The 1993 Score select baseball card set was a major turning point in the hobby. It was one of the first modern refractors released and caused a shortage in the secondary market. The set only contained two series, series 1 and series 2, with a total of 405 cards between them. The special “select” subset featured 101 blue foil refractors that created a frenzy among collectors.
The 1991 and 1992 Score sets featured traditional glossy cardboard stock like most sets in the late 80s and early 90s. However, 1993 Score was the first to introduce revolutionary blue foil refractors as part of their separate “select” series. Score is generally credited with pioneering this technology, though Fleer had already experimented with a limited chrome concept in 1992 and would take it to the masses in 1994. Still, the level of shine and rainbow effect on 1993 Score selects were truly groundbreaking at the time.
Collectors had never seen anything like the dazzling refractive quality of these special parallel cards before. They popped in a way regular cardboard never could. Combined with popular stars like Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., Cal Ripken Jr., and Derek Jeter being available in the refractive format, demand skyrocketed. While the base set cards sold for typical early 90s prices of around $1-3 per pack, loose Score selects easily went for $20-50 each based on the player. And sealed boxes of Score select packs soared to over $1000 once the frenzy took hold.
Due to the immense collector interest and popularity of Score selects, the glut of unopened hobby boxes started depleting from store shelves almost immediately after release. The frenzied marketplace frenzy greatly exacerbated any already tight supply and created a true shortage situation. Within a year, it became almost impossible to find unopened Score select packs or boxes anywhere. And even the most common stars from the set that may have gone for $5-10 as rookies soared to $50-100 or more in the coveted refractive parallels.
The Score select shortage phenomenon demonstrated a new collector dynamic that has carried through to modern times. It showed how a parallel variant, especially one with a innovative new technology and premium production technique like refractor printing, could create far outsized demand. This helped pave the way for future ultra-shortprinted parallels from brands like Topps, Upper Deck, and Panini to generate frenzies. It also taught manufacturers that limiting quantities and making certain versions very rare could supercharge secondary market value to enormous levels.
While the 1993 Score base set was still a massive seller in its own right due to the incredible rookie class, it was eclipsed by the Score selects in terms of lasting scarcity and collectibility. Prices of Derek Jeter, Ken Griffey Jr., and others from the base issues have held steady value over the decades, as they rightly should given the star power. But the blue foil selects regularly fetch 10x amounts or more to this day for all but the most common players. And unopened packs remain truly elusive, easily bringing thousands of dollars when one surfaces decades later.
The legacy of 1993 Score select lives on as one of the original modern “chase” card and refractor sets. It was a watershed moment that showed collectors the potential of new technology when married with star rookies and a limited print run. Manufacturers and the entire sports card industry took notice, making score selects one of the true innovators that shaped collectibles for generations to follow. While the 1993 Score base set introduced one of the all-time great rookie classes to the hobby, Score selects took things to a new level by creating scarcity, demand, and the foundation for ultra-premium parallels that offer enormous investment potential even three decades later.
