Featured Post

Busting Open the 1998 Fleer Tradition Box (while you all open 2014 Topps, Pssssh!)

Earlier this morning, I mentioned that I was ready to begin opening the next box from my wonderful Christmas haul.  Oh sure, most of the blogs are all about the newest and greatest Topps flagship...but not here.  Nope, we are rockin' 1998 Fleer Tradition (Series 2) right now.  Consider it a well-deserved break from all that new Topps nonsense (you know, a set that everyone will be sick of in about three weeks).

Here's the first pack out of a box that has already withstood the test of time - you know I won't be getting sick of this stuff!

Pack 01:

375.  Eseban Loaiza

The first card of the first pack - and you can already see how Fleer uses a lot of the same type of photographs as Upper Deck did in the 1995 Collector's Choice set.  It's easy to see what type of sets interest me - those with interesting photos!  Nothing says interesting like a guy staring at his ball.  Wait, that didn't come out right.
395.  Jimmy Haynes
403.  David Segui

Another nice shot - and proof that not all cards will have the vertical orientation.  You have to love the meta photos where it's a card of a guy signing a card.  Bonus points if you can figure out which card David just signed.
433.  Yamil Benitez
469.  Heathcliff Slocumb
476.  DaRond Stovall
501.  Jose Mercedes

Each card features a nice back as well.  You get the team logo in the background along with career statistics and small write-up.  Very nice - plus the second image is appreciated!
506.  Jesus Sanchez
553.  Jeff Fassero
Vintage '63:  107.  Chili Davis - Yankees

The Vintage '63 parallel cards are seeded 1 per pack and are printed on "old time" cardboard stock rather than the glossy stock used for the base cards.  I don't have any plans to collect the entire set - but I have to admit that I do like the card design quite a bit.

Diamond Ink:  Nomar Garciaparra (1 point)

If you could somehow manage to collect 500 Diamond Ink points of a single player, you could mail them all in and receive a "genuine autograph from the player on a Rawlings baseball."  Woo!  Only 499 more points to go (plus one time machine).

That's a fun start to the box - no Reds but I did a couple of interesting cards.  I'm hoping I end up with the full second series by the time the box is done - but any duplicates will be available for trade (as will many of the inserts/parallels) so keep stopping by!

You may now return to gawking at 2014 Topps stuff on other people's blogs.  Enjoy.

Comments

  1. I'm sure with you on the interesting photography aspect. I can only take so much of a pitcher pitching etc.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That's Segui's '97 Fleer. It was a few lines down on the gis results for "david segui expos card". On the top line was his Series 1 card from this '98 Tradition set, which has a really cool shot.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous7:23 PM

    I went looking for 2014 Topps, but in all honesty I just wanted to buy something, anything that wouldn't be a waste of money... 1998 Fleer would've fit the bill, but for some reason Target didn't have any.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Maybe Loaiza's confusion centers around the fact that he only has one ball.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm hoping there were larger quantities of Diamond Points available than 1. Yikes!
    Keep the packs coming!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment