What are your iconic insert sets ?

This doesn't have to be something now that holds incredible value. This is a, at the time they were released or not that long after their initial release, that the cards blew up and stoked excitement in the collector in you. This is my list, so feel free to disagree / agree and then name what you were interested in when it came out or that still peaks your interest to this day.

1. 1991 Donruss Elite. Unreal. Serial numbered cards in packs ? And how much do they book for ?!?!?! Never pulled one, but have owned Matt Williams and Ken Griffey Jr. Such an awesome set that is still ultra popular, in most of it's inserted years, to this day.

2. 1992 Fleer Rookie Sensations. This was the insert set for me for a few years. Even if some of the players in the checklist (Rich Delucia, Wes Chamberlin, Chito Martinez, Steve Chitren) didn't exactly light the world on fire, you still had Ivan Rodriguez, Juan Guzman, Chuck Knoblauch, Jeff Bagwell, Ray Lankford, Jeff Fassero (folks forget how solid he was), Phil Plantier (hey, he had a 30 HR season), Frank Thomas and Todd Van Poppel (who, even if he didn't pan out, was the hottest thing since sliced bread in '91 - '93). This set will always be near and dear to my heart.

3. 1992 Pinnacle Rookie Idols. What probably did it for me was seeing Nolan Ryan and Todd Van Poppel on one card. I loved Todd. His card was the most I had ever spent on a card (at the time, $12 for the '91 Leaf Gold Rookies). Seeing that this card, out of the set, booked for $120 just baffled me. A want that I've never had the chance to own, yet. Ripken / Eddie Zosky card was another one that I always yearned for. After typing this all out and seeing what they're going for now, I may have to get amongst putting the set together !

4. 1993 Select Stars. The first time I fully remember the dufex foil technology. These are cards that I still try to get at shows, especially when unsuspecting dealers have them in their dollar or cheaper boxes.

5. 1994 SP Holoview / Holoview Die-Cuts. Unreal. I couldn't believe these cards when I saw them. The film style with the tiny hologram face in the corner. PLUS, you had a recently drafted A-Rod AND Michael Jordan in the set, along with veterans & rookies ? You couldn't lose !!! I'm still on the chase for Clifford Floyd, in the die-cut version. These have maintained a solid price, not what they use to be, but still command a decent price, no matter who the card is.

6. 1996 Select Mirrors. The first really 'ultra limited' cards. Remember on the Beckett Buy / Sell / Trade in '98 seeing very few of these and that never seemed to change. Still looking for the Abreu Gold, for my collection.

7. 1998 Donruss Crusade. As soon as I saw these, like the rest of us 90's inserts enthusiasts, I immediately fell in love with the design. I had a few, but truly regret selling the Mike Cameron Red #'d/25 for $60, again, back on the Beckett Buy / Sell / Trade days. This design was attempted to be replicated by Panini and Leaf, but nothing will even come close to original. Best part about this set is that it was inserted over a couple Donruss / Leaf products and that the checklist was fairly deep (hell, when Brad Fullmer, even then as a top tier prospect, is in a set, you know the checklist will be deep). Having three variations of the card helps the chase for collector's to this day.


What are yours ? Stories behind them ?

I love me some 1997 Pinnacle Totally Certified and Certified sets
Love the design

As a rainbow / set chaser there were plenty of colors and print runs to chase to which I'm still chasing today

And the lure of going ape**** with getting cards with and without the peel has made it even more enticing to keep collecting.... But I'm a nutjob lol







Another great set is the 1997 Finest
Lots of variation and I really like how pitchers and power hitters and regular players have different themed cards and with the multi colors and different cuts (embossed and refractor the the combination of both) gives the collector plenty to go after

My favorites were foil 94 Ultra On Base Leaders, the run of Leaf Statistical Standouts (95-97), the 93 Select R/T Rookie dufex cards and the special Ryan, Piazza, Salmon. I also loved the 1994 Sportflic R/T Rookie Starflic set, which I am still short Arod to complete. I was a sucker for foil, acetate, dufex, lenticular…you name it! So many more great cards from that time that I can't name, but perhaps my favorite was the basketball hot numbers/Playmakers lenticulars. Too bad baseball didn't have a similar set!

I really enjoyed the pacific insert sets. No matter the product
Flair hot gloves
Donruss diamond kings when they became numbered inserts

Coming from someone who would rather ditch insert cards than collect them, it's rare that I buy complete insert sets. My "iconic" sets are Mascot insert sets and "Opening Day" insert sets.

I know they aren't hobby groundbreaking. I like the mascot sets because I enjoy mascot antics and it's not very common for mascots to have their own cards other than the inserts topps has done.

I also enjoy baseball moment cards and Opening Day is among tops for me because those cards commemorate one of the best days on the baseball calendar and actually use a photo of that moment on the card. It's quite a turnoff to me when a lot of baseball moment cards commemorate something and the photo is a stock photo and not a photo of the actual player or team at that moment or day in time. Opening Day inserts do not disappoint because it is designed properly as a baseball moment card.

While certainly not valuable (and never really popular), the Glossy All-Star inserts from Topps rack packs in the 80s were pretty iconic. Six or seven years of almost the exact same design, and always on top of the pack so you knew which card you were getting.

My favorite insert set of all time comes from a recent product: the 2011 Topps Marquee Museum Collection autographs.

While probably not viewed as “iconic” right now, I think they will be in the future. They’re rare, and they’re awesome. It’s too bad a few of the players on the checklist were never made.

I know people are probably tired of seeing this one so sorry, but the 1998 donruss preferred precious metals set is one that until you see any of the cards in person you really cant appreciate them. The first one I ever bought was a Kenny Lofton on ebay for like 22 dollars. When the card arrived I was surprised to see that the cards were actually smaller in size to the regular issue, they came in a laminate and they SHINED REALLY BRIGHT in sunlight. To say the least, I WAS HOOKED when I saw how nice they reflected. all years and sports look great IMO

First One I ever Got











1997 Looks Nice too

94 collectors choice silver sig.

This set got me back into the hobby and I really liked the sig inserts.

Also thought the 95 topps cyberstats were really cool since they estimated stats based on if the strike never happened.

Sent from my HTCONE using Freedom Card Board mobile app

1986 Fleer All-Stars and Future Hall of Famers

The All-Stars were Fleer's first inserts in wax packs, and Future Hall of Famers were inserted in Rack Packs.

Not in any order but I loved these early 90s sets / parallels in baseball (some carried over into other sports).

92 Team Pinnacles (I think some of the other years look great too)

95 Leaf Stat Standouts (some other years too)

94 Pinnacle Museums (One of my favorite parallels, and the FB set was one of my first parallel sets I built. 95s were ok also)

94-96 Finest Refractors (Wasn't their first years obviously , but were my faves and into other sports also)

94 Holoviews (The Reds are still a favorite)

94 Flair Hot Gloves (other years were nice also)

91-93 Elites / Legends

I'm sure there are others , but that's some of mine

Ryan

1998 Essential Credentials is one of my favorite.