Spring 2014 - Item detail
2000 Fleer "Greats of the Game Autographs" Complete Set (92) Plus Rare 2001 Fleer "Greats of the Game" Derek Jeter Autograph
- Sold For:
- $3,851
- Year:
- 2000
- Auction:
- 2014 Spring
- Lot #:
- 840
- Category:
- Postwar Baseball - 1970s to Present Cards
Presented is an extraordinary complete master set of 2000 Fleer "Greats of the Game Autographs," consisting of ninety-two cards, plus an extremely rare 2001 Fleer "Greats of the Game Autographs" Derek Jeter. Issued as a parallel to the "Greats of the Game" base set, Fleer randomly inserted special autographed cards of ninety different retired players, including forty-six Hall of Famers, into packs at a rate of 1:6. Two variations exist (Concepcion/red ink and Score/ROY inscription), both of which are included in this collection. (The Score is more of an uncorrected error as the inscription was only intended to be placed on purple-bordered parallels which Fleer created for four players, and Score mistakenly added the inscription to an unknown number of regular cards.) A third variation is rumored to exist (Berra/blue ink), but our consignor has not personally seen one or seen it referenced as part of a master set.
Fourteen cards were short-printed, eight of which were limited to quantities of between 175 and 300 copies, and pose a significant challenge to anyone attempting to build a complete set. Specifically, the Mike Schmidt and Kirby Puckett examples are the rarest autographs within the set, with a published production of fewer than 175 and 200 cards, respectively. Each was incredibly difficult for our consignor to track down, and they have been offered for sale publicly only a handful of times each, to the best of his knowledge, since the set was issued (in fact, we could only find one image of another signed Schmidt card from this set while researching this issue). The additional short-printed cards are Brett (275 or fewer), Carter, Ford (300 or fewer), Henrich (300 or fewer), Jackson (250 or fewer), Mattingly (300 or fewer), Palmer, Rizzuto (200 or fewer), O. Smith, Snider, Spahn, and Yount.
Each card features a photo of the player on front along with his team's logo and name. A brown border frames the images, and a silver foil stamp with the set name is positioned in either the top left or right corner. All signatures are penned in black Sharpie (with the exception of the noted Concepcion variation). This exceptional set is in overall Nr/Mt to Nr/Mt-Mt condition. Also included with this master set is the rare and significant Derek Jeter "Greats of the Game Autographs" card, which was issued by Fleer as a promotion after the initial set was distributed but was designed in the same style and has long been considered part of the complete set by collectors. Fewer than 150 signed copies of this card were produced, and coupled with the great demand created by Jeter's immense popularity, it is one of the most difficult to acquire and valuable cards in the set. This set represents an incredible collecting accomplishment, and was carefully assembled, card by card, by our consignor over a period of many years. It is obviously the result of a tremendous amount of time, effort, and patience and would be a significant addition to any Hall of Fame, autograph, or modern-card collection. LOA from James Spence/JSA. Total: 93 cards. Reserve $2,000. Estimate (open). SOLD FOR $3,851
Fourteen cards were short-printed, eight of which were limited to quantities of between 175 and 300 copies, and pose a significant challenge to anyone attempting to build a complete set. Specifically, the Mike Schmidt and Kirby Puckett examples are the rarest autographs within the set, with a published production of fewer than 175 and 200 cards, respectively. Each was incredibly difficult for our consignor to track down, and they have been offered for sale publicly only a handful of times each, to the best of his knowledge, since the set was issued (in fact, we could only find one image of another signed Schmidt card from this set while researching this issue). The additional short-printed cards are Brett (275 or fewer), Carter, Ford (300 or fewer), Henrich (300 or fewer), Jackson (250 or fewer), Mattingly (300 or fewer), Palmer, Rizzuto (200 or fewer), O. Smith, Snider, Spahn, and Yount.
Each card features a photo of the player on front along with his team's logo and name. A brown border frames the images, and a silver foil stamp with the set name is positioned in either the top left or right corner. All signatures are penned in black Sharpie (with the exception of the noted Concepcion variation). This exceptional set is in overall Nr/Mt to Nr/Mt-Mt condition. Also included with this master set is the rare and significant Derek Jeter "Greats of the Game Autographs" card, which was issued by Fleer as a promotion after the initial set was distributed but was designed in the same style and has long been considered part of the complete set by collectors. Fewer than 150 signed copies of this card were produced, and coupled with the great demand created by Jeter's immense popularity, it is one of the most difficult to acquire and valuable cards in the set. This set represents an incredible collecting accomplishment, and was carefully assembled, card by card, by our consignor over a period of many years. It is obviously the result of a tremendous amount of time, effort, and patience and would be a significant addition to any Hall of Fame, autograph, or modern-card collection. LOA from James Spence/JSA. Total: 93 cards. Reserve $2,000. Estimate (open). SOLD FOR $3,851