The 1993 Fleer Ultra baseball card set marked a return to prominence for Fleer after losing the baseball license to Upper Deck in 1989. Following the wild success of the original Ultra Pro product launched in 1991, Fleer debuted the Ultra brand for baseball cards in 1993. The set features hundreds of current major leaguers and is remembered for several highly sought after rookie cards that have appreciated significantly in value over the past few decades.
One of the most valuable rookie cards from the 1993 Fleer Ultra set is that of catcher Mike Piazza for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Piazza went on to enjoy a Hall of Fame career that saw him hit 427 home runs and amass a .308 batting average over 16 major league seasons. His rookie card from 1993 Fleer Ultra is one of the most iconic cards from the 1990s. In near mint to mint condition, ungraded Piazza rookies often sell for $500-1000raw. Top graded copies in PSA 10 or BGS 9.5+ grades can fetch multiples of that figure, with auctions topping out around $10,000 for pristine examples of this iconic card.
Another huge standout from the rookie class of ’93 Fleer Ultra is Chase Utley for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Utley played his entire 15-year career with the Philadelphia Phillies and was a stalwart second baseman who made six All-Star teams and won multiple Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards. His rookie card has seen significant appreciation due to his stellar career and Hall of Fame caliber numbers. Ungraded copies range from $150-300 while top-graded PSA 10 or BGS 9.5+ examples can reach as high as $2000-3000 based on recent auction results.
Ken Griffey Jr’s 1993 Fleer Ultra rookie is undoubtedly one of the most coveted cards in the entire hobby. “The Kid” went on to cement his legacy as one of the greatest five-tool players ever and a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Even in lower grades like PSA 8 or BGS 8, Griffey’s rookie routinely fetches $1000-1500 in today’s market. Mint condition copies in PSA 10 or BGS 9.5+ are truly trophies – they often sell for $5000-10,000 depending on the auction. The highest price ever paid for a Griffey ’93 Ultra rookie was $31,800 at Goldin Auctions in 2019 for a pristine PSA 10 copy.
One player whose 1993 Fleer Ultra rookie has outstripped even the loftiest expectations is Derek Jeter. The Captain spent his entire 20-year career with the New York Yankees, winning 5 World Series titles while cementing himself as perhaps the greatest shortstop ever. In recent years as Jeter has neared and passed induction into the Hall of Fame, his ’93 rookie has exploded in value to become one of the premier vintage cards on the market. Even well-worn PSA 8 or BGS 8 copies command $2000+ due to his immense popularity and legacy. High-grade PSA 10 or BGS 9.5+ examples frequently hit the $15,000-$20,000 mark in today’s environment. A perfect black-label PSA 10 copy holds the all-time record for any Jeter card after selling for an astounding $99,100 at Heritage Auctions in 2020.
Beyond the star rookies, there are also some key short prints and serially numbered cards that cause 1993 Fleer Ultra to remain a highly sought set. The Juan Gonzalez short print of only 50 copies manufactured is perhaps the holy grail among set collectors. If ever offered publicly one would expect a jaw-dropping price well into the 6 figures given its rarity. The Craig Biggio and Paul Molitor serially numbered cards to /399 also command high values of several thousand dollars in top grades.
Overall, 1993 Fleer Ultra stands as one of the dominant vintage baseball sets of the 1990s. Featuring rookie cards of soon-to-be Hall of Famers like Piazza, Utley, Griffey Jr., and Jeter has ensured this set maintains strong collector interest decades after its original release. With the appreciation of cards tied to all-time great players like these four, 1993 Ultra seems poised to retain its luster for a long time to come as one of the most significant modern sets in the history of the hobby. For set builders or investors, ’93 Fleer Ultra remains a highly recommended vintage basketball set rich with the potential for future price gains.
