1997 Upper Deck

Description

1997 Upper Deck is a 550-card set released in two series of 240 and 250 cards and two 30-card "Update" sets. Series One, containing the first 240 cards were released in January, 1997; while Series Two (cards #271-#520) was issued in June. Every base card is "game dated" on the front with the exact time and place in which the photo was taken.

Each series was supplemented by two 30-card update sets that were only available via a wrapper redemption offers. The "Postseason Highlights" set (cards #241-270) could be had for 10 Series One wrappers and $3 shipping & handling. A similar offer for the "Traded" set (cards #521-550) was offered for 10 Series Two wrappers and $3.

1997 Upper Deck is notable for having the first game-used cards in a mainstream baseball product. It should also be noted that the "Griffey's Hot List" subset in Series Two (#415-424) was short-printed -- one of the first instances of a set featuring cards that were intentionally SPed for the sole purpose of adding secondary market "value."

Distribution

Hobby: 24 packs per box, 12 cards per pack (MSRP: $2.49)

Retail:

10 packs per box, 12 cards per pack

20 packs per box, 12 cards per pack

28 Packs Per Box, 12 Cards Per Pack

Insertion Ratios

Cards	Total Cards	Numbered To	Hobby Odds	Retail Odds
Base	550	-	?	?
Series One	240	-	?	?
Postseason Highlights	30	-	?	?
Series Two	250	-	?	?
Traded	30	-	?	?
Star Attractions	20	-	N/A	one-per-pack
Rock Solid Foundation (S1)	20	-	1:7	1:7
Power Package (S1)	20	-	1:24	1:24
Ticket to Stardom (S2)	20	-	1:34	1:34
Amazing Greats (S1)	20	-	1:69	1:69
Predictor (S2)	30	-	1:5	1:5
Hot Commodities (S2)	20	-	1:13	1:13
Long Distance Connection (S2)	20	-	1:35	1:35
Run Producers (S2)	24	-	1:69	1:69
Blue Chip Prospects (S2)	20	500	?	?
Game Jersey (S1)	3	-	1:800	1:800

Checklist

Base Set

Series One

NOTE: The Jackie Robinson Tribute, Strike Force, Defensive Gems, Global Impact, Season Highlight Checklist, and Star Rookies subsets are all printed on foilboard.

Jackie Robinson Tribute

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Strike Force

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Defensive Gems

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Global Impact

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Season Highlight Checklists

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Star Rookies

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Postseason Highlights

NOTES

• This set was available through a Series One wrapper redemption offer.
• All cards are printed on foilboard.

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Series Two

NOTES

• The Star Rookies, Season Highlights Chceklist, Capture the Flag, and Diamond Debuts subsets are printed on foilboard.
• The Griffey's Hot List subset is short-printed and printed on etched foil.

Star Rookies

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Season Highlight Checklists

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Capture the Flag

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Griffey's Hot List

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Diamond Debuts

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Traded

NOTE: This set was available through a Series Two wrapper-redemption offer.

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Inserts

Star Attractions

This 20-card set was exclusive to specially-marked six-card "Memorabilia Madness" packs -- which were sold only at mass-market retail outlets -- and seeded at the rate of one-per-pack. Cards 1-10 were exclusive to Upper Deck Memorabilia Madness packs, while 11-20 were in 1997 Collector's Choice Memorabilia Madness packs. In addition to these cards, the Memorabilia Madness packs also included randomly-seeded redemptions good for various autographs.

A Gold parallel was also randomly seeded into packs.

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PowerDeck

Randomly inserted into a limited number of Series One Hobby boxes was a Ken Griffey, Jr. PowerDeck "card." An experiment into multimedia trading cards, each "card" is a die-cut compact disc containing a brief interview with Griffey. In order to listen to the interview, a hole in the middle of the "card" had to be punched out -- therefore damaging the "card" -- and placed into a special adapter that was included with the "card."

Ken Griffey, Jr.

Rock Solid Foundation

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Power Package

NOTE: A special 5" X 7" version was randomly inserted into specially marked Series One boxes sold exclusively at Sam's Club stores.

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Ticket to Stardom

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Ticket to Stardom Combos

This 10-card set is a parallel of the Ticket to Stardom insert set. Each card features two Ticket to Stardom's fused together into a 2 1/2" X 6 1/2" "strip." One strip was inserted into each specially-marked Collector's Choice three-packs sold exclusively at mass-market retail outlets.

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Amazing Greats

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Predictor

This 30-card set was randomly seeded into Series Two packs at the rate of 1:5. Unlike previous year's Predictors, the fronts of each '97 edition had four scratch-off gold "bats," behind each is a specific feat. If the player meets of exceeds that feat in a 1997 MLB game, it can then be redeemed (along with $2 for shipping & handling) for an upgraded "Totally Virtual" parallel. Unlike previous Predictor sets, all 30 cards were potential winners.

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Hot Commodities

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Long Distance Connection

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Run Producers

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Blue Chip Prospects

Randomly inserted into Series Two packs, each card is serial-numbered to 500 copies.

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Autographs & Game-Used

Game Jersey

One of the landmark sets in Hobby history, this three-card set was randomly inserted into Series One packs. Each card features a swatch of a game-worn jerseys cut up and placed on the card. These cards were the first memorabilia insert cards to hit the baseball card market.

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