Latest revision as of 16:48, 7 January 2026

Description

1998 Upper Deck Retro is a 129 card set that was the company's first nostalgia-based card set. All packs were distributed, not in a traditional waxbox, but in one of six collectible lunchboxes. All cards are printed on super-thick, un-coated 24-pt stock card and has a distinct "retro" feel.

Card number 82 (originally slated to be Stan Musial) does not exist due to licensing issues. Rookie Cards include Troy Glaus.

Distribution

Lunchbox: 24 packs per lunchbox, six-cards per pack (MSRP $4.99)

Reviews

Insertion Ratios

Cards	Total Cards	Numbered To	Odds
Base	129	-	?
Time Capsule	50	-	1:2
Groovy Kind of Glove	30	-	1:7
New Frontier	30	1000	?
Big Boppers	30	500	?
Quantum Leap	30	50	?
Sign of the Times	31	varies	1:36
Babe Ruth Legendary Cuts	1	3	?

Checklist

Base Set

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1 Jim Edmonds
2 Darin Erstad
3 Tim Salmon
4 Jay Bell
5 Matt Williams
6 Andres Galarraga
7 Andruw Jones
8 Chipper Jones
9 Greg Maddux
10 Rafael Palmeiro
11 Cal Ripken, Jr.
12 Brooks Robinson
13 Nomar Garciaparra
14 Pedro Martinez
15 Mo Vaughn
16 Ernie Banks
17 Mark Grace
18 Gary Matthews, Sr.
19 Sammy Sosa
20 Albert Belle
21 Carlton Fisk
22 Frank Thomas
23 Ken Griffey, Sr.
24 Paul Konerko
25 Barry Larkin
26 Sean Casey
27 Tony Perez
28 Bob Feller
29 Kenny Lofton
30 Manny Ramirez
31 Jim Thome
32 Omar Vizquel
33 Dante Bichette
34 Larry Walker
35 Tony Clark
36 Damion Easley
37 Cliff Floyd
38 Livan Hernandez
39 Jeff Bagwell
40 Craig Biggio
41 Al Kaline
42 Johnny Damon
43 Dean Palmer
44 Charles Johnson
45 Eric Karros
46 Gaylord Perry
47 Raul Mondesi
48 Gary Sheffield
49 Eddie Mathews
50 Warren Spahn
51 Jeromy Burnitz
52 Jeff Cirillo
53 Marquis Grissom
54 Paul Molitor
55 Kirby Puckett
56 Brad Radke
57 Todd Walker
58 Vladimir Guerrero
59 Brad Fullmer
60 Rondell White
61 Bobby Jones
62 Hideo Nomo
63 Mike Piazza
64 Tom Seaver
65 Frank Thomas
66 Yogi Berra
67 Derek Jeter
68 Tino Martinez
69 Paul O'Neill
70 Andy Pettitte
71 Rollie Fingers
72 Rickey Henderson
73 Matt Stairs
74 Scott Rolen
75 Curt Schilling
76 Jose Guillen
77 Jason Kendall
78 Lou Brock
79 Bob Gibson
80 Ray Lankford
81 Mark McGwire
83 Kevin Brown
84 Ken Caminiti
85 Tony Gwynn
86 Greg Vaughn
87 Barry Bonds
88 Willie Stargell
89 Willie McCovey
90 Ken Griffey, Jr.
91 Randy Johnson
92 Alex Rodriguez
93 Quinton McCracken
94 Fred McGriff
95 Juan Gonzalez
96 Ivan Rodriguez
97 Nolan Ryan
98 Jose Canseco
99 Roger Clemens
100 Jose Cruz, Jr.

