One-of-One

One-of-One: An insert card (usually a parallel) that is, literally, a one-of-a-kind item. Ever since the gimmick was introduced in 1997 Flair Showcase Baseball, one-of-ones have been highly sought-after. In fact, many brands now have their own versions of one-of-ones. Fleer called them "Masterpieces," while Upper Deck might call them "Exclusives." Whatever they are called, if you have one, you have cornered the market on that card. While the proliferation of one-of-ones has driven the prices down overall, they can still command great premiums for the stars.

In 1997 when they first appeared, a dealer in California tried to buy all three Ken Griffey, Jr. Flair Showcase Masterpieces ('97 Flair Showcase had a three-tiered base set, and there was a one-of-one produced for each subset). He bought the first two for $14,000 and $15,750, respectively. The third was found by a teenager in Alaska who was offered an amount rumored to be around $17,000, but refused. While that might have been a mistake, as he probably couldn't get that much for it now, you have to admire the kid. He found the ultimate card of his favorite player, and refused temptation. In the fall of 1999, the two other Griffey Masterpieces were auctioned on eBay. The final bid of $6,800 didn't meet the seller's reserve price. This just goes to show that there is nothing that is completely resistant to price slippage.