2013 Fleer Retro
Description
2013 Fleer Retro was a proposed 100-card set, to have been released by Upper Deck, in August 2013, featuring cards of current Major League players in the style of various 1990s Fleer/Skybox sets. The product was unveiled at the 2013 Las Vegas Industry Summit, but feedback from Summit attendees, and The Hobby at large, caused Upper Deck to cancel Retro (along with 2013 Sweet Spot Classic).
Upper Deck had lost their MLB Properties license in 2009, but had reacquired an MLBPA license. As part of the terms of a lawsuit with MLB Properties after the release of 2010 Upper Deck, UD agreed to never again produce cards featuring players in MLB uniforms even if those uniforms had their MLB trademarks removed. In Upper Deck's Las Vegas Industry Summit presentation promoting the set, Fleer Retro was to feature players either in generic uniforms (i.e. not in the color scheme of their current Major League team) or in their college uniforms, as UD were still licensed by The Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC).
For the 2013 Las Vegas Industry Summit, Upper Deck -- which had purchased the rights to the Fleer brand name in 2005 -- distributed a Mike Trout promo card and had Frank Thomas sign autographs.
Each 20-pack Hobby box was to have yielded six autographs, and each pack was to have one insert.
Distribution
Never released.
Two, 10-pack mini boxes per Hobby box, five cards per pack. Hobby only. 12 boxes per case.
Insertion Ratios
| Cards | Total Cards | Numbered To | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base | 100 | - | 4:1 |
| 1992 Fleer Rookie Sensations | ? | - | 1:2 |
| 1994 Flair Hot Gloves | ? | - | 1:90 |
| 1997 Fleer Diamond Tribute | ? | - | 1:90 |
| 1997 Ultra Stars | ? | - | 1:90 |
| 1997-98 Skybox Premium Golden Touch | ? | - | 1:90 |
| 1997-98 Metal Universe Championship Hardware | ? | - | 1:90 |
| 1998 Skybox Premium Intimidation Nation | ? | - | 1:90 |
| 1996-97 E-X 2000 A Cut Above | ? | - | 1:120 |
| 1998-99 Skybox Thunder Noyz Boyz | ? | - | 1:120 |
| 1997-98 E-X 2001 Jambalaya | ? | - | 1:360 |
| 1997 E-X 2000 Credentials | ? | 299 | ? |
| 1997 E-X 2000 Essential Credentials | ? | 99 | ? |
| 1997 Flair Showcase Legacy Row 0 | ? | 100 | ? |
| 1997-98 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Red | ? | 100 | ? |
| 1997-98 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Blue | ? | 50 | ? |
| 1997-98 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Emerald | ? | 10 | ? |
| 1998 Metal Universe | ? | 50 | ? |
| 1999 Metal Universe | ? | 50 | ? |
| 1998 Flair Showcase Perfect 10 | ? | 10 | ? |
| 1999 Fleer Mystique Feel the Game Relics | ? | - | 1:40 |
| 1960 Fleer Baseball Greats Autograph | ? | - | ? |
| 1961 Fleer Baseball Greats Autograph | ? | - | ? |
| 1992 Fleer Rookie Sensations Autographs | ? | - | ? |
| 1999 Autographics | ? | - | ? |
| 2000 Autographics | ? | - | ? |
| 1999 Ultra Fresh Ink | ? | - | ? |
| 2000 Ultra Fresh Ink | ? | - | ? |
| 2000 College Greats of the Game Autographs | ? | - | ? |
Reviews
Checklist
Promos
1997-98 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Mike Trout
To promote 2013 Fleer Retro Baseball, Upper Deck produced a Mike Trout promo card done in the style of the 1997-98 Metal Universe Basketball Precious Metal Gems parallel set. 160 Trout cards were printed: 100 in Red, 50 in Blue, and 10 in Emerald Green, all serial-numbered, and randomly inserted into promotional packs distributed to attendees who were also members of Upper Deck's Certified Diamond Dealer network.
As of the Summer of 2015, the Mike Trout Precious Metal Gems Industry Summit promo cards remain the last licensed baseball cards Upper Deck has produced.
LV1 Mike Trout (Red) 100
LV1 Mike Trout (Blue) 50
LV1 Mike Trout (Emerald) 10
Base Set
A checklist was never released. 50 of the cards were to have been done in the style of the 1960 Fleer Baseball Greats set, the other half in 1961 Fleer Baseball Greats.
Parallels
It is unclear if there were to have been parallels.
Inserts
1992 Fleer Rookie Sensations
1994 Flair Hot Gloves
1997 Fleer Diamond Tribute
1997 Ultra Stars
1997-98 Metal Universe Championship Hardware
1997-98 Skybox Premium Golden Touch
1998 Skybox Premium Intimidation Nation
1996-97 E-X 2000 A Cut Above
1998-99 Skybox Thunder Noyz Boyz
1997-98 E-X 2001 Jambalaya
1997 E-X 2000 Credentials
Each 1997 E-X 2000 Credentials was to have been serial-numbered to 299 copies, with an Essential Credentials parallel serial-numbered to 99 also available.
1997 Flair Showcase Legacy Row 0
Each 1997 Flair Showcase Legacy Row 0 was to have been serial-numbered to 100 copies.
1997-98 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems
Each 1997-98 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems was to have been made available in the following.
- Red (serial-numbered to 100 copies)
- Blue (serial-numbered to 50 copies)
- Emerald (serial-numbered to ten)
1998 Metal Universe
Each 1998 Metal Universe was to have been serial-numbered to 50 copies.
1999 Metal Universe
Each 1998 Metal Universe was to have been serial-numbered to 50 copies.
1998 Flair Showcase Perfect 10
Each 1998 Flair Showcase Perfect 10 was to have been serial-numbered to ten copies.
Autographs & Game-Used
1999 Fleer Mystique Feel the Game Relics
1960 Fleer Baseball Greats Autographs
1961 Fleer Baseball Greats Autographs
1992 Rookie Sensations Autographs
1999 Fleer Autographics
2000 Fleer Autographics
1999 Ultra Fresh Ink
2000 Ultra Fresh Ink
2000 College Greats of the Game Autographs
Industry Summit Frank Thomas Jumbo Autograph
To promote 2013 Fleer Retro Baseball, Upper Deck invited Frank Thomas to sign autographs for Las Vegas Industry Summit guests. The card The Big Hurt signed was a 5" X 7" mock-up of what his 2000 College Greats of the Game Autograph would have looked like, and has an Upper Deck Authenticated hologram on the back.
At the time, Upper Deck did have a license with The Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC).
NNO Frank Thomas