Futurama

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101 Justin Baughman RC
102 Dave Dellucci RC
103 Travis Lee
104 Troy Glaus RC
105 Kerry Wood
106 Mike Caruso
107 Jim Parque RC
108 Brett Tomko
109 Russell Branyan
110 Jaret Wright
111 Todd Helton
112 Gabe Alvarez
113 Matt Anderson RC
114 Alex Gonzalez
115 Mark Kotsay
116 Derrek Lee
117 Richard Hidalgo
118 Adrian Beltre
119 Geoff Jenkins
120 Eric Milton
121 Brad Fullmer
122 Vladimir Guerrero
123 Carl Pavano
124 Orlando Hernandez RC
125 Ben Grieve
126 A.J. Hinch
127 Matt Clement
128 Gary Matthews, Jr. RC
129 Aramis Ramirez
130 Rolando Arrojo RC

Inserts

Big Boppers

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Each card is serial-numbered to 500 copies.

BB1 Darin Erstad
BB2 Rafael Palmeiro
BB3 Cal Ripken, Jr.
BB4 Nomar Garciaparra
BB5 Mo Vaughn
BB6 Frank Thomas
BB7 Albert Belle
BB8 Jim Thome
BB9 Manny Ramirez
BB10 Tony Clark
BB11 Tino Martinez
BB12 Ben Grieve
BB13 Ken Griffey, Jr.
BB14 Alex Rodriguez
BB15 Jay Buhner
BB16 Juan Gonzalez
BB17 Jose Cruz, Jr.
BB18 Jose Canseco
BB19 Travis Lee
BB20 Chipper Jones
BB21 Andres Galarraga
BB22 Andruw Jones
BB23 Sammy Sosa
BB24 Vinny Castilla
BB25 Larry Walker
BB26 Jeff Bagwell
BB27 Gary Sheffield
BB28 Mike Piazza
BB29 Mark McGwire
BB30 Barry Bonds

Groovy Kind of Glove

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G1 Roberto Alomar
G2 Cal Ripken, Jr.
G3 Nomar Garciaparra
G4 Frank Thomas
G5 Robin Ventura
G6 Omar Vizquel
G7 Kenny Lofton
G8 Ben Grieve
G9 Alex Rodriguez
G10 Ken Griffey, Jr.
G11 Ivan Rodriguez
G12 Travis Lee
G13 Matt Williams
G14 Greg Maddux
G15 Andres Galarraga
G16 Andruw Jones
G17 Kerry Wood
G18 Mark Grace
G19 Craig Biggio
G20 Charles Johnson
G21 Raul Mondesi
G22 Mike Piazza
G23 Rey Ordonez
G24 Derek Jeter
G25 Scott Rolen
G26 Mark McGwire
G27 Ken Caminiti
G28 Tony Gwynn
G29 J.T. Snow
G30 Barry Bonds

New Frontier

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New Frontier's 30-card checklist is identical to that of the Futurama subset in the base set (#101-130). Each card is serial-numbered to 1000 copies.

NF1 Justin Baughman
NF2 David Dellucci
NF3 Travis Lee
NF4 Troy Glaus
NF5 Mike Caruso
NF6 Jim Parque
NF7 Kerry Wood
NF8 Brett Tomko
NF9 Russell Branyan
NF10 Jaret Wright
NF11 Todd Helton
NF12 Gabe Alvarez
NF13 Matt Anderson
NF14 Alex Gonzalez
NF15 Mark Kotsay
NF16 Derrek Lee
NF17 Richard Hidalgo
NF18 Adrian Beltre
NF19 Geoff Jenkins
NF20 Eric Milton
NF21 Brad Fullmer
NF22 Vladimir Guerrero
NF23 Carl Pavano
NF24 Orlando Hernandez
NF25 Ben Grieve
NF26 A.J. Hinch
NF27 Matt Clement
NF28 Gary Matthews, Jr.
NF29 Aramis Ramirez
NF30 Rolando Arrojo

Quantum Leap

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Each card is serial-numbered to 50 copies.

Q1 Darin Erstad
Q2 Cal Ripken, Jr.
Q3 Nomar Garciaparra
Q4 Frank Thomas
Q5 Kenny Lofton
Q6 Ben Grieve
Q7 Ken Griffey, Jr.
Q8 Alex Rodriguez
Q9 Juan Gonzalez
Q10 Jose Cruz, Jr.
Q11 Roger Clemens
Q12 Travis Lee
Q13 Chipper Jones
Q14 Greg Maddux
Q15 Kerry Wood
Q16 Jeff Bagwell
Q17 Mike Piazza
Q18 Scott Rolen
Q19 Mark McGwire
Q20 Tony Gwynn
Q21 Larry Walker
Q22 Derek Jeter
Q23 Sammy Sosa
Q24 Barry Bonds
Q25 Mo Vaughn
Q26 Roberto Alomar
Q27 Todd Helton
Q28 Ivan Rodriguez
Q29 Vladimir Guerrero
Q30 Albert Belle

Time Capsule

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TC1 Mike Mussina
TC2 Rafael Palmeiro
TC3 Cal Ripken, Jr.
TC4 Nomar Garciaparra
TC5 Pedro Martinez
TC6 Mo Vaughn
TC7 Albert Belle
TC8 Frank Thomas
TC9 Dave Justice
TC10 Kenny Lofton
TC11 Manny Ramirez
TC12 Jim Thome
TC13 Derek Jeter
TC14 Tino Martinez
TC15 Ben Grieve
TC16 Rickey Henderson
TC17 Ken Griffey, Jr.
TC18 Randy Johnson
TC19 Alex Rodriguez
TC20 Wade Boggs
TC21 Fred McGriff
TC22 Juan Gonzalez
TC23 Ivan Rodriguez
TC24 Nolan Ryan
TC25 Jose Canseco
TC26 Roger Clemens
TC27 Jose Cruz
TC28 Travis Lee
TC29 Matt Williams
TC30 Andres Galarraga
TC31 Andruw Jones
TC32 Chipper Jones
TC33 Greg Maddux
TC34 Kerry Wood
TC35 Barry Larkin
TC36 Dante Bichette
TC37 Larry Walker
TC38 Livan Hernandez
TC39 Jeff Bagwell
TC40 Craig Biggio
TC41 Charles Johnson
TC42 Gary Sheffield
TC43 Marquis Grissom
TC44 Mike Piazza
TC45 Scott Rolen
TC46 Curt Schilling
TC47 Mark McGwire
TC48 Ken Caminiti
TC49 Tony Gwynn
TC50 Barry Bonds

Lunchboxes

These six collectible lunchboxes doubled as packaging for the 24 packs of Retro trading cards inside and were meant to be a collectible it's own right.

1 Nomar Garciaparra
2 Ken Griffey, Jr.
3 Chipper Jones
4 Travis Lee
5 Mark McGwire
6 Cal Ripken, Jr.

Autographs

Sign of the Times

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NOTES

Sign of the Times cards are NOT serial-numbered. The production figures listed below were released by Upper Deck shortly after the product's release.
There are two version's of Al Kaline's card: One sequentially-numbered #AK and the other #AiK. It is unknown how many of the announced 600 total copies are AiK's and how many are AK's.

AiK Al Kaline 600
AK Al Kaline
BF Bob Feller 600
BGi Bob Gibson 300
BGr Ben Grieve 300
BR Brooks Robinson 300
CF Carlton Fisk 600
EB Ernie Banks 300
EM Eddie Mathews 600
FT Frank Thomas PIT 600
GMj Gary Matthews, Jr. 750
GMs Gary Matthews, Sr. 600
GP Gaylord Perry 1000
JC Jose Cruz, Jr. 300
KGj Ken Griffey, Jr. 100
KGs Ken Griffey, Sr. 600
KP Kirby Puckett 450
KW Kerry Wood 200
LB Lou Brock 300
NR Nolan Ryan 500
PK Paul Konerko 750
RB Russell Branyan 750
RF Rollie Fingers 600
SR Scott Rolen 300
TG Tony Gwynn 200
TLe Travis Lee 300
TP Tony Perez 600
TS Tom Seaver 300
WiS Willie Stargell 600
WM Willie McCovey 600
WS Warren Spahn 600
YB Yogi Berra 150

Legendary Cuts

Considered to be one of the first examples of a "cut" signature trading card, Upper Deck acquired an autograph album that included three Babe Ruth signatures. UD carefully cut out the Ruth's to create these cards.

LC Babe Ruth 3