The 1990 Fleer baseball card set was the second Fleer baseball card release following their return to the trading card market in 1989 after a nearly 20 year absence. Produced from wax packs and boxes, the 1990 set saw Fleer continue to differentiate their product from industry leaders Topps through photographic innovations, set size, and player contracts. Unlike most other years, the 1990 Fleer baseball cards were available in both wax packs and wax boxes offering collectors different options for obtaining the full 573 card release.
Fleer secured deals with many of baseball’s biggest stars for the 1990 set including Nolan Ryan, Jose Canseco, Ozzie Smith, and Roger Clemens to appear on their “Diamond Kings” parallel subset. The brand sought to catch up to Topps by including more current players and fewer retired legends that populated some of the early post-hiatus Fleer releases. With contracts in place for so many active superstars, the 1990 set captured the players and teams at the height of their talents and successes.
Inside each 12-card wax pack retailers sold for $1, collectors found a mixture of commons and tougher inserts with colorful photography and clean white borders around each 3.5 x 2.5 inch card stock. The most coveted and valuable insert was the “Fleer Ultra” parallel available one per pack on average. These photo variants featured embossed silver foil textures and were limited to 99 cards total in the set, making each one quite scarce. Along with the base cards and inserts, each wax pack also included one random team or player sticker that could be collected.
In addition to single wax packs, Fleer also offered collectors the option to purchase larger wax boxes containing either 30 or 60 total packs. The primary appeal of these larger wax box formats for collectors was the ability to obtain a significantly higher volume of cards in one purchase with the goal of completing the set more quickly. The 1990 Fleer wax boxes also differentiated their packaging design compared to single wax packs for easier identification on shelves.
Measuring approximately 8 x 5.5 x 2.25 inches, the 60-pack wax boxes featured colorful graphics, stat sheets for stars on the front, and pictures of packs on the sides and back. Opened from the top, these large display boxes protected the multiple wax packs of cards inside. Each box guaranteed a collector 60 total packs or a possible 720 total cards towards completing the mammoth 573 card set. For those seeking an even larger carton, Fleer also sold monster-sized “150-pack value boxes” containing 150 wax packs for a truly bulk opening experience.
For the subset hunters and traders, boxes provided the highest odds of obtaining scarce parallels, inserts and player specific cards of their PC guys. The per pack photo variation rate was so low that most collectors needed to open dozens of packs to find one. Box breaks on YouTube today often showcase the excitement of group hunts for these special parallel cards only obtainable through sheer pack volume. While single packs were cheaper at just $1 each, boxes gave collectors exponentially more cards for completing sets without spending one dollar at a time.
On the resale market today in graded gem mint condition, unopened 1990 Fleer wax boxes still command hefty prices reflective of their significance within the hobby. As one of the early post-comeback Fleer releases that saw both PSA 10 singles and unopened wax boxes survive to modern day collections surprisingly well preserved, values remain strong. Complete 60-pack boxes in sealed cartons frequently sell for hundreds on eBay while the ultra-rare 150-pack boxes can attract bids well into the thousands depending on condition. For collectors of the era and 1990 Fleer cards specifically, high quality wax boxes represent the ultimate display piece and investment holding.
Whether collected as a child in 1990 from local drug and hobby shops or acquired as an adult collector today, the 1990 Fleer wax boxes signify a pivotal year when the brand reestablished itself as a formidable competitor to Topps in the trading card industry. After nearly going out of business, Fleer forged ahead by securing top talent, improving photography, and giving collectors purchasing options beyond single wax packs. Both the cards within and the larger packaged boxes continue delighting collectors over 30 years later with tangible pieces of baseball history from when the diamond kings ruled the diamond.
