1998 Fleer Showcase Wave of the Future

Set Size: 12 cards

Design Notes: The cards are printed on plastic. There are two plastic outer layers, plus an inner gel layer (actually, vegetable oil) with sparkle pieces. The card can be squeezed to make the sparkle pieces move around like waves - though the oil doesn't flow quickly like water. The front has a color photo, and the back has a shadow of the photo containing a player biography.

Parallels and Similars: None known.

Distribution: Cards were inserted into packs of Showcase at a rate of 1:20.

Thoughts: This is a really great concept. The waves aren't perfect, but this card is very unique as I believe it is the only card to contain liquid. It isn't perfect, but I enjoy the attempt at taking an insert theme to the next level!

1998 E-X 2001 Cheap Seat Treats

Set Size:20 cards

Design Notes: Let's go 3D! Each card looks like a cheap folding wood-slat bleacher seat. The seat folds down to reveal a picture of the player.

Parallels and Similars: None.

Distribution: Cards were inserted one in 24 packs (one per box, on average).

Thoughts: Fleer produced some of the most interesting inserts in history, and this ranks right up there with some of the best. The set is pretty fragile and it's difficult to display well, but I applaud the effort made to make something unique.

1998 Ultra Diamond Producers

Set Size: 15 cards

Design Notes: The front has a color photo and foil highlights over a wood background with a felt border; the back carries over the diamond design from the front with a highlight biography.

Parallels and Similars: None known; this set name was used over a few years, though.

Distribution: This was the most difficult inset to pull from Series 1 packs of 1998 Ultra, at one per 288 packs.

Thoughts: Using three interesting card materials (wood, prismatic foil, and felt), the card stands out from most of the rest of the 1998 Ultra inserts. Add to that the difficulty in pulling a single card, and you have one of the most surprisingly valuable sets from the 1990s. Top-tier players in the set are easily valued around $50! I like the set for the "gimmicky" use of different materials. It doesn't look that bad, either.

1997 SP Inside Info

Set Size: 25 cards

Design Notes: Most of the space on the front and back are taken up by player photos with etched foil backgrounds. A pull-out inside panel has a writeup, statistics, and biographical information. The cards are condition-sensitive and if you look closely at my card you'll notice chipped edges.

Parallels and Similars: None.

Distribution: Cards were inserted one per 30 packs.

Thoughts: This is a pretty novel concept and goes well with all the gimmick cards I've been showing lately. While I'm not a fan of foil backgrounds I can make an exception for a set with a pull-out stats section. Then again, if the set didn't have foil it would have looked that much better.

Additional Links: Capewood's Collections has images of a different card from this set, along with images of the inside card.

1997 Pinnacle X-Press Metal Works Gold

Set Size: 20 cards

Design Notes: This is the gold-plated parallel to the solid bronze Metal Works insert set. Like the silver version, the card is really bright and shiny, with pretty good detail to the player photo (though it may not exactly be realistic). The cards are serial-numbered on the back, at the top.

Parallels and Similars: As mentioned, the "regular" insert set is solid bronze, and a silver-plated version also exists.

Distribution: Redemption cards for the gold-plated parallels were inserted into packs at a rate of 1:950 and home plate master deck boxes at a rate of 1:108. These are the most-limited of all card sets inserted into Pinnacle X-Press.

Thoughts: The gold plating is awesome. It looks and feels like you robbed Fort Knox of a gold bar that happens to be the same size and design as a baseball card. If they weren't so tough to find and thus expensive, this would be the ultimate set to complete. The bronze coins are easier to view as far as detail, but the gold cards are really beautiful. Besides, not many people can say they have baseball cards made of gold. And no, those ones inserted in WalMart repacks don't count. But those solid-gold cards issued by Topps this year does. I'd love to get my hands on one of those!

1997 Pinnacle X-Press Metal Works Silver

Set Size: 20 cards

Design Notes: Identical in design to the (solid) bronze version I showed yesterday, this parallel is silver-plated. The surface is very shiny, almost mirror-like (especially on the flatter back) and is serial numbered on the back at the very top. The "cards" are very thick and heavy.

Parallels and Similars: An unnumbered bronze base version and a gold-plated parallel set also exist.

Distribution: Each silver parallel card is serial-numbered to 400. They were acquired via redemption cards (no longer valid). Apparently you knew whether you were receiving a silver or gold card, but you wouldn't know which player until you received your redeemed Metal Works card. The odds of receiving a silver Metal Works redemption card in packs was 1:470, and in master deck "home plate" boxes 1:54.

Thoughts: The metal cards are really heavy and thus difficult to store, ship, and transport (a full set of 20 would seriously weigh down a box). However, they look really great and, while not unique, they stand out from other inserts. The bronze cards are the best-looking because they have a more matte finish, making it easier to see detail. But holding a silver or gold card feels like you're holding a pure silver or gold brick and it looks much more valuable. I'm glad to have a silver card and gold card in my collection, but I prefer the bronze for building a complete set.

