Favorite 1990’s-early 2000’s inserts

[ConR505436]

What are some of your favorite 1990’s-early 2000’s inserts?

[ThoseBackPages]

Topps Black

[ScooterD]

1999 Fleer Mystique Established (/100)

[Imnottheonly]

Setting aside parallels as a separate thing here, some of my favorites:

- 1999 Topps chrome Fortune 15 refractors (/100)
- 1998 Upper Deck Retro Quantum Leap (/50)
- 1998 Fleer Ultra Diamond Immortals
- 1999 Fleer Ultra Diamond Producers
- 1997 Flair Showcase Diamond Cuts
- 1999 Metal Universe Linchpins
- 1998 Metal Universe Titanium
- 1999 Bowman Chrome Diamond Aces Refractor
- 1998 Stadium Club Triumvirate (I like the luminescent versions)


Could probably add another 20 easy but these are the ones that pop to mind first.

[mfw13]

1993 Score "The Franchise"....

[OhioLawyerF5]

1998 Donruss Crusade

Hands down the best insert set ever.

It has it all: glorious 90s shine, extremely tough pulls and low numbering, seeded in packs across multiple products. And best of all, it was an unannounced insert. I was just reading an old Beckett from the month after 1998 Donruss was released and the shock of finding Crusades was insane. It was a brilliant marketing strategy that sold product the rest of the year.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20250615/5cf497f0a5aeb3af2e3baf5cf37c8a55.jpg

And for an underrated insert, a little lower down the ladder, how about 1997 Score The Franchise Glowing. What better 90s thing to do than make a glow in the dark parallel of an insert set.

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[corockies]

Aside from the usual suspects, I'll toss in a few lesser talked about ones:

1998 Leaf Fractal Materials Z2-Axis Die-Cuts /20 - the wood cards are amazing.

1998 - 2000 Stadium Club One Of A Kind /150 - fun parallel that are rarer than you'd think with a /150 print run.

1999 Upper Deck Black Diamond Mystery Numbers Emerald - 30 card set, each card is serial #ed to the card #. Super tough to find any card from this set.

2001 Topps Employee Complete Set /150 (not serial #ed) - 150 Topps Employees were gifted a complete 790 card factory set of 2001 Topps with a special stamp. If you can find early opened versions of these, you're very lucky. Most sets have bricked over time and most cards have some paper loss front and back. Plagued with bad centering as well. Ichiro has a RC in this set.

2002 Topps Chrome Black Refractors /50 & 2002 Topps Chrome Traded & Rookies Black Refractors /100 - the first Topps Chrome sets with Black Refractors. Joe Mauer is the first Hall of Fame player ever with a Topps Chrome Black Refractor RC /50 in this set.

2002 - 2003 Upper Deck 40-Man Rainbow /40 - incredibly large checklist both years (over 1000+ cards) makes finding any specific player a challenge.

2004 Topps Heritage Black Refractors /55 - the first Topps Chrome Heritage set with Black Refractors. Serial #ed to the last 2 digits of the year that the cards represent in the set (1955).

[Akphillips86]

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These are my personal favorite.

Also:

1998 Donruss Crusade as mentioned
1999 Metal Linchpins
1997 EX Cut Above
1996 Ultra Thunderclap


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[NYBBFAN]

If we can count parallels, then I have a few. Can’t blab about these in the 90s thread, so here we go.

2000 SPx Radiance (poor man’s 1998 PMG :D)
2001 SP Authentic Limited /50
2001 Donruss Elite Status, Aspirations and TOTC Autographs
2001 Topps Golden Anniversary Refractors (so shiny)
2001 Topps Chrome Combos Refractors
2003 Ultimate Collection Gold /50
2001 Upper Deck Legends of New York Combo Autographs
2000 Upper Deck Pros and Prospects Game Jersey Autographs
2001 Donruss Elite Throwback Threads Dual

All of the 90s stuff mentioned above is great too. I would add one more:
1998 Donruss Collections Prized Collections - Donruss’ version of refractors. Very cool.

