Sports activities playing cards within the mid to late 1990’s are recognized for his or her new applied sciences and flashy, modern designs. This period of sports activities playing cards can be well-known for uncommon, serial-numbered parallel playing cards just like the Precious Metal Gems (PMG) and Essential Credentials. Proper up there in recognition with these 2 are the Star Rubies parallel playing cards from Skybox.
Let’s check out among the units and designs which have made the “Rubies” parallel an iconic chase card for basketball, soccer and baseball collectors.
1996 Skybox Premium Basketball
All of it started in 1996 with the Skybox Premium basketball set. Fleer/SkyBox launched the “Rubies” parallel, including modest hints of ruby purple foil to the bottom playing cards and inserting one per field. These will not be serial numbered and have been apparently distributed unfastened as a field topper. Right here’s a Kobe Bryant rookie card and naturally Michael Jordan.
1997 Skybox Premium Basketball
The next yr, Skybox dug deeper into the mine to revitalize the parallel with a contact of rarity and rebranded it as “Star Rubies”, a serial numbered to 50 set that helped catapult serial-numbered parallels into the mainstream. In nature, star ruby gem stones function a novel inside star-shaped phenomenon referred to as an asterism. A star ruby that includes outstanding shade, reduce, readability, and carat ranks among the many scarcest gems on the planet, and contemplating these Skybox parallels stand among the many toughest-to-find playing cards from the Nineteen Nineties, the Star Rubies title suits completely.
This yr Skybox additionally got here out with a subset referred to as “Group Skybox” that included Star Rubies /50, which gave us one other Michael Jordan treasure!
1997 Skybox Premium Soccer
The “Rubies” parallel makes its approach into soccer with the 1997 Skybox Premium set. Identical to basketball these are serial numbered to 50, with the identical design.
1998 Skybox Premium Basketball
In 1998, the /50 Star Rubies returned for a second yr with one other gorgeous design. All through the ’90s, Fleer/Skybox had an essential rule relating to the design of its playing cards—they may very well be eccentric, however the participant needed to stay the main target. This tactic led to the creation of a number of iconic parallels the place designers reduce out motion images of gamers and plastered them on high of colourful backgrounds. The 1998 Star Rubies adopted different units that used this mannequin, such because the 1995 Extremely Gold Medallions and 1997 Metallic Universe Treasured Metallic Gems. Sequence 1 playing cards equivalent to this Jordan under preserve the Star Rubies’ signature purple foil and showcase a glowing holographic sample that shimmers vertically.
Sequence 2 playing cards (#226-265 serial numbered to only 25 have been rookies equivalent to this Dirk Nowitzki under) function a horizontal sample that emphasizes extra of the rainbow holofoil. Due to the complete bleed of the entrance foil and 4 dark-colored borders on the flip facet, collectors don’t typically discover high-grade examples of 1998 Star Rubies playing cards.
That is Michael Jordan’s last Star Rubies card as he retired after the 1998 season.
1998 Skybox Premium Soccer
In 1998 Skybox Premium Soccer playing cards #1-210 have been serial numbered to 50 within the Star Rubies parallel and rookies (#211-250) like this Peyton Manning under have been serial numbered to 35.
1999 Skybox Premium Basketball
There are 125 Star Rubies veterans numbered to 45 and 25 Star Rubies Rookies numbered to 45. As well as, the rookies even have an “Motion Photograph” variation Star Rubies numbered to 25.
1999 Skybox Premium Soccer
The 1999 Skybox