1998 Flair Showcase
Description
1998 Flair Showcase is a 480-card fractured set released by Fleer in July of that year that was similar in structure to [1997 Flair Showcase|the previous year's release]. Each of the 120 players in the set were again featured on different levels/"Rows", which each Row featuring a unique front design:
- Row 3: "Flair" design
- Row 2: "Style" design
- Row 1: "Grace" design
- Row 0: "Showcase" design
The Row 3 cards were easiest to find, while the Row 0 cards were the toughest.
Each "Row" was then sub-divided into four, 30-card sub-sections featuring a different cardback design and banner:
- Showtime: Team-colored headshot design, light-blue banner text
- Showstopper: Torso picture design, golden-yellow banner text
- Showdown: Torso picture and nameplate design, red banner text
- Showpiece: Glowing, full-body picture design, white banner text
Each of the 120 players in the set had one card in each of the four rows, with a specifically assigned cardback design per Row, meaning each player had 4 base cards total. The "Seat" number on back represented the card number in the set.
Distribution
24 packs per box, five cards plus one Diamond Ink point card per pack (MSRP: $4.99)
Reviews
Old School Breaks: 1998 Flair Showcase Baseball
Insertion Ratios
| Cards | Showtime | Showstopper | Showdown | Showpiece |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flair (Row 3) | 1-30 (1:0.9) | 31-60 (1:1.1) | 61-90 (1:1.5) | 91-120 (1:2) |
| Style (Row 2) | 31-60 (1:2.5) | 1-30 (1:2) | 91-120 (1:3.5) | 61-90 (1:4) |
| Grace (Row 1) | 61-90 (1:6) | 91-120 (1:10) | 1-30 (1:16) | 31-60 (1:24) |
| Showcase (Row 0) | 91-120 (serial-numbered to 2000) | 61-90 (serial-numbered to 1000) | 31-60 (serial-numbered to 500) | 1-30 (serial-numbered to 250) |
Although the odds are not listed on the box, a typical 24-pack Hobby box should yield two Showcase Showtime cards, one Showcase Showstopper and either a Showcase Showdown or Showcase Showpiece card.
| Cards | Total Cards | Numbered To | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy Collection | 480 | 100 | ? |
| Masterpiece | 480 | one-of-one | ? |
| Wave of the Future | 12 | - | 1:20 |
| Perfect 10 | 10 | 10 | ? |
| Diamond Ink | 10 | - | one-per-pack |
Checklist
Promos
File:1998flairpromo.jpgFile:1998flairpromob.jpg
Fleer distributed a four-card strip to dealers and The Hobby media a few months prior to the release of 1998 Flair Showcase. The strip contained the four Cal Ripken, Jr base cards later issued in packs and featured "PROMOTIONAL SAMPLE" text diagonally across the front and back.
P8 Cal Ripken, Jr.
Base Set
- Row 3:
- Row 2:
- Row 1:
- Row 0:
For brevity's sake, only one "Row" is listed below. The checklist for all four Rows is identical. Also note that only Row 3 cards are considered "true" rookie cards for those players. All base cards are labeled "Section 2" on the back, distinguishing them from the parallel sets, which were labeled either "Section 0" or "Section 1" on the back.
