1998 Select

Description

1998 Select was a proposed a 250-card fractured set, intended for release in September, 1998. The product was never released due to Pinnacle Brands' bankruptcy.

The base set was fractured based on what Pinnacle called the "Quasar System." The first 100 cards were to be known as the "One-Stars," with the next 75 as the "Two-Stars." The next 50 cards were the "Three-Stars," and the final 25 the "Four-Stars." It is assumed that the One-Star cards were to have been the most common and the Four-Stars the most rare. An additional five "Five-Star Bonus" cards were also to have been produced, but although the Five-Star Bonus cards were not to have been sequentially-numbered as part of the base set, they were to have been serial-numbered to only 50 copies. Each base card has to have also been available in a "Jersey" parallel, with each card serial-numbered to the player's respective uniform number.

There were to have been four insert sets: Diamond Dominance, Selected, Rare Form, and Select Numbers.

Bankruptcy Issues

A bankruptcy judge ordered all unissued trading cards (including cards from this product) to be destroyed; however, a number of 1998 Select cards have made their way into the secondary market. The only authorized cards from the set that were issued before the bankruptcy filing were a 10-card promo set of the Selected insert. All other cards were backdoored.

Insertion Ratios

Cards	Total Cards	Numbered To	Hobby Odds
Base	250	-	?
One-Star	100	-	?
Two-Star	75	-	?
Three-Star	50	-	?
Four-Star	25	-	?
Jersey	250	varies	?
Five-Star Bonus	5	50	?
Diamond Dominance	10	-	1:23
Selected	10	-	1:23
Rare Form	10	-	1:99
Select Numbers	20	varies	?

Checklist

Base Set

1998 Select was to be a 250-card base set. However, to this date, only 36 base cards from the set are known to have surfaced on the secondary market. It is unclear, after all these years, what ever happened to the other 214 cards in the set. It has been estimated that less than 20 copies of each card made their way into the open market. The following is the complete checklist as set forth on the product sell sheet, with the cards confirmed to have landed on the secondary market in bold. Each card is has a "Quasar System" level indicated on the back, ranging from level 1 to level 4. Level 1 (1-100) has a rectangular design, Level 2 (101-175) circular, Level 3 (176-225) triangular and Level 4 (226-250) diamond.

Level 1

1 Jose Cruz, Jr.

2 Greg Maddux

3 Nomar Garciaparra

4 Mark McGwire

5 Juan Gonzalez

6 Barry Bonds

7 Cal Ripken, Jr.

8 Andruw Jones

9 Tony Gwynn

10 Frank Thomas

11 Scott Rolen

12 Travis Lee

13 Hideo Nomo

14 Alex Rodriguez

15 Kenny Lofton

16 Ken Griffey, Jr.

17 Jeff Bagwell

18 Vladimir Guerrero

19 Ivan Rodriguez

20 Mo Vaughn

21 Chipper Jones

22 Ben Grieve

23 Roger Clemens

24 Derek Jeter

25 Mike Piazza

26 Tony Clark

27 Larry Walker

28 Juan Encarnacion

29 Barry Larkin

30 Chuck Knoblauch

31 Albert Belle

32 Randy Johnson

33 Brad Fullmer

34 Manny Ramirez

35 Wade Boggs

36 Jim Thome

37 Todd Helton

38 Roberto Alomar

39 Paul Konerko

40 Chan Ho Park

41 Craig Biggio

42 Ken Caminiti

43 David Justice

44 Andy Pettitte

45 Bernie Williams

46 Mike Mussina

47 Darin Erstad

48 Andres Galarraga

49 Raul Mondesi

50 Pedro Martinez

51 Todd Greene

52 Matt Williams

53 Rondell White

54 Brady Anderson

55 Tim Salmon

56 Edgar Martinez

57 Jose Guillen

58 Richard Delgado

59 Gary Sheffield

60 Paul Molitor

61 Livan Hernandez

62 Jaret Wright

63 Fernando Tatis

64 Fred McGriff

65 Will Clark

66 John Smoltz

67 Rafael Palmeiro

68 Sammy Sosa

69 Tino Martinez

70 Jim Edmonds

71 Travis Fryman

72 Ryan Klesko

73 Magglio Ordonez

74 Bobby Bonilla

75 Todd Hundley

76 Javy Lopez

77 Vinny Castilla

78 Carl Pavano

79 Jay Buhner

80 Matt Clement

81 Kevin Orie

82 Tom Glavine

83 Mark Kotsay

84 Todd Walker

85 Bobby Higginson

86 Sean Casey

87 Frank Catalanotto

88 Neifi Perez

89 Derrek Lee

90 David Ortiz

91 Kevin Millwood

92 Moises Alou

93 Brian Rose

94 Miguel Tejada

95 Kerry Wood

96 Mark Grace

97 Bobby Estalella

98 Jason Kendall

99 Rusty Greer

100 Charles Johnson

Level 2

101 Jose Cruz, Jr.

102 Greg Maddux

103 Nomar Garciaparra

104 Mark McGwire

105 Juan Gonzalez

106 Barry Bonds

107 Cal Ripken, Jr.

108 Andruw Jones

109 Tony Gwynn

110 Frank Thomas

111 Scott Rolen

112 Travis Lee

113 Hideo Nomo

114 Alex Rodriguez

115 Kenny Lofton

116 Ken Griffey, Jr.

117 Jeff Bagwell

118 Vladimir Guerrero

119 Ivan Rodriguez

120 Mo Vaughn

121 Chipper Jones

122 Ben Grieve

123 Roger Clemens

124 Derek Jeter

125 Mike Piazza

126 Tony Clark

127 Larry Walker

128 Juan Encarnacion

129 Barry Larkin

130 Chuck Knoblauch

131 Albert Belle

132 Randy Johnson

133 Brad Fullmer

134 Manny Ramirez

135 Wade Boggs

136 Jim Thome

137 Todd Helton

138 Roberto Alomar

139 Paul Konerko

140 Chan Ho Park

141 Craig Biggio

142 Ken Caminiti

143 David Justice

144 Andy Pettitte

145 Bernie Williams

146 Mike Mussina

147 Darin Erstad

148 Andres Galarraga

149 Raul Mondesi

150 Pedro Martinez

151 Todd Greene

152 Matt Williams

153 Rondell White

154 Brady Anderson

155 Tim Salmon

156 Edgar Martinez

157 Jose Guillen

158 Richard Delgado

159 Gary Sheffield

160 Paul Molitor

161 Livan Hernandez

162 Jaret Wright

163 Fernando Tatis

164 Fred McGriff

165 Will Clark

166 John Smoltz

167 Rafael Palmeiro

168 Sammy Sosa

169 Tino Martinez

170 Jim Edmonds

171 Travis Fryman

172 Ryan Klesko

173 Magglio Ordonez

174 Bobby Bonilla

175 Todd Hundley

Level 3

176 Jose Cruz, Jr.

177 Greg Maddux

178 Nomar Garciaparra

179 Mark McGwire

180 Juan Gonzalez

181 Barry Bonds

182 Cal Ripken, Jr.

183 Andruw Jones

184 Tony Gwynn

185 Frank Thomas

186 Scott Rolen

187 Travis Lee

188 Hideo Nomo

189 Alex Rodriguez

190 Kenny Lofton

191 Ken Griffey, Jr.

192 Jeff Bagwell

193 Vladimir Guerrero

194 Ivan Rodriguez

195 Mo Vaughn

196 Chipper Jones

197 Ben Grieve

198 Roger Clemens

199 Derek Jeter

200 Mike Piazza

201 Tony Clark

202 Larry Walker

203 Juan Encarnacion

204 Barry Larkin

205 Chuck Knoblauch

206 Albert Belle

207 Randy Johnson

208 Brad Fullmer

209 Manny Ramirez

210 Wade Boggs

211 Jim Thome

212 Todd Helton

213 Roberto Alomar

214 Paul Konerko

215 Chan Ho Park

216 Craig Biggio

217 Ken Caminiti

218 David Justice

219 Andy Pettitte

220 Bernie Williams

221 Mike Mussina

222 Darin Erstad

223 Andres Galarraga

224 Raul Mondesi

225 Pedro Martinez

Level 4

226 Jose Cruz, Jr.

227 Greg Maddux

228 Nomar Garciaparra

229 Mark McGwire

230 Juan Gonzalez

231 Barry Bonds

232 Cal Ripken, Jr.

233 Andruw Jones

234 Tony Gwynn

235 Frank Thomas

236 Scott Rolen

237 Travis Lee

238 Hideo Nomo

239 Alex Rodriguez

240 Kenny Lofton

241 Ken Griffey, Jr.

242 Jeff Bagwell

243 Vladimir Guerrero

244 Ivan Rodriguez

245 Mo Vaughn

246 Chipper Jones

247 Ben Grieve

248 Roger Clemens

249 Derek Jeter

250 Mike Piazza

Parallels

Jersey Numbers

Jersey Numbers was intended to be a parallel of the full 250-card base set, with each card serial-numbered to the player's respective uniform number. These are the only Jersey Numbers cards known to exist. The cards are numbered "00/00," although some hand-numbered Griffeys /24 have surfaced. Additionally, Griffeys have surfaced having no serial numbering and no "00/00" numbering either. Like the base cards, each card has a "Quasar System" level indicated on the back, ranging from Level 1 to Level 4.

