The 1993 Fleer Ultra Series 2 baseball card set is considered one of the most iconic and exciting insert sets in the modern era of 1990s cards. The base card set was the standard 254 cards featuring current major league players. The Ultra inserts took collecting to a new level with their die-cut technology.
Fleer was looking to one-up their competitors and give collectors something new and innovative in 1993. The company’s designers came up with the idea of creating cards with various shapes die-cut through the standard rectangular card frame. This allowed for shapes like baseballs, bats, gloves, and more to peek through the borders.
Some of the more common Ultra inserts included Parallels (bat-shaped cards with color photo borders), Stars of the Game (bat-shaped cards with action photos), Lineups (bat-shaped cards with team headshots), and Power Performers (bat-shaped cards focused on home run hitters). The true chase cards were the incredibly rare Shades (bat-shaped cards with color photo gradients behind the image) and Mirrors (cards cut in the shape of the subject’s face with reflective foil surfaces).
Most Series 2 packs contained either a standard card or a common Parallel insert. Collectors would get excited every time they spotted the distinctive bat shape peering through the wrapper. The odds of pulling any Ultra other than a Parallel were about 1 in 12 packs. Rarer inserts like Shades and Mirrors hovered around 1 in 300 packs or higher. This created a huge chase for collectors to track down the hardest inserts.
Key rookies in the base set included Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, Kerry Wood, Todd Helton, and John Halama. Some of the biggest rookie star power was reserved for three very rare Ultra inserts. The Chase Utley Shades bat-card remains among the most coveted modern rookie cards in existence due to its sky-high rarity estimate of less than 10 known copies. The Jason Kendall and Jason Bere Mirrors are also immensely valuable finds in pack-pulled condition.
Veteran stars like Ken Griffey Jr., Cal Ripken Jr., Roger Clemens, and Nolan Ryan also received special Ultra treatments. Griffey’s cards were always in high demand, and his Power Performers home run bat stands out as one of the iconic images from this insert set. Clemens’ Mirror cutout of his intense pitching motion became another highly recognizable card.
While the base cards have held their value reasonably well long-term, it’s the inserts that make 1993 Fleer Ultra Series 2 such a standout set. Lower-end inserts like Parallels can still be found fairly inexpensive. But key rookie Utra cards, prized Mirrors and Shades, and sought-after veteran images command enormous prices today. With grading services like PSA and BGS, mintCondition ultra pulls regularly sell for thousands of dollars or more due to their extreme rarity and nostalgia factor among collectors.
The innovation of die-cut technology captured imaginations and created a true heirloom set. Even incomplete basic Series 2 sets without major ultras still carry value decades later. But the chase remains on for collectors to find that one elusive Shades, Mirrors, or star rookie Ultra that can become a hobby legacy piece. Through online auctions, shows, and sheer persistence, 1993 Ultra fans still uncover lost treasures from this groundbreaking insert set that helped usher in the modern card boom era. It’s certain to remain one of the most cherished non-sports issues for generations of collectors to come.
The 1993 Fleer Ultra Series 2 set took the hobby to new heights through creative die-cut inserts that spotlighted the biggest stars and rookies in exciting photographic shapes. While pulls of key ultras remain astronomical, their rarity and nostalgia ensure this beloved set maintains a prominent place in cardboard culture and record prices for unparallelled chase cards. The die-cut technology and prospects of finding that mega-hit insert are what keep enthusiasts on a continuous quest through the fleer brand’s ultra innovative 1993 release.
