1997 Fleer

Description

1997 Fleer was a 761-card set released in two series. The first 500 cards were issued in Series One (which was not marketed as "Series One") which was issued in April, 1997. In lieu of an "Update" set, Fleer instead published a 261-card Series Two which, despite the name, served as the de facto Update set.

As with the previous year's set, the cards were borderless and printed with a matte-finish and stamped with gold foil. Unlike the previous year's product, the matte finish used wasn't as "rough" and made sorting cards easier. It is believed that the last eleven cards in Series Two (751-761) were late additions to the set and short-printed. The set featured an Encore subset (cards 696-720) and Checklists (cards 491-500/721-750/761)

For the first time since 1993, Fleer did not include an insert in every pack. Despite this, 1997 Fleer Baseball would have fourteen insert sets, a parallel, and an autograph redemption program.

1997 was also the final year for "Fleer Baseball," as the company renamed their flagship product to Fleer Tradition beginning in 1998.

Series Two featured one of only two "true" rookie cards of David Ortiz and his card referred to him as "David Arias" (his full given name is David Américo Ortiz Arias)

Distribution

Series One Hobby/Retail: 36 packs per box, 10 cards per pack (MSRP: $1.49).

Series Two Hobby/Retail: 36 packs per box, 11 cards per pack (MSRP: $1.49).

Insertion Ratios

Series One

Cards	Total Cards	Numbered To	Hobby Odds	Retail Odds
Base	500	-	?	?
Tiffany	500	-	1:20	1:20
Rookie Sensations	20	-	1:6	1:6
Golden Memories	10	-	1:16	1:16
Team Leaders	28	-	1:20	1:20
Night and Day	10	-	1:240	1:240
Zone	20	-	1:80	N/A
Lumber Company	18	-	N/A	1:18

Series Two

Cards	Total Cards	Numbered To	Hobby Odds	Retail Odds
Base	261	-	?	?
Tiffany	261	-	1:20	1:20
Million Dollar Moments	50	-	one-per-pack	one-per-pack
Headliners	20	-	1:2	1:2
New Horizons	15	-	1:4	1:4
Goudey Greats	15	-	1:8	1:8
Goudey Greats Foil	15	-	1:800	N/A
Soaring Stars	12	-	1:12	1:12
Glowing Stars	12	-	?	?
Diamond Tribute	12	-	1:288	1:288
Decade of Excellence	12	-	1:36	N/A
Decade of Excellence Rare Traditions	12	-	1:360	N/A
Bleacher Blasters	10	-	N/A	1:36
Andruw Jones 1997 Circa Autograph	1	200	?	?

Checklist

Promo

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player FROM cards WHERE (year = 1997) AND (setname = 'Fleer Promo'); </sql2wiki>

Base Set

Series One

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 1997) AND (setname = 'Fleer') AND (num < 491) ORDER BY num +0 ASC; </sql2wiki>

Checklists

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player FROM cards WHERE (year = 1997) AND (setname = 'Fleer') AND (num BETWEEN 491 AND 500) ORDER BY num +0 ASC; </sql2wiki>

Series Two

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 1997) AND (setname = 'Fleer') AND (num BETWEEN 501 AND 695) ORDER BY num +0 ASC; </sql2wiki>

Encore

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player FROM cards WHERE (year = 1997) AND (setname = 'Fleer') AND (num BETWEEN 696 AND 720) ORDER BY num +0 ASC; </sql2wiki>

Team Checklists

Series Two checklists are broken down by team. Two checklists featuring the team logos of the 1998 expansion teams (Arizona and Tampa Bay) list the inserts.

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player FROM cards WHERE (year = 1997) AND (setname = 'Fleer') AND (num BETWEEN 721 AND 750) ORDER BY num +0 ASC </sql2wiki>

High-Numbers

These eleven base cards were added late in the Series Two production run and were slightly short-printed.

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 1997) AND (setname = 'Fleer') AND (num > 750) ORDER BY num +0 ASC </sql2wiki>

Parallels

Tiffany

All 761 base cards were available in a "Tiffany" parallel. All Tiffany parallel cards featured blue holographic foil over the player nameplate and Fleer logo on a glossy card-front. Unlike the previous year's Tiffany's, these were NOT seeded as a one-per-pack parallel.

Inserts

Rookie Sensations

This notable insert continued in 1997 with a 20-card set that highlighted the top young players in the game at the time. Cards were printed on a multi-colored, paint-brush themed background design.

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player FROM cards WHERE (year = 1997) AND (setname = 'Fleer Rookie Sensations'); </sql2wiki>

Golden Memories

This 10-card set featured players that achieved milestone accomplishments during the 1996 season on a sun-themed background.

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player FROM cards WHERE (year = 1997) AND (setname = 'Fleer Golden Memories') ORDER BY num +0 ASC; </sql2wiki>

Team Leaders

This 28-card set highlighted the top player from each Major League team. Cards were die-cut to contour an up-close picture of the featured player's face. Initially, Fleer printed this insert featuring the bill of the player's cap extended outwards as part of the die-cut contouring. However, due to quality control issues (i.e., ease of this portion of the card getting damaged due to it "sticking out"), Fleer reprinted this insert set without the player's cap bill protruding outwards. Both variations of this insert - cap bill and no cap bill - exist but it unknown how many of each variation exists; however, much fewer quantities of the cap bill variation exist.