7 Cal Ripken, Jr.

10 Frank Thomas

16 Ken Griffey Jr.

25 Mike Piazza

47 Darin Erstad

48 Andres Galarraga

49 Raul Mondesi

50 Pedro Martinez

52 Matt Williams

57 Jose Guillen

96 Mark Grace

105 Juan Gonzalez

106 Barry Bonds

107 Cal Ripken Jr.

108 Andruw Jones

109 Tony Gwynn

110 Frank Thomas

113 Hideo Nomo

116 Ken Griffey, Jr. 24

125 Mike Piazza

173 Magglio Ordonez

176 Jose Cruz, Jr.

182 Cal Ripken Jr.

183 Andruw Jones

184 Tony Gwynn

185 Frank Thomas

188 Hideo Nomo

191 Ken Griffey, Jr.

197 Ben Grieve

198 Roger Clemens

200 Mike Piazza

212 Todd Helton

225 Pedro Martinez

230 Juan Gonzalez

232 Cal Ripken Jr.

233 Andruw Jones

234 Tony Gwynn

235 Frank Thomas

238 Hideo Nomo

241 Ken Griffey Jr.

247 Ben Grieve

248 Roger Clemens

250 Mike Piazza

Inserts

Selected

These 10 cards were the only cards from the 1998 Select set that were released before the Pinnacle Brands bankruptcy. A pack of two cards were released to Hobby dealers along with the sell sheets. The word "SAMPLE" was printed on the back of each card.

Non-promo Selected cards have surfaced of all players except Guerrero and Wright.

1 Vladimir Guerrero

2 Nomar Garciaparra

3 Ben Grieve

4 Travis Lee

5 Jose Cruz, Jr.

6 Alex Rodriguez

7 Todd Helton

8 Derek Jeter

9 Scott Rolen

10 Jaret Wright

Select Numbers

Select Numbers was intended to be a 20-card insert set, serial-numbered to a player statistic. Like with the base cards and Jersey Number parallels, a limited number of Select Numbers made their way "out the backdoor;" however, the cards were NOT serial-numbered. Only 12 of the 20 cards from this set have surfaced on the secondary market.

UPDATE 11/11/17 - TWO NEAR-COMPLETE SETS LISTED ON COMC IN NOVEMBER 2017 including the previously unconfirmed McGwire, Bagwell, Galarraga, Piazza, Gwynn, Walker, Lofton and Clemens. The checklist is now complete.

1 Mark McGwire

2 Juan Gonzalez

3 Ken Griffey, Jr.

4 Jeff Bagwell

5 Andres Galarraga

6 Frank Thomas

7 Mike Piazza

8 Tony Gwynn

9 Larry Walker

10 Kenny Lofton

11 Barry Bonds

12 Chuck Knoblauch

13 Derek Jeter

14 Nomar Garciaparra

15 Chipper Jones

16 Pedro Martinez

17 Hideo Nomo

18 Randy Johnson

19 Roger Clemens

20 Greg Maddux

Five-Star Bonus

Five-Star Bonus was intended to be a five-card quasi-parallel of the base set. The design is similar to that of the base set, but the cards are sequentially-numbered "X of 5." Each card is serial-numbered to 50 copies.

Mike Piazza was to have been card #5 in this set, but was replaced by Derek Jeter

Beginning around 2007, a number of these cards were sold (as complete five-card sets with matching serial-numbers) on eBay. Before then, singles were incredibly rare items.

• 1 Ken Griffey, Jr. 50
• 2 Frank Thomas 50
• 3 Cal Ripken, Jr. 50
• 4 Greg Maddux 50
• 5 Derek Jeter 50

Diamond Dominance

Diamond Dominance was to be a 10-card insert set. The only cards from the set confirmed to have reached the secondary market are Andruw Jones, Tony Clark and Darin Erstad.

? Darin Erstad

3 Andruw Jones

10 Tony Clark

Rare Form

The "Rare Form" insert set was on the original sell sheet, but no cards from the set has emerged on the secondary market.

UPDATE 11/11/17 - A Rogers Clemens was listed on ebay in November 2017.

The checklist was to be as follows:

1 Ken Griffey, Jr.

2 Roger Clemens

3 Cal Ripken, Jr.

4 Juan Gonzalez

5 Nomar Garciaparra

6 Alex Rodriguez

7 Chipper Jones

8 Mike Piazza

9 Greg Maddux

10 Frank Thomas