The 1997 Fleer baseball card set was notable for being the final year the collectible card manufacturer Fleer produced Major League Baseball cards under an exclusive license. Fleer had been printing baseball cards since 1956 when they partnered with Bowman Gum to produce the famous “Goudey Gum” sets. By the 1990s Fleer was experiencing declining sales and would lose the MLB license after the 1997 season to rival Upper Deck.
For collectors of 90s baseball cards, the 1997 Fleer set stands out as one of the more prominent issues from that decade. The design featured vertical player photos set against a solid color background in each card’s front. Stats and a short bio were located on the back. Rookies and stars from the 1996 MLB season were showcased. The set totaled 792 cards including the base issue, special chase parallels, and All-Star subsets.
Some of the notable rookies found in the base set included Nomar Garciaparra, Johnny Damon, Jay Powell, Todd Hollandsworth, and Pat Burrell. Well known veterans like Ken Griffey Jr., Tony Gwynn, Trevor Hoffman, and Greg Maddux also had base cards. Serial number parallels were inserted throughout packs at a ratio of 1:6 and featured the same front design but with a black and white photo instead of color. These ‘Sp’ parallels added to the allure of the set for collectors seeking harder to find variants.
Fleer also issued ‘All-Star Standouts’ and ‘All-Star Sparkplugs’ specialty subsets within the base product. The 22 card Standouts subset honored top offensive contributors to the ’96 Midsummer Classic like Jeff Bagwell, Albert Belle, and Barry Bonds. The 17 card Sparkplugs subset paid tribute to players who made an impact with their defense, speed, or pitching during the All-Star Game such as Derek Jeter, Ozzie Smith, and John Wetteland. Both subsets contained additional serial numbered black and white parallel versions as well.
Upper Deck had gained immense popularity through the early and mid-1990s by securing the coveted MLBPA player contract license. This allowed them to use active players’ names and images on their cards, something competitors like Fleer and Score could no longer do. Knowing 1997 would be their final season, Fleer went all out with premium hobby releases to capture collectors before bowing out. They produced three high-end sets that have become very desirable in the ensuing decades.
The ‘Fleer Ultra’ set is regarded as one of the most exquisite baseball issues ever created. It consisted of only 140 total cards but featured die-cut designs, crystal clear photos, and intricate embossing or foil stamping on many cards. Serial numbered parallels down to 1/1 helped prolong the hunt. Players honored included Larry Walker, Todd Hollandsworth, Roy Halladay, and Derek Jeter. The rarity and nostalgia has elevated Ultra to the upper echelon of collectible baseball card sets.
Fleer also put out ‘Fleer Tradition’ in 1997 designed to mimic the classic tobacco era designs from the early 20th century. The 350 card release incorporated vintage look fonts, color schemes, and horizontally oriented photos. Shortprints and parallel versions like ‘Masterpieces’ and ‘Master Sketches’ were inserted at low odds. Carefully constructed sets in specially designed boxes were a novelty not seen before or since. Tradition cards of Roger Clemens, Andruw Jones, and Cal Ripken Jr. are highly valued today.
The most awe-inspiring Fleer release however was ‘Fleer Metal Universe’. It took the idea of encapsulating precious metal treasures and applied it to 150 dazzling refractor cards. Each was coated with holographic film and housed inside a lustrous metallic display case. Rosters ranged from rookie sensations Edgar Martinez and Keith Lockhart to perennial greats like Greg Maddux and Frank Thomas. Metal Universe is most certainly a pinnacle of card craftsmanship and set design. That it also signified the close of Fleer’s MLB partnership made the 1997 variety all the more poignant and collectible.
While the 1997 Fleer regular issue and subsets became lost amidst the expansion of sets in the late 90s, its premium products Metal Universe, Tradition and Ultra have endured as quintessential examples of the hobby’s potential for artistic expression. They demonstrated what a major manufacturer was capable of when given free creative reign in their final season. At the vanguard of highly intricate card construction, the sets laid important groundwork for the modern era of elaborate parallels, memorabilia cards, and encapsulated treasures that collectors seek today. Though no longer making cards, Fleer left an indelible imprint on baseball memorabilia with their swan song offerings of 1997. They remind us of a time when pursuing the sheer thrill of the hunt was motive enough in and of itself.