https://gallery.us175.com/pics/resized/600x375/Barry%20Bonds/scan1171.jpg

https://gallery.us175.com/pics/resized/600x375/Ken%20Griffey%20Jr/scan1045.jpg

https://gallery.us175.com/pics/resized/600x375/Jim%20Thome/scan1126.jpg

https://gallery.us175.com/pics/resized/600x375/2001%20UD%20Legends%20of%20New%20York/scan1173.jpg

https://gallery.us175.com/pics/resized/600x375/Albert%20Pujols/scan1176.jpg

[OhioLawyerF5]

Yeah, if we include parallels, my favorite is 1997 Donruss Limited Star Factor Limited Exposure. It's the shiniest card I've seen. And of course the big boys like 1996 Select Certified Mirror Gold, Essential Credentials, Flair Showcase Legacy Collections, Gold Label Red Labels, 1999 Skybox Premium Star Rubies, 1999 Stars N Steel Gold Domed Holographic, and 1997 Finest Embossed Refractors.

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[OhioLawyerF5]

A few more true inserts I thought of that I like.

Pinnacle Epix was a fun multi-product insert

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20250615/957812fba0ee7917551886d914a4be72.jpg

Flair Hot Gloves were great every year

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And an OG that was a big chase for Jordan and Arod in 1994, Special F/X Holographic Red Die Cuts

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20250615/40220d314d6fccf77d7f2cdb04c2b83f.jpg

[Big35Hurt]

1995 Leaf Statistical Standouts, Stadium Club Clear Cut, Score Double Gold Champs
1996 Pinnacle Skylines
1997 Flair Hot Gloves
1998 Donruss Crusades, Circa Thunder Rave Reviews, Donruss Elite Prime Numbers
Pacific Kramer's Choice

Some of the above aren't big dollar cards but it's the nostalgia and/or designs that make these my favorites.

[TBTC Baseball]

You guys can keep your shiny stuff, I'll take the natural texture of wood.:)!
1997 Upper Deck - Amazing Greats
https://www.balancethechaos.com/uploads/5/7/7/1/57718803/img-9978-medium_orig.jpeg
1996 Leaf - Picture Perfect
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1997 Stadium Club - Firebrand
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1997 Leaf - Knothole Gang
https://www.balancethechaos.com/uploads/5/7/7/1/57718803/img-9982-medium_orig.jpeg
1997 Donruss Elite - Leather and Lumber
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1995 Leaf Limited - Lumberjacks
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2003 Fleer - Splinters
https://www.balancethechaos.com/uploads/5/7/7/1/57718803/img-0090-medium_orig.jpeg
1996 Pinnacle Aficionado - Magic Numbers
https://www.balancethechaos.com/uploads/5/7/7/1/57718803/img-0388-medium_orig.jpeg
1996 Collector's Choice - You Crash the Game Gold Exchange
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1997 Topps - Team Timber
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[corockies]

You guys can keep your shiny stuff, I'll take the natural texture of wood.:)!

You forgot 2002 Upper Deck 40-Man Lumber Yard (18 cards. You really have to see them in person as the entire card is laser etched into the wood. 10 of the 18 players are in the Hall of Fame):

https://i.imgur.com/DDfkkejl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/B3S2Brol.jpg

[OhioLawyerF5]

Nice wood, fellas!

I love all the experimentation with materials in the 90s.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20250615/b9a816b15457fe166f0787eae6826534.jpg

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[TBTC Baseball]

You forgot 2002 Upper Deck 40-Man Lumber Yard (18 cards. You really have to see them in person as the entire card is laser etched into the wood. 10 of the 18 players are in the Hall of Fame):

https://i.imgur.com/DDfkkejl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/B3S2Brol.jpg
Sooo nice. I didn't forget, just haven't been able to acquire one yet.:( Missed out on one for a decent price because I was too busy with work.

[TBTC Baseball]

Nice wood, fellas!

I love all the experimentation with materials in the 90s.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20250615/b9a816b15457fe166f0787eae6826534.jpg


https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20250615/9af079a6fb7028d0c4f88f4c891b3aae.jpg


Ugh, Chipper missed out on being in so many cool insert sets. Those are sweet looking.