The 1991 Fleer baseball card set was the last standard sized card set produced by Fleer before they lost their MLB license to produce cards at the end of the 1991 season. The set contains 524 total cards including 349 base cards and one rookie card for each MLB team. The 1991 Fleer set included several variations, parallels, and inserts that made it one of the most intriguing and complex releases from the early 1990s.
At the time of its release in 1991, the Fleer set faced stiff competition from rival producers Topps and Donruss who also held MLB licenses. However, Fleer sought to set itself apart with innovative parallel and insert sets within the base product. Perhaps the most notable were the “Diamond Kings” parallel set which featured redesigned photoshoot images of the games top stars printed on foil cards. Players like Kirby Puckett, Nolan Ryan, Cal Ripken Jr. and Barry Bonds were among the 25 Diamond Kings cards inserted randomly in wax packs.
Another unique parallel from 1991 Fleer was the “Chrome” subset. Printed on thin metallic foil much like the Diamond Kings, the Chrome cards featured alternate photographs of popular players like Jose Canseco, Roger Clemens, and Wade Boggs. Only 10 cards were included in the Chrome set making them a true chase within the overall product. Both the Diamond Kings and Chrome parallels carried considerable premiums in the collecting marketplace given their scarcity and sought after parallel designs.
Beyond parallel inserts, Fleer upped the ante by including “traded” variations of certain star players. For example, the Kirby Puckett and Jose Canseco base cards were printed with alternate team logos, uniforms and backgrounds to depict their recent trades to new clubs. While a novelty at the time, traded variations became much more prevalent in later years as player movement increased. The 1991 traded variants broughtanother layer of complexitythat intrigued collectors.
Rookie cards were also highlights of the 1991 Fleer set. Singling out the rookie of Yankees’ shortstop Derek Jeter, who went on to a Hall of Fame career. Other top prospect rookies included Kenny Lofton, Craig Biggio, and David Justice. Like all Fleer products of the era, the designs were printed on high gloss stock with vivid colors that made the rookie cards true standouts. Of particular note was the Jeter which remains one of the most iconic and valuable baseball cards ever produced.
As the 1970s turned to the 1980s, card collecting exploded in popularity. By 1991, the hobby was a billion dollar industry. However, Fleer’s license with MLB was set to expire after the 1991 season. Knowing it may be their finale set, Fleer went all out with innovations. In addition to parallels, inserts and traded variations, they loaded the base set with 349 cards rather than the standard 312 found in competing releases. This increased the odds of finding chase cards and filling completing the already expansive set.
Beyond the high-number base cards, Fleer also produced several popular insert sets like “Diamond Anniversary” which honored MLB’s 75th season. Other subsets paid homage to Negro Leagues legends and milestone home run hitters. All told, between the expansive base checklist and array of specialty inserts,Completing the 1991 Fleer set posed quite a challenge for the most die-hard collectors.
When Fleer lost the MLBPA group licensing agreement after 1991, it resulted in the end of their standard size baseball releases. They continued producing smaller sets under the Studio brand well into the 2000s. For a final mainstream Fleer baseball issue, the 1991 edition went out with a bang thanks to its many innovations, premium parallel designs, valuable rookie cards, and overall collector appeal that has endured to this day. Three decades later, 1991 Fleer remains both a historic set that marked a transition and one of the most complicated in terms of parallelchases and completion. For these reasons, it stands out as perhaps the most iconic Fleer baseball card release of all-time.
The 1991 Fleer baseball card set stands as a high point in the trading card industry during its boom period of the late 1980s/early 1990s. With over 350 base cards, a dozen inserts sets paying tribute to milestones and heritage, and short printed parallel designs on Diamond Kings, Chrome, and traded variations – Fleer really pushed innovation. Key rookie cards like Derek Jeter only added to the collectibility and long term interest in the set. While it marked the end of Fleer’s standard size era, 1991 served as a fitting finale and remains a prominent release coveted by collectors even 30 years later.
