Name the top 5 inserts from 1990s & for the 2000s

[KLARNOLD]

Name your top 5 inserts from the 1990s & your top 5 inserts from the 2000s based on scarcity or collectability or value

 

[sportscardtheory]

These are the '90s ones off the top of my head.

1. 1998 Bowman Chrome Golden Anniversary Refractors /5
2. 1998 Donruss Crusade Red /25
3. 1998 Circa Thunder Super Rave /25
4. 1997 SPx Grand Finale /50
5. 1998 Donruss Preferred Precious Metals /50

 

[clarkfan]

Here is 3 more biggies, but above poster nailed some of the others:

1999 Fleer Brilliants 24KT Gold /24
1997 Totally Certified Gold /30
1996 Pinnacle Mirror Gold /30

 

[sportscardtheory]

Here is 3 more biggies, but above poster nailed some of the others:

1999 Fleer Brilliants 24KT Gold /24
1997 Totally Certified Gold /30
1996 Pinnacle Mirror Gold /30

I forgot about the '96 Mirror Golds. They would probably be above the Super Raves, bumping the Precious Metals out of the top-5.

 

[clarkfan]

Maybe even a nod for the Precious Metal Gems of 50 too. Not as collectible as the basketball equivalents, but still sell pretty strong.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1998-Fleer-...0612185029?pt=US_Baseball&hash=item1e6917c7c5

 

[smapdi]

1993 Finest Refractors
1994 UD SP Holoview (blues and reds)
1997 Donruss Signature Notable Nicknames
1998 Donruss Crusades (red or green, depending on your tolerance)
1999 UD Retro Quantum Leap

2001 Topps Heritage Chrome (plus black parallels from later years)
Any year Topps Heritage autographs (and red parallels)
Any year A&G autographs
2005 UD Sweet Spot jumbo patches
2005 UD Ultimate Signature (various subsets to your tastes)

 

[Gwynn545]

Boy, this topic has been done many times, but never continued.
No offense to the OP, it's just that usually this type of thread turns into a listing of a hundred insert sets (Please see: Oh Super Sweet 90's Inserts.... #1, #2 and #3.

That being said, so far, this thread looks pretty clean. Sportscardtheory came up with a list of 5 good ones. I think to add to the list, we should have a reason to take one of his out, and which to put in. Clarkfan, you listed three more- where would you rank them in Sportscardtheory's list?

1. 1998 Bowman Chrome Golden Anniversary Refractors /5
2. 1998 Donruss Crusade Red /25
3. 1998 Circa Thunder Super Rave /25
4. 1997 SPx Grand Finale /50
5. 1998 Donruss Preferred Precious Metals /50

Personally, with the Grand Finale's being so similar to the golds, it takes some of the appeal off...
The 97 Certified Golds are great, but the backdoored issue takes off some appeal to me...
I wonder if we could combine Super Raves (98,99) and combine Precious Metals (97, 98).
Finally, the Bowman Chrome Anniversary is too limited for my list... so I added the Quantum Leap...

My list:
1. 1997 Select Certified Mirror Gold/30
2. 1998 Donruss Crusade Red/25
3. 97, 98 Precious Metals/50
4. 98,99 Super Raves/25
5. 98 UD Retro Quantum Leap/50

 

[sportscardtheory]

Boy, this topic has been done many times, but never continued.
No offense to the OP, it's just that usually this type of thread turns into a listing of a hundred insert sets (Please see: Oh Super Sweet 90's Inserts.... #1, #2 and #3.

That being said, so far, this thread looks pretty clean. Sportscardtheory came up with a list of 5 good ones. I think to add to the list, we should have a reason to take one of his out, and which to put in. Clarkfan, you listed three more- where would you rank them in Sportscardtheory's list?

1. 1998 Bowman Chrome Golden Anniversary Refractors /5
2. 1998 Donruss Crusade Red /25
3. 1998 Circa Thunder Super Rave /25
4. 1997 SPx Grand Finale /50
5. 1998 Donruss Preferred Precious Metals /50

Personally, with the Grand Finale's being so similar to the golds, it takes some of the appeal off...
The 97 Certified Golds are great, but the backdoored issue takes off some appeal to me...
I wonder if we could combine Super Raves (98,99) and combine Precious Metals (97, 98).
Finally, the Bowman Chrome Anniversary is too limited for my list... so I added the Quantum Leap...

