In 1986-87, Fleer was known for a base set plus stickers. “Set plus stickers” repeated until ”90-91 when Fleer abandoned the stickers for two insert sets, All-Stars and Rookie Sensations. Rookie Sensations continued on in 1991-92 and became a recurring insert set.
The ’91-92 Rookie Sensations were found in pre-priced, series one, cello packs. The cello packs were printed to sell for $1.99 and had 53 cards in them! Some sources say the cards were in every other pack, other sources say it was more like two in every three packs. Either way, they’re reasonably common and not hard to find.
Fleer selected ten top rookies from the previous season for this set. The cards had a magenta border and although it didn’t have too much of a connection to the base set, it was similar in color to the Dominique Wilkins and Dikembe Mutombo insert backgrounds. And instead of a large “Rookie Sensations” logo like the previous year, Fleer opted for a header that says “Rookie Sensations” and a basketball with flames saying “Fleer ’91” in the upper-left corner. These flames are a little rough, along with the design as a whole. Although the player emerging cartoon-like from a basketball rim is kind of fun, it’s a bit of a mystery why the player completely disappears below the rim and can’t be seen through the net lacing. A time portal perhaps… The reverse is completely text-based except for the logo and header along with a small “x out of 10” card number. The reverse is a real nice overview of Payton’s rookie season from what is described as a “confident, a bit arrogant” appearance, “having a bumpy time” adjusting to the league, and successfully ending with all-Rookie honors while ranking in the top twenty for steals and assists.
In ’91-92, some of the excitement was diminished because popular rookies like Gary Payton were already introduced in ’90-91 sets. In fact, 1990-91 Hoops and Skybox marked one of the first times that current-year rookies appeared in sets because of the introduction of a second series.
The “9 of 10” Gary Payton is definitely the most sought after of this set.
You must be logged in to post a comment.