1997 Fleer

Description

1997 Fleer was a 761-card, set with cards 1-500 in Series 1 and cards 501-761 in Series 2. Series 1 (which was not marketed as "Series 1") was issued in April, 1997. In lieu of an "Update" set, Fleer instead published a second series which served as the de facto 1997 Fleer Update set. As with the previous year's set, the cards were borderless and printed with a matte-finish and gold foil stamping. It is believed that the last 11 cards in Series 2 (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. This was also the final year for "Fleer" baseball, as the company renamed their flagship product to Fleer Tradition beginning in 1998.

Series 2 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

Cards	Total Cards	Numbered To	Hobby Odds	Retail Odds
Base	761	-	?	?
Tiffany (S1, S2)	761	-	1:20	1:20
Rookie Sensations (S1)	20	-	1:6	1:6
Golden Memories (S1)	10	-	1:16	1:16
Team Leaders (S1)	28	-	1:20	1:20
Night and Day (S1)	10	-	1:240	1:240
Zone (S1)	20	-	1:80	N/A
Lumber Company (S1)	18	-	N/A	1:18
Million Dollar Moments (S2)	50	-	one-per-pack	one-per-pack
Headliners (S2)	20	-	1:2	1:2
New Horizons (S2)	15	-	1:4	1:4
Goudey Greats (S2)	15	-	1:8	1:8
Goudey Greats Foil (S2)	15	-	1:800	N/A
Soaring Stars (S2)	12	-	1:12	1:12
Glowing Stars (S2)	12	-	?	?
Diamond Tribute (S2)	12	-	1:288	1:288
Decade of Excellence (S2)	12	-	1:36	N/A
Decade of Excellence Rare Traditions (S2)	12	-	1:360	N/A
Bleacher Blasters (S2)	10	-	N/A	1:36
Andruw Jones 1997 Circa Autograph (S2)	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,info 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,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 1997) AND (setname = 'Fleer') AND (num BETWEEN 696 AND 720) ORDER BY num +0 ASC; </sql2wiki>

Checklists

<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 1997) AND (setname = 'Fleer') AND (num BETWEEN 721 AND 761) ORDER BY num +0 ASC </sql2wiki>

Parallels

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.

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_Printing 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

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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 cards were exclusive to Series 1 hobby packs.

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

Lumber Company

This set is 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

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

New Horizons

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

Goudey Greats

In a precursor of "throwback" sets to come, this 15-card set is done in the style of the 1933 Goudey (R-319) set. Like the originals, each card measures 2 3/8" X 2 7/8".

This set is also available in a gold foil-stamped parallel, found only in Series Two Hobby packs.

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

Soaring Stars

This set is also available in a "Glowing" parallel. Towards the end of the production run, Fleer ran out of the "starry" holographic foil used on the regular Soaring Stars, and switched to a "glowing" foil. It is believed that 10%-20% of the total production run was printed on "glowing" foil.

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

Diamond Tribute

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

Decade of Excellence

This 12-card set is exclusive to Series Two Hobby packs, and is done in the style of the 1987 Fleer set. All players in this set were active in 1987; however, the cards in this set all have different photographs than the player's 1987 Fleer card. Each card also has the words "Fleer Decade of Excellence 1987-1997" foil stamped in the corner.

This set is also available in all-foil "Rare Traditions" parallel.

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

Bleacher Blasters

This die-cut insert is exclusive to Series Two retail packs.

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

Autographs & Game-Used

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 are 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 who 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>