My list:
1. 1997 Select Certified Mirror Gold/30
2. 1998 Donruss Crusade Red/25
3. 97, 98 Precious Metals/50
4. 98,99 Super Raves/25
5. 98 UD Retro Quantum Leap/50

Good list. I have seen a Grand Finale Jeter sell for $750 and a Gwynn for around $140, both this year, completed sales on eBay. I think they are still pretty hard to find regardless of the Golds looking similar. That recent '96 Mirror Gold Gwynn sale blew my mind. :shock:

 

[clarkfan]

I like the 1997 Totally Certified Platinum Gold's of 30, those were what I was referring to above, not the regular 1997 Mirror Gold's. Those are nice too, but like above poster mentioned, the backdoored ones have softened the demand on the 1997 Mirror's, but the Platinum Totally Certified Gold's are machine serially numbered to 30, no backdoored ones from those that I've even seen anyway.

It's impossible to make a concrete top 5 (for me, or anyone really), always debated every time we have a list topic made like this, but I like Crusade Red, Brilliants 24KT Gold, Totally Certified Gold, Super Rave's, and 1996 Mirror Gold's . . . that's a good start for me.

 

[ASTROBURN]

I would have to give a +1 to the 1993 Finest refractors. Back when I started collecting, that set was everyones "white whale". Almost every star player was booking over a grand. Now they are reletively cheap since all the new stuff is short printed and numbered. But at the time, those were THE card to get.

 

[cbrandtw]

Let's let this thread run for a little while to develop a top 7 or 10 and then put a poll out there to settle this opinionated question.

 

[magicpapa]

Most posted picture in FCB History?

***UPDATED***

 

[sportscardtheory]

Forgot about the 1997 Finest Gold Embossed Refractors. Those are top-10 if, if not top-5.

 

[AndruwHRJones]

The lists for these could be limitless, based on personal preferences. Either way, here is my list for the 90's

1. 1998 Donruss Crusade Red/25
2. 1997 Totally Certified Gold /30
3. 1997 Precious Metals/50
4. 1999 Bowman Chrome Gold Refractors /25
5. 1998 Pinnacle Plus Team Pinnacle Mirror /25

90's that I excluded based on availability (less than 25)

1998 Bowman Chrome Golden Anniversary Refractors /5
1998 Collector's Choice Crash the Game Instant Win /??
1998 Leaf Fractal Materials Z2 Axis /20
1998 Pacific Online Winners /??
1997 Finest Gold Embossed Refractors /??
1997 Bowman's Best Atomic Refractors Inverted /??
1999 Fleer Brilliants 24-Karat Gold /24

The 2000's could produce a ton of different lists, I wouldn't know where to begin with there being so many options.

 

[beefycheddar]

1) 1993 Finest Ref
2) 1996 Mirror Gold
3) 1998 Crusade Red
4) Various Year Baseball Heroes autographs
5) 1997 Totally Certified Gold /30

Would be my list.

 

[gracecollector]

Someone do a list of real INSERTS (totally different design than base cards) instead of PARALLELS (same design as base set, but color/foil change). Most of the cards listed in this thread are parallels and not inserts.

Cool 90's inserts:

Donruss Crusades
Pinnacle Skylines
Donruss Preferred Precious Metals
Zenith Diamond Club
Pacific Cramer's Choice

 

[George_Calfas]

This is an interesting problem space. I feel the list should be A). Parallel sets and B). Insert sets

A).
1993 Finest Refractors are King.
1996 Mirror Golds
1998 Crusades
1997 Totally Certified Platinum Gold

B).
1997 Gold Die cut Embossed Refractors
Precious Metals
Any thing redemption
Finest "The Man" and "Centurions"
Leaf Die-cuts

 

[MOFNY]

It is difficult to name a top 5 list for the 2000s that doesn't include an autograph or GU. 90s obviously is completely different. I'm honestly having difficultly naming stand-alone-non-parallel insert sets from the 2000s.

 

[Gwynn545]

It is difficult to name a top 5 list for the 2000s that doesn't include an autograph or GU. 90s obviously is completely different. I'm honestly having difficultly naming stand-alone-non-parallel insert sets from the 2000s.

I agree... tough!
For 2000's the Lettermen were innovative and collectible, but covers many years. Also, the Sweet Spot cards were innovative, too, but covered many years...
how about these:

not really an insert, though... this is tougher... All the more inclined to give Topps credit for it's 2011 Diamond Die-Cuts (and Black Diamond) for keeping with the old-school inserts (even though they weren't inserts, either.. ::facepalm::

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

1997 Flair Showcase Masterpieces - the first unique 1/1s - should be In the mix both for aesthetics and historical significance. Also of note is that even though they're parallels, their backs are entirely different than the backs of their base cards.