |
| Z-Team (10-18) | 9 | - | 1:58 |
| Z-Team Gold | 18 | - | 1:175 |
5 X 7s
| Cards | Total Cards | Numbered To | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 X 7 | 80 | - | 3:1 |
| 5 X 7 Impulse | 80 | - | ? |
| 5 X 7 Gold Impulse | 80 | 100 | ? |
| Z-Team 5 X 7 | 9 | - | 1:35 |
Checklist
Promos
Nine 5" X 7" samples was inserted into dealer order forms to preview the upcoming 1998 Zenith baseball release. Each large sample card also has one of six standard-sized sample cards embedded inside. The cards were sent out around April, 1998, and are identical to regular issue large Zenith cards except for the bold "SAMPLE" text running diagonally across the back of the card.
5 X 7
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 1998) AND (setname = 'Zenith Samples Large'); </sql2wiki>
Standard-sized
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 1998) AND (setname = 'Zenith Samples Small') ORDER BY num +0 ASC; </sql2wiki>
Base Set
5 X 7
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 1998) AND (setname = 'Zenith 5 X 7'); </sql2wiki>
Standard-Sized
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 1998) AND (setname = 'Zenith') ORDER BY num +0 ASC; </sql2wiki>
Parallels
5 X 7 Impulse
All 80 5 X 7 jumbo-sized cards were available in the following parallels:
- Impulse: Impulse parallels featured a thicker card border than the base design that was dichotomized into the player's team colors and a silver background. "Impulse" was printed vertically down the right side of the cardfront.
- Gold Impulse (serial numbered to 100): Gold Impulse parallels featured the same design as the "base" Impulse design but featured a gold background. "Gold Impulse" was printed vertically down the right side of the cardfront.
Z
Each of the 100 standard-sized cards were available in the following parallels:
- Z-Silver: Each Z-Silver parallel had the same design as the base card but had a silver background, a silver foil finish on the card front, and the "Z-Silver" text above the nameplate.
- Z-Gold (serial-numbered to 100): Each Z-Gold parallel had the same design as the base card but had a gold background, a gold foil finish on the card front, and the "Z-Gold" text above the nameplate.
NOTE: There are unnumbered versions of the Z-Gold parallels available on the secondary market
Inserts
Epix
Raising the Bar
This 15-card, standard-sized set featured star players that elevated the standard of performance for their respective teams on a black and gold holofoil cardfront.
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 1998) AND (setname = 'Zenith Raising The Bar'); </sql2wiki>
Rookie Thrills
This 15-card, standard-sized set featured some of the top rookies from the 1998 season on a silver and black holofoil front with green accents on the nameplate and insert title background.
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 1998) AND (setname = 'Zenith Rookie Thrills'); </sql2wiki>
Z-Team
Z-Team was an 18-card set and the brand's most recognizable insert that featured nine of the top veterans (cards #1-9), and nine of the top young stars (#10-18) in the game at the time. Veteran players featured a full foil cardfront finish with a large black and red "Z" in the background; young stars also featured a full foil cardfront finish, but with a large black and blue "Z" in the background.
5 X 7 Z-Team
The first 9 cards in the set (i.e. veterans) were also available in a jumbo-sized 5" X 7". These had a slightly different design as there was no foil finish and the border on the front was thicker than the standard-sized design.
Z-Team Gold
All 18 standard-sized Z-Team cards were also available as in a Gold parallel that featured a gold foil finish and a large black and gold "Z" in the background. These cards were not serially-numbered.
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 1998) AND (setname = 'Zenith Z-Team'); </sql2wiki>
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| Donruss-Playoff Era: |