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player FROM cards WHERE (year = 1997) AND (setname = 'Fleer Team Leaders'); </sql2wiki>

Night and Day

This 10-card set featured some of the top players in the game and detailed their statistical splits between night and day games. Card-fronts featured lenticular technology and were printed on thicker cardstock to support the design.

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player FROM cards WHERE (year = 1997) AND (setname = 'Fleer Night and Day'); </sql2wiki>

Zone

This 20-card set highlighted the top players in the game at the time on a holographic, spiral foil design with player photos centered in center (representing the player being "in the zone"). Zone was exclusive to Series One Hobby packs.

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player FROM cards WHERE (year = 1997) AND (setname = 'Fleer Zone'); </sql2wiki>

Lumber Company

This 18-card set featured the top sluggers in the game at the time on a die-cut card that resembled a wood slice. This set was exclusive to Series One Retail packs.

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player FROM cards WHERE (year = 1997) AND (setname = 'Fleer Lumber Company'); </sql2wiki>

Million Dollar Moments

See 1997 Fleer Million Dollar Moments.

Headliners

This 20-card set highlighted the top draws in baseball on team colored foil background.

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player FROM cards WHERE (year = 1997) AND (setname = 'Fleer Headliners'); </sql2wiki>

New Horizon

This 15-card set highlighted some of the some young stars in the game at the time on a rainbow foil background and nameplate.

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player FROM cards WHERE (year = 1997) AND (setname = 'Fleer New Horizons'); </sql2wiki>

Goudey Greats

Foreshadowing future "throwback" sets by Fleer (and others), this 15-card set featured some of the top players in the game on a card design that resembled the 1933 Goudey (R-319) set. Like the originals, each card measured 2 3/8" X 2 7/8".

This set was also available in a gold foil-stamped parallel. Both the regular and gold foil parallels were exclusive to Series Two Hobby packs.

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player FROM cards WHERE (year = 1997) AND (setname = 'Fleer Goudey Greats'); </sql2wiki>

Soaring Stars

This 12-card set highlighted the top stars in the game on a "star" foil background and had three variations for each player:

• Version 1: "Star" foil variation #1: Midnight blue background with a "star" foil finish finish. This is the most common.

• Version 2: "Star" foil variation #2: Midnight blue background with a different "star" foil finish finish than Version 1 - is similar to the foil finish on 1997 E-X2000 Essential Credentials.

• Version 3: "Glowing" foil: Holographic, midnight blue background with no stars. Towards the end of the production run, Fleer ran out of the "starry" foil used on the regular Soaring Stars, and had to switch to a "glowing" (holographic foil). It is believed that 10%-20% of the total production run was printed on this "glowing" foil.

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player FROM cards WHERE (year = 1997) AND (setname = 'Fleer Soaring Stars'); </sql2wiki>

Diamond Tribute

The most difficult insert set by pack odds, this 12-card set paid homage to the top players in the game at the time on a visually stunning, holographic and embossed "diamond burst" card design.

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player FROM cards WHERE (year = 1997) AND (setname = 'Fleer Diamond Tribute'); </sql2wiki>

Decade of Excellence

This twelve-card set featured the top veteran stars who were active in 1987 on a card design that resembled the 1987 Fleer set, but utilized a different photograph than the player's original 1987 Fleer card. Each card has the words, "Fleer Decade of Excellence 1987-1997" stamped in gold foil in the corner. This set was exclusive to Series Two Hobby packs.

This set was also available in all-foil "Rare Traditions" parallel that utilized silver foil stamping for the nameplate and "Fleer Decade of Excellence 1987-1997" stamp.

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player FROM cards WHERE (year = 1997) AND (setname = 'Fleer Decade of Excellence'); </sql2wiki>

Bleacher Blasters

This 10-card set highlighted the top home run hitters in the game on a yellow, silver, and red die-cut foil background resembling an explosion. This insert was exclusive to Series Two Retail packs.

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player FROM cards WHERE (year = 1997) AND (setname = 'Fleer Bleacher Blasters'); </sql2wiki>

Autographs

Andruw Jones 1997 Circa Autograph

Fleer had Andruw Jones autograph 200 copies of his 1997 Circa base card. In order to acquire the card, one had to collect a set of redemption cards that were seeded into Series Two packs at the rate of 1:4/packs. The redemption cards were identical to those inserted into '97 Circa packs as part of that product's Emerald Autograph program and incorrectly state "6 CARD AUTOGRAPH SET;" however, only Jones was available through this offer. (Jones was not part of Circa's Emerald Autograph program.)

The backs of each redemption card are sequentially-numbered "X of 10." Collectors that found all ten cards could then redeem them for the Andruw Jones autograph -- however, card #7 was extremely short-printed.

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info,serial FROM cards WHERE (year = 1997) AND (setname = 'Fleer Circa Autograph'); </sql2wiki>

Fleer/Fleer Tradition
Pre-License Era: 1959 Fleer Ted Williams - 1960 - 1961 - 1963
Triopoly Era: 1981 - 1982 - 1983 - 1984 - 1985 - 1986 - 1987
Junk Wax Era: 1988 - 1989 - 1990 - 1991
Marvel Entertainment Era: 1992 - 1993 - 1994 - 1995 - 1996 - 1997
Fleer Tradition Era: 1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005
Upper Deck Era: 2006 - 2007
Update Sets: 1984 - 1985 - 1986 - 1987 - 1988 - 1989 - 1990 - 1991 - 1992 - 1993 Final Edition - 1994 - 1995 - 1996 - 1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2002 - 2003
Other Fleer/Fleer Tradition Brands: 2002 Fleer - 2006 Fleer Tradition