The 2000 Fleer Tradition baseball set was released when baseball card values were reaching new heights during the collector boom of the late 1990s. While it did not contain the rookie cards of future stars like some previous years, the 2000 Fleer Tradition set featured several highly coveted parallel and serial numbered inserts that have become extremely valuable today. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of the most valuable cards collectors can find from the 2000 Fleer Tradition baseball release.
Perhaps the most desired parallel issue from 2000 Fleer Tradition is the Platinum Parallel collection, which featured some of the set’s biggest stars on cards numbered to only 10 copies each. Headlining the Platinum Parallel cards is number 1/10 Michael Jordan Baseball, one of the true “holy grail” cards for both Jordan and baseball collectors. In gem mint condition, a Jordan Platinum Parallel has sold for over $100,000, making it easily the most valuable card from the entire 2000 Fleer Tradition set. Other star-studded Platinum Parallels that command big money include Platinum Parallels of Chipper Jones, Cal Ripken Jr., Derek Jeter, Ken Griffey Jr., and Bobby Bonds. With such incredibly low print runs, these cards rarely come on the market and usually sell for $5,000-$15,000 or more when they do.
Another ultra-short printed parallel was the Silver Signature parallel set. These were inserted one per case and featured the autograph of the player on the front of the card within a silver signature box. Perhaps the crown jewel of the Silver Signatures is the legendary Cal Ripken Jr. card, which honors his record-breaking 2,632nd consecutive game played. With Ripken’s autographed inscription marking this career milestone, a PSA/DNA Gem Mint 10 grade Ripken Silver Signature has sold for nearly $30,000 at auction. Other player Silver Signatures like Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Greg Maddux, and Mariano Rivera routinely bring in the $5,000 range or more in top condition as well.
For serial numbered cards, 2000 Fleer Tradition featured three main parallel sets – Gold #/150, Black #/75, and Ultra #/25. The most valuable individual cards from these subsets tend to revolve around the biggest stars of the era paired with especially low serial numbers. Near the top of that list would be the Ultra Rare #/25 Ken Griffey Jr., which in a BGS/BVG 9.5 grade sold for close to $20,000. In the Black parallel set, card #1/75 of Cal Ripken Jr. achieved $12,000 in a recent auction. And the lowest numbered Gold Parallel, Chipper Jones #/150, has traded hands for $8,000 in top condition. Any Black or Ultra parallel cards #/25 or less for major stars from the set can pull in $3,000+ in a sought-after grade.
Rookies and prospect cards were not a major feature in 2000 Fleer Tradition since stars like Nomar Garciaparra, Derek Jeter, and Todd Helton had already emerged. However, Adrian Gonzalez was just starting his career that year and his base rookie card still holds value today, particularly in high grades. A PSA/DNA Gem Mint 10 Gonzalez rookie has sold for around $2,000. Fellow 2000 rookie Yadier Molina also gains interest in top condition. But prospects of the era like Troy Glaus, Lance Berkman, and Randy Johnson dominated the big league level by 2000 and so their rookie cards lie earlier in their career.
Autographs were also inserted throughout 2000 Fleer Tradition packs and master sets, but the real treasures were the 1/1 Autograph Parallels that featured a player’s jersey or bat material fused onto the front of the card. The ultimate prize would be the 1/1 Chipper Jones Autograph Parallel with a piece of his 1998 Home Run Derby bat, which sold for $20,000 in a recent auction. Other six-figure 1/1 Autograph Parallels from 2000 Fleer Tradition include Carlos Delgado with a piece of jersey ($17,500), Derek Jeter bat material ($15,000), and Sammy Sosa jersey ($12,000). With the ultra-rare player-worn relic component and single-card print runs, these remain among the most prized modern baseball cards on the hobby market today.
While its rookie class would not achieve the fame of years past, the 2000 Fleer Tradition baseball set stands out for its incredibly scarce parallel subsets with low serial numbers of the game’s biggest stars from that era like Griffey, Ripken, McGwire, Bonds, and Jones. Particularly the Platinum Parallels, Silver Signatures, and 1/1 Autograph Relics maintain extreme demand and value twenty years later for collectors chasing the rarest finds from the collectibles boom of the late 1990s. With short prints featuring all-time greats paired with modern advances like jersey and bat relics, 2000 Fleer Tradition remains a standout in the modern era of baseball cards.
