The 1993 Ultra brand baseball card set was one of the more unique and interesting releases during the early 1990s baseball card boom. While it did not have the same mainstream popularity as sets from Topps, Donruss or Fleer, Ultra cards featured innovative designs and included several short printed parallels that have become some of the rarest and valuable from the entire decade.
Ultra was produced by Konami, a Japanese company best known for video games like Contra and Castlevania that was attempting to break into the baseball card market in North America. The base set contained 264 cards with various subsets like Golden Age, Diamond Kings and a special World Series insert set. What set Ultra apart from other brands was the creative designs that often placed players in unique photographic cutouts instead of traditional rectangular borders.
Additionally, Ultra inserted parallels and short prints into their packs that collectors had to search diligently to find. This included Silver Signature parallels stamped with shiny ink, Green parallels numbered to 10 copies or less and the infamous 1/1 Gold parallels. While attractive, these scarce parallels are what make certain 1993 Ultra cards the most valuable in the set today for collectors chasing extreme rarity.
One of the biggest true “hits” from 1993 Ultra is the Frank Thomas Gold parallel card, stamped #1/1. As the only copy in existence of this parallel portrayal of the “Big Hurt”, it’s considered the crown jewel of the set and one of the rarest baseball cards ever printed overall. In the late 2010s, PSA-graded Gold Frank Thomas cards were buying or selling privately for well over $100,000 due to no comparable card available.
Another immense rarity is the Ken Griffey Jr. Gold parallel, also a unique #1/1. While not quite in the stratosphere of value as Thomas, any PSA-graded Griffey Jr. Gold would still command a six-figure price at minimum today due to his icon status and the singular copy in existence. Other 1993 Ultra cards that regularly sell for $10,000 or more when they surface include Silver Signatures of Thomas, Griffey, Barry Bonds and others.
Beyond parallels, some of the biggest individual star cards have also gained high values over time as their careers have solidified them as legends. The flagship Ken Griffey Jr. card from 1993 Ultra is consistently a $3,000+ card in high-grade and one of the costliest non-parallel base cards from the set. Cards of Bonds, Thomas, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and others that are well-centered and in high PSA/BGS grades push up near four-figures as well.
An interesting quirk of 1993 Ultra collecting is that higher numbered cards closer to the end of the set are sometimes worth more than expected. This is because production issues caused the latter portion of the set, including cards of Cal Ripken Jr. and other stars, to be more scarce pulls from packs. Ripken cards near the end of the alphabetical checklist topping out at #264 can often outsell his lower numbered base versions due to decreased pop reports at higher grades.
For patient collectors, finding valuable 1993 Ultra treasures is still possible by scouring current auctions online or at large card shows. But be prepared – the rarest certified Gold parallels will command over six figures, Silver Signatures still bring thousands, and choice base cards of all-time greats like Griffey Jr. remain four-figure cards. For a unique early 90s release, Ultra succeeded in producing cards that stand the test of time and hold value due to scarcity, star power and innovative designs ahead of their time. Their most prized pieces are true collector’s items for those chasing the pinnacle of rarity and investment potential from the junk wax era.
While not the most well known baseball card set of 1993, Ultra created a product with unparalleled hits that have only gained in significance and worthiness for high-end collectors. Cards like the solo existence Frank Thomas and Ken Griffey Jr. Gold parallels secure them as eternally valuable, and choice base rookies and stars continue appreciating in response to the talent captured on cardboard. For those willing to hunt or spend serious money, 1993 Ultra remains a legendary release with potential for uncovering forgotten pieces of history in the hobby.
