Revision as of 12:56, 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

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.
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

Each card is serial-numbered to 500 copies.

BB1 Darin Erstad

BB2 Rafael Palmeiro

BB3 Cal Ripken

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

G1 Roberto Alomar

G2 Cal Ripken

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

New Frontier

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

Each card is serial-numbered to 50 copies.

Q1 Darin Erstad

Q2 Cal Ripken

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

TC1 Mike Mussina

TC2 Rafael Palmeiro

TC3 Cal Ripken

TC4 Nomar Garciaparra

TC5 Pedro Martinez

TC6 Mo Vaughn

TC7 Albert Belle

TC8 Frank Thomas

TC9 David 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 Jr.

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

Autographs

Sign of the Times

AK Al Kaline /600

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 /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