The 1993 Leaf Baseball Cards Series 2 release was the second series of Leaf’s 1993 baseball card set. It followed the initial Series 1 release from earlier in the year. The 1993 Leaf set would end up consisting of 3 series total, with Series 2 and 3 rounding out the full checklist of players and cards for that yearly release from Leaf.
Some key things to know about the 1993 Leaf Baseball Cards Series 2 include:
Release Date: Series 2 was released in mid-1993, a few months after Series 1 hit the hobby market. Like most modern baseball card releases, Leaf split their yearly offering into multiple series or “drops” released over the course of the season.
Design: Series 2 featured the same attractive and Photoshop heavy design as Series 1. Most cards showed a headshot photo of the player on a colored background, with their stats and career highlights written in fun graphics and text styles around the photo. The design held up well and gave the cards a very 1990s flair.
Card Stock: Like Series 1, the cards were printed on high quality thin cardboard stock. The stock wasn’t as thick as some other brands but provided a sleek look and feel while also allowing for many cards to be placed into a sheet or pack.
Rarity: The main chase cards and insert sets from Series 1 like Special FX, Highlights, and Super Stars extended into Series 2. The odds for these inserts were increased, making parallel versions and rare cards from Series 1 tougher to obtain in the follow up series.
Checklist: While many of the same base players were included that debuted in cards in Series 1, Series 2 focused on rookie cards, additional stars, and players that may have missed the initial cut for the first series cards. Notable rookie cards included Darren Daulton, Jason Bere, and Shawn Green.
Short Prints: Like earlier Leaf releases, Series 2 had “Short Print” variations of base cards mixed randomly in packs. These sp versions had lower printed numbers, making them hotly pursued by collectors looking to complete rainbow sets with the basic and short print variations.
Insert Sets: Popular insert sets like Superstars, Tek, High Five, Slugfest and more continued in Series 2. The insertion rates were often increased from Series 1 though, dropping some of the rarer parallel finds. Leader, Line Drive, and Highlights inserts were some of the new subsets debuting in Series 2 packs as well.
Autograph Cards: Like in Series 1, Leaf included autographed cards randomly inserted in Series 2 packs as well. These included simple on-card signatures but also rarer memorabilia combo cards. While sought after, the relic and auto parallels were still plentiful enough in Series 2 that values didn’t rival some other sports at the time.
When Series 2 was released in 1993, the baseball card collecting boom of the late 1980s and early 90s was still in full swing. The market was starting to show signs of slowing. As such, while Series 2 performed well on store shelves, it didn’t have quite the immediate fanfare and presence that the debut Series 1 release saw when it first arrived earlier that year.
However, Series 2 succeeded in rounding out the checklist of Leaf’s 1993 set while providing collectors another chance to pursue the inserts, parallels and new rookie cards that debuted. The design remained a strong point, even if rarities were less frequent than those found in Series 1 packs. Overall, Series 2 helped Leaf complete their compelling offering for the 1993 season before Series 3 closed things out later that summer.
In the years since, 1993 Leaf Series 2 cards have proven to hold nostalgic appeal for collectors who enjoyed the sets during their original release period. While individual base cards don’t carry huge values, complete sets can still fetch a few hundred dollars depending on condition when they come up for sale. Inserts like Superstars and autographed versions remain the true keys. But for those who enjoy 1990s Leaf designs and players, 1993 Series 2 offers an accessible vintage basketball card release from the hobby’s golden era.
In summary, 1993 Leaf Baseball Cards Series 2 served as a quality sequel to the popular initial Leaf offering for that season. It delivered new rookie cards, continuing inserts, and helped provide closure to the 1993 checklist. While it didn’t quite have the same initial buzz as Series 1, the second series became an important part of Leaf’s acclaimed 1993 baseball card release that still holds nostalgic appeal for collectors today.
