The 1992 and 1993 Fleer Ultra baseball card sets are highly coveted by collectors due to the inclusion of some of the game’s all-time great players during the peak or early parts of their careers. While packs were relatively inexpensive when originally purchased in the early 1990s, certain singles from these two sets have grown tremendously in value over the past few decades.
For the 1992 Fleer Ultra set, one of the most valuable and sought-after cards is the Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. Widely considered one of if not the best MLB player of the 1990s, Griffey was just entering his fourth big league season in 1992 but was already a two-time All-Star and American League batting champion. His rookie card from the Upper Deck release the prior year had already skyrocketed in price. The 1992 Ultra Griffey maintained incredible pop as one of the more visually appealing and iconic rookie cards ever made, with Griffey’s beautiful swing captured in the photograph. In pristine mint condition, a Griffey Jr. ’92 Fleer Ultra rookie card can fetch upwards of $5,000 today.
Another top ’92 Fleer Ultra card belongs to Cal Ripken Jr., who was coming off winning the 1991 AL MVP and had just begun his then-record setting consecutive games played streak. Ripken’s card stands out for its sharp black and white photo that puts him in an almost mythic light. Well-preserved Ripken rookies have been selling for around $1,000-$1,500. Additional ’92 Fleer Ultra stars like Barry Bonds, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas, and Roberto Alomar also have rookies and main cards in the set that are worth well over $100 in top grades.
The 1993 Fleer Ultra set remains one of the most iconic of the 1990s and contains what are considered three of the true “holy grails” of the junk wax era. First and foremost is Ken Griffey Jr.’s spectacular artwork card, for which he is swinging at the camera from the outfield grass with a picturesque mountain landscape behind him. Simply put, no card captures Griffey’s beauty and dominance as a five-tool player quite like this one. In a near-pristine grade of MT-8 or above, Griffey’s 1993 Ultra artwork routinely brings in over $10,000 at auction.
The other two biggest ’93 Fleer Ultra “holy grails” involve arguably the two best pitchers of their generation – Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine. The Maddux card is a standard issue base card, but what makes it so desirable is that it was omitted from the set checklist sheet, making it one of the rarest error cards ever produced. Only a handful are believed to still exist in high grades today. A PSA 10 Maddux error has sold for around $25,000. Meanwhile, Tom Glavine’s main rookie card in the set, with him pictured windmilling a throw, has also become one of the most iconic pitcher cards of the era. In pristine condition, it can bring $3,000-$4,000.
Aside from Griffey, Maddux, and Glavine, other valuable ’93 Fleer Ultra cards and notable rookies include Frank Thomas ($500-$1,000), Barry Bonds ($500-$700), Craig Biggio ($400-$600), and Mike Piazza ($300-$500) when graded PSA/BGS 9 or above. Stars like John Smoltz, Scott Rolen, Jeff Bagwell, and Mo Vaughn have fairly scarce and desirable main issue cards in the $100-$300 range.
The 1992 and 1993 Fleer Ultra sets are truly a who’s who of baseball talent from that era. For investors and collectors, snatching up ungraded copies of the above stars’ cards is an inexpensive way to potentially hold gems that could appreciate enormously further down the line as the players inducted into the Hall of Fame. And for the ultra-rare Griffey artwork or Maddux error, owning a true piece of junk wax history comes at a high but potentially rewarding price. The ’92 and ’93 Fleer Ultra sets are considered by many to be crowning achievements of the boom period and contain several of the most iconic and valuable modern baseball cards ever made.
The 1992 and 1993 Fleer Ultra baseball card sets featured many of the game’s biggest stars and future Hall of Famers very early in their careers. Cards like the Ken Griffey Jr. rookie and artwork cards, Greg Maddux error, and Tom Glavine rookie have achieved true “holy grail” status among collectors. While these and other stars’ cards were inexpensive when originally purchased, high-grade examples are now worth thousands due to strong long-term demand. The ’92 and ’93 Ultra sets provide an historical showcase of talent from that era and an opportunity for astute collectors to potentially profit enormously from holding valuable singles for decades.
