Oh Where, Oh Where Did Fleer Ultra Go?

I was browsing my insert card binder the other day (just to make sure they were all still there) and was struck by one thought and one thought only: "Fleer Ultra made the coolest cards ever". Sure some other brands have come out with standout insert sets, but year in, year out I was always impressed by what I pulled from packs of Ultra. Whether it was a cool diecut, a card that felt like leather or just the right amount of shine, the brand could do no wrong in my book. Sadly, the company died off with the collapse of Fleer and Upper Deck was never able to restore Ultra to its former glory. It's really unfortunate that companies don't spend much time or effort on insert cards anymore, instead investing all their money into game-used and autos. Truth be told, I would much rather pull one of these beauties than another poorly designed relic card with a white swatch. Here's a sampling of some of my favorite Ultra inserts of all-time:

1999 Fleer Ultra Thunderclap: This card demands your attention with a shine brighter than a thousand suns. How cool of a name is Thunderclap for an insert set? These cards are extremely well designed and at 1:36 packs were obtainable but still fell less than one per box, so you felt a sense of accomplishment when you pulled one. The foil looks phenomenal in person.

1999 Fleer Ultra Damage Inc.: Designed to look like a business card, Damage Inc. inserts highlighted the games best sluggers and were a tough pull at 1:72 packs. The coolest part about this card? It even feels like a business card. How great would this be for a TTM?

2000 Fleer Ultra Diamond Producers: Wow! This might be my favorite insert card of all-time. It's made out of plastic, die-cut, shiny and it features one of the best pure hitters of the last few decades. Almost impossible to track down on the secondary market, these baby's were case hits pack in 2000 (1:288 packs). The scan does not do justice to how amazing this card is, a real gem!

2000 Fleer Ultra Swing Kings: I have already professed my love this insert set before, and it's easy to see why...they look awesome and were not too hard to pull at 1:24 packs. If you store them in toploader it almost looks like the card is floating. Why can't companies make cards like this anymore?

All I want for Christmas is for Ultra to return in 2010...

Forgotten Insert Sets: 2000 Ultra Swing Kings

Falling at a rate of 1 in every 24 packs of 2000 Fleer Ultra, the Swing Kings inserts were fairly easy to obtain for collectors and without a doubt these cards were my favorite insert set of the year. I remember pulling an Alex Rodriguez from a pack in 2000 and being genuinely impressed with the quality of the cards. I loved pulling the card so much that I put it in a screwdown holder; no binder for this card, I wanted to look at it all the time! Not only was the card Mariner, but it was a great looking "plastic" type cardstock that was clear except for the player, player's name, brand logo and insert set name. They are very similar to a Studio Stars insert set that came out a few years later, but the Swing Kings have a much cleaner design that really makes the player "pop" out of the card. There is a short writeup of the player's achievements on the back of the card, kind of like the one's found on the back of old Circa products. The text from the Griffey reads: "Don't know why they even call 'em tape measure for you, Junior. One swing of the bat and you need a map to find what's left of the ball." Sounds like a certain scene from The Natural.

After winning the Junior pictured above on eBay I remembered how hard companies used to work on insert sets, using cutting edge technology and great photography to create cards that collectors loved to pull regardless of serial-numbers or game-used swatches. I hope that Topps doesn't become complacent as the lone baseball card manufacturer next year, and maybe they will even draw some inspiration from the past. 2000 Fleer Ultra Swing Kings is a good place to start.