Introduction
Released in 1993, the Leaf Trading Card Company introduced their inaugural baseball card set which became known as the “93 Leaf baseball cards”. The set was unique in several ways and marked Leaf’s entry into the competitive baseball card market. With 525 total cards, the ’93 Leaf set featured a variety of inserts, parallels and rookie cards that attracted collectors. Over 25 years later, many of the key cards from this pioneering release remain highly sought after.
History and Production
Prior to 1993, Leaf mainly produced non-sports entertainment and memorabilia cards. That year they decided to take on the baseball card giants like Topps and Fleer by launching their own on-card photo baseball set. The cards were printed on a thicker stock than previous years and featured vibrant color photos. Each common card contained a player photo on the front with career stats on the back. Leaf hired photographers to take photos exclusively for the set at spring training and exhibition games.
Some notable aspects of the ’93 Leaf production included parallel and serially numbered short prints. The Turquoise parallel cards had a limited print run and featured the same designs but with a different color tint. These have the lowest print runs of any cards in the set. Serialized versions were printed with gold foil stamping indicating the card number out of only 150-250 copies. These short prints are key chase cards for advanced collectors.
Rookie Class and Key Players
One of the main attractions of the ’93 Leaf set were the rookie cards it featured for future Hall of Famers and stars. Some of the top rookies included Derek Jeter, Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Giambi, and Todd Helton. Each of these players went on to have outstanding careers and their Leaf rookie cards are among the most valuable in the set today. Other notable rookies were Bobby Higginson, Scott Rolen, and Jason Schmidt.
Veteran stars also featured prominently, including Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Bonds, Cal Ripken Jr., and Greg Maddux. Each of these superstar players were entering their prime years in 1993. The ’93 Leaf cards of Griffey, Bonds, and Ripken are considered some of the most iconic and aesthetically pleasing in the entire set. Their cards remain highly sought after by collectors.
Chase Cards and Inserts
In addition to the base cards and rookies, Leaf included several parallel and insert chase cards to add to the excitement. Among the most popular inserts were the Diamond Kings parallels, featuring bordered photos of stars on diamond-shaped cards. Other inserts included the All-Star insert set, League Leaders subset, and Career Highlights retrospective cards.
The true chase cards though were the ultra-rare Premier Prospects serially numbered parallel cards. Featuring prospects like Jeter, Garciaparra and Higginson, only 150 of each were produced. In gem mint condition, a Premier Prospects Derek Jeter currently sells for over $10,000. Other sought after short prints include the Turquoise parallels and 1/1 printing plates, which feature an uncut sheet of foil with the player’s image. These are the holy grails for ’93 Leaf collectors.
Legacy and Modern Interest
When first released in 1993, the ’93 Leaf set was considered innovative but received less attention than the dominant Topps and Fleer brands. Over time as the rookie class emerged and parallel cards were discovered to have incredibly low prints, interest grew tremendously. Today it is widely recognized as one of the top vintage sets from the 1990s. Prices for the key rookies, stars and inserts have skyrocketed on the secondary market.
Even 25+ years later, collectors remain actively searching for complete ’93 Leaf sets, as well as individual cards like the Jeter and Garciaparra rookies or Premier Prospects inserts. Online group breaks where packs are randomly assigned still feature ’93 Leaf among the offerings. Its unique designs, photography and ultra-short printed parallels have cemented the ’93 Leaf as one of the most coveted vintage sets for investors and collectors alike. For those who complete high-grade sets, six-figure sums have been realized at auction. The ’93 Leaf cards truly kickstarted Leaf’s presence in the baseball card world and remain a highly regarded release to this day.