1 Ken Griffey, Jr.
2 Travis Lee
3 Frank Thomas
4 Ben Grieve
5 Nomar Garciaparra
6 Jose Cruz, Jr.
7 Alex Rodriguez
8 Cal Ripken, Jr.
9 Mark McGwire
10 Chipper Jones
11 Paul Konerko
12 Todd Helton
13 Greg Maddux
14 Derek Jeter
15 Jaret Wright
16 Livan Hernandez
17 Mike Piazza
18 Juan Encarnacion
19 Tony Gwynn
20 Scott Rolen
21 Roger Clemens
22 Tony Clark
23 Albert Belle
24 Mo Vaughn
25 Andruw Jones
26 Jason Dickson
27 Fernando Tatis
28 Ivan Rodriguez
29 Ricky Ledee
30 Darin Erstad
31 Brian Rose
32 Magglio Ordonez RC
33 Larry Walker
34 Bob Higginson
35 Chili Davis
36 Barry Bonds
37 Vladimir Guerrero
38 Jeff Bagwell
39 Kenny Lofton
40 Ryan Klesko
41 Mike Cameron
42 Charles Johnson
43 Andy Pettitte
44 Juan Gonzalez
45 Tim Salmon
46 Hideki Irabu
47 Paul Molitor
48 Edgar Renteria
49 Manny Ramirez
50 Jim Edmonds
51 Bernie Williams
52 Roberto Alomar
53 Dave Justice
54 Rey Ordonez
55 Ken Caminiti
56 Jose Guillen
57 Randy Johnson
58 Brady Anderson
59 Hideo Nomo
60 Tino Martinez
61 John Smoltz
62 Joe Carter
63 Matt Williams
64 Robin Ventura
65 Barry Larkin
66 Dante Bichette
67 Travis Fryman
68 Gary Sheffield
69 Eric Karros
70 Matt Stairs
71 Al Martin
72 Jay Buhner
73 Ray Lankford
74 Carlos Delgado
75 Edgardo Alfonzo
76 Rondell White
77 Chuck Knoblauch
78 Raul Mondesi
79 Johnny Damon
80 Matt Morris
81 Tom Glavine
82 Kevin Brown
83 Garret Anderson
84 Mike Mussina
85 Pedro Martinez
86 Craig Biggio
87 Darryl Kile
88 Rafael Palmeiro
89 Jim Thome
90 Andres Galarraga
91 Sammy Sosa
92 Willie Greene
93 Vinny Castilla
94 Justin Thompson
95 Jeff King
96 Jeff Cirillo
97 Mark Grudzielanek
98 Brad Radke
99 John Olerud
100 Curt Schilling
101 Steve Finley
102 J.T. Snow
103 Edgar Martinez
104 Wilson Alvarez
105 Rusty Greer
106 Pat Hentgen
107 David Cone
108 Fred McGriff
109 Jason Giambi
110 Tony Womack
111 Bernard Gilkey
112 Alan Benes
113 Mark Grace
114 Reggie Sanders
115 Moises Alou
116 John Jaha
117 Henry Rodriguez
118 Dean Palmer
119 Mike Lieberthal
120 Shawn Estes
Parallels
All 480 base cards (120 players from all four "Rows") are available in a Legacy or Masterpiece parallel. These parallels are distinctive from the base cards as both feature a black and white background and are either labeled "Section 1" or "Section 0" on the cardback, differing from all base cards which are labeled "Section 2".
Legacy Collection
Legacy Collection parallels are recognizable for the use of a distinctive and reflective-blue foil on the player's nameplate (front and back of card), Flair Showcase logo (front), "Legacy Collection" logo (front), and serial-number stamp (back). However, the player photos, Row design, and holographic finish were the same as the base versions. All Legacy Collections were serial-numbered to 100 copies and were labeled "Section 1" on the cardback.
Masterpiece
Masterpiece parallels are recognizable for the use of a distinctive and reflective-purple foil on the player's nameplate (front and back of card), Flair Showcase logo (front), "Legacy Collection" logo (front), and serial-number stamp (back). However, the player photos, Row design, and holographic finish were the same as the base versions. All Masterpieces were stamped: "The Only 1 of 1 Masterpiece" on the back and were labeled "Section 0" on the cardback.
Counterfeits
A number of "unfinished" Legacy Collections were backdoored and emerged on the secondary market in two forms:
- Unstamped
- Counterfeit stamped
The same photo, Row design, and even colored foil stamping are identical to the packed-out, "finished" versions; however, the issue is with the backs. Neither the player's name nor the serial-number are stamped on the back. A number of unscrupulous fraudsters have attempted to serial-number the cards themselves; however, a dead giveaway is that the "O" in "OF in the serial-number (i.e. "014 0F 100") is replaced with a zero. If the O in the OF looks like the zero in the serial-number, it's likely an unfinished card.
- All Legacy Collection cards are, as part of the "Ticket" numbering scheme of this product, designated as "SEC 1," and Masterpieces "SEC 0" (Base cards are "SEC 2."). However, a number of "SEC 0" Legacy Collections do exist. These cards ARE legitimate and are the result of a printing error by Fleer's subcontractor.
Inserts
Wave of the Future
This 12-card insert featured thick plastic cards filled with vegetable oil and sparkles in an attempt to mimic ocean waters. 1998 was the last year that this staple, future stars-themed insert was featured in the 90's decade.
- 1 WF Travis Lee
- 2 WF Todd Helton
- 3 WF Ben Grieve
- 4 WF Juan Encarnacion
- 5 WF Brad Fullmer
- 6 WF Ruben Rivera
- 7 WF Paul Konerko
- 8 WF Derrek Lee
- 9 WF Mike Lowell
- 10 WF Magglio Ordonez
- 11 WF Rich Butler
- 12 WF Eli Marrero
Perfect 10
File:1998P10.jpgFile:1998P10b.jpg
This 10-card insert featured color player photography using silk-screen technology. Only 10 hand-numbered copies of each card were produced, making it one of the scarcest, non-parallel inserts of the era.
- 1 Ken Griffey, Jr.
- 2 Cal Ripken, Jr.
- 3 Frank Thomas
- 4 Mike Piazza
- 5 Greg Maddux
- 6 Nomar Garciaparra
- 7 Mark McGwire
- 8 Scott Rolen
- 9 Alex Rodriguez
- 10 Roger Clemens