1997 Pinnacle X-Press Metal Works Bronze

Set Size: 20 cards

Design Notes: The cards are heavy bronze-colored metal with relief images of the player. A crossed pair of bats with a ball is at the top, and the player's name is at thebottom. Backs have a short highlight for the player.

Parallels and Similars: Gold and silver parallels exist and are easy to identify by color.

Distribution: One card was included in each home plate box. Exchange cards for silver and gold sets were randomly inserted but are no longer valid.

Thoughts: Once again, Pinnacle created a gimmick set that I really enjoy. These cards are pretty tough to find and usually overpriced - or maybe collectors just find them more valuable. I'd like to put a set together and I have a few cards already. Poor Jeff Bagwell looks like a zombie on his card.

1997 Pinnacle Inside Dueling Dugouts

Set Size: 20 cards

Design Notes: The fronts and backs are very similar, with each side featuring one player from a different team. A wheel on one side of the card can be spun to compare a few statistical categories between the two players on a year-by-year basis. The players' names appear across the top in gold foil, and their team logos are in the lower right corner.

Parallels and Similars: None known. I'm not sure if there has ever been another card set that has the wheel feature.

Distribution: Cards were inserted at a rate of 1:23 packs (or cans, since this set was distributed in cans).

Thoughts: I really like the gimmick they used in this set. In fact, it would be kind of neat to see this tried on a full set (probably designed for kids, and with a smaller checklist). You can't do these as inserts since they're easily found out due to the hub for the wheel.

1971 Topps Coins

Set Size: 153 metal coins, 1-1/2" diameter

Design Notes: Printed on metal, the coins have a color photo inside a color border with the player's name, position, and team. Coins were printed in three sets of 51 coins - they have either brass backs (seen here), chrome backs, or blue backs with black printing containing the coin number, basic biographical information, and a highlight.

Parallels and Similars: Other coin sets have been printed by many manufacturers and might have a similar basic design; these are distinguished by the TCG copyright at the bottom and the message at the top, both on the back.

Distribution: Coins were inserted into packs of 1971 Topps.

Thoughts: These are fun little novelty additions to collect along with the 1971 flagship set - commons can be picked up fairly cheap these days especially compared to the regular cards.

2004 Donruss Production Line OPS Black

Set Size: 10 cards

Design Notes: A diamond shaped logo holds a baseball identifying Giambi as a leader in OPS. The fronts are mostly black other than the player's photo. Unfortunately this means a little bit of my card's image was cut off by my slightly inferior scanner. Backs list the top 25 players in OPS.

Parallels and Similars: This is the black parallel. The regular insert has color to it, and a die-cut version was created as well. There are a few Production Line sets under different categories.

Distribution: Cards were randomly inserted into packs. The regular Production Line OPS are serial-numbered to the player's 2003 OPS (somewhere between 910 and 1278). Black parallels are numbered to 125, and die-cuts are numbered to 100.

Thoughts: I like sets that recognize leaders in categories and award winners, so the set concept is pretty nice. However, the set doesn't include some of the leaders in this category, and the checklist isn't numbered according to actual OPS. The insert has a nice modern look to it, and the black parallel looks even more sleek. With a few minor tweaks to the checklist, I could have been happier with the set.

2002 Donruss Diamond Kings Inserts/Studio Series

Set Size: 20 cards

Design Notes: This grey-bordered insert set used paintings of the players on the front. The Diamond Kings logo is at the bottom and uses blue foil. The back explains why the player was chosen as a Diamond King.

Parallels and Similars: A "Studio Series" parallel was issued using silver foil and a canvas style card surface. Randy Johnson was also issued as a Jersey Kings memorabilia card in regular and Studio Series formats.

Distribution: All cards were randomly inserted in packs. Diamond Kings had a print run of 2500 serial-numbered sets, Studio Series and Jersey Kings are numbered to 250, and the Jersey Kings Studio Series card is numbered to 50.

Thoughts: Diamond Kings is one of my favorite sets. Where the DKs of the early 1990s were generally bright, loud, and vibrant to match the neon colors of fashion, Diamond King cards found after Donruss's return are generally designed to look like it belongs in a museum. The artwork here is very realistic and attractive.

Additional Images: Studio Series parallel

1998 Score Complete Players Gold

Set Size: 30 cards, 10 subjects

Design Notes: A simple design on the front uses a lot of rectangles and wide-spaced text with the player's name and one of the three aspects that makes him a complete player. Fronts use gold foil highlighting. The backs explain how the player excels in whatever aspect is mentioned on the front, and a third of a photo of the player is on the left. The backs serve as a three-piece puzzle.

Parallels and Similars: While this is the gold parallel version, it is actually more common than the original holographic foil release. There was also a release in that year's traded set, and a sample version (with a differently-arranged checklist) as well.

Distribution: Gold versions were inserted into packs of Team Collection at 1:11, while the regular cards were found in 1:23 packs of the regular Score release.

Thoughts: This is a nice-looking set with a decent concept. The photography is pretty nice, as well. Unfortunately, in a hobby flooded with insert sets that year, this release doesn't stand out much. As for Andruw Jones, he was a phenom at 19 years old, and served as the face of the Braves for several years. But when the steroids allegations started flying in 2007, his production crashed and he was soon off to another team. He hasn't really been named as being a steroids user, but it was interesting timing that he would have such big problems at the plate when the scandal really started. Jones was a great fielder, though, and never put up a high batting average. He made tough plays look easy when most outfielders try to make easy plays look tough to end up on SportsCenter. Jones is still playing - he was with the Yankees in 2011 and 2012.

2010 Leaf (Shoeless) Joe Jackson

Set Size: 15 cards

Design Notes: A very simple design - the Leaf logo is in an upper corner, and a banner at the bottom identifies the player - Shoeless Joe Jackson. A sepia photo fills the rest of the card. The backs have brown ink and detail his career and quotes.

Parallels and Similars: None.

Distribution: Cards were randomly inserted into 2010 Leaf Sports Icons Cut Signature Edition Update packs - one card was found in each pack.

Thoughts: Shoeless Joe is a legend, but Topps can't use him in their products because of the ban. However, companies like Leaf have taken up the slack and produced some modern cards for him. I like the basic design of this card, and it's great to see some photos that rarely see the light of day.

2004 Fleer Showcase Grace Game Used

Set Size: 10 cards, mainly with jersey relics (Jeter has a bat card instead)

Design Notes: The fairly simple design has a parchment-style border, a photo, and lots of foil printing - colors change depending on the player's team. A circle contains a relic piece, while the back has a certificate of authenticity.

Parallels and Similars: This card is a parallel of the Grace insert set, which has a team logo where the relic window appears on this card. There are Gold #/150, Reward #/23-55 depending on the player, and Patch #/50 parallels (Jeter doesn't have a patch parallel, since his relic is a bat).

Distribution: Cards were randomly inserted into the mid-high range Fleer Showcase packs. One Grace relic card appeared in every two boxes (1:48 packs).

Thoughts: In the mid-2000s parallel/relic craze, the Showcase release is one of many forgotten soon after it hit shelves. The Grace set doesn't break any design grounds, and it hardly stands out, but if your favorite player has a relic in the set, it displays well, with a classy feel.

Additional Images:

2011 Topps Heritage Minors Real One Autographs

Set Size: 50

Design Notes: The cards are designed to look similar to 1962 Topps - you know, wood borders - with the small addition of a gigantic off-white stripe for a stickered autograph to go. The backs still follow the 1962 Topps design, but have an RA- prefixed card number.

Parallels and Similars: The set is a parallel of the base 2011 Topps Heritage Minors base set, which is nearly identical to the 2011 Topps Heritage set, which is nearly identical to the 1962 Topps set. Yeah. There's a lot of reuse of card designs going on here. The autograph set has blue, green, and red tint variation parallelss, black border parallels, and printing plates.

Distribution: Cards were randomly inserted into boxes of 2011 Topps Heritage Minors. Two autographs are found in each box of Minors.

Thoughts: I understand the interest in the Heritage line, and while I don't collect the set I like some of the basic ideas behind it. Heritage, with minor leaguers, though, just doesn't interest me. Especially when a gigantic swatch of off-white wood grain shows up for a sticker autograph. There isn't much interest in minor league cards anyway, and Bowman has Topps' prospect bases covered. I like minor league issues, but I wish Topps wouldn't take their MLB designs and stick them on MiLB sets. Tekotte made his MLB debut last year, but the statistics just aren't there. He's currently at .133 for the year, though he's only had 15 at-bats.

Additional Images:

2011 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Memorabilia

Set size: 51 cards

Front Design: The fronts are designed similar to the regular Goodwin Champions release. The player's photo is at the top, with his or her name and sport over the photo. A curved banner containing an eagle and the letters "M" and "C" identifies this as the memorabilia set. The memorabilia itself is contained in a gold-bordered "M" cutout, with embelishments on either side. The Goodwin Champions logo banner is across the bottom.

Back Design: The backs are much less detailed, and are printed on gray cardstock. The card number (or letters) are at the top, followed by authentication text. Copyright and logos are at the bottom.

Parallels and Similars: A dual memorabilia parallel exists for 11 players, but they are easily distinguished from the regular set.

Distribution: Memorabilia cards were inserted about one per box of 2011 Goodwin Champions. They are separated into groups, with the easiest group being 1:22 packs and the most difficult single-memorabilia tier at 1:14,613.

Thoughts: Goodwin Champions had its detractors because of the use of casual images, but I think it is one of the best releases of the year. The memorabilia checklist is pretty impressive across several sports, which makes this set even better of a multi-sport release. This is the first 2011 card featured in a long time, and the first relic card on the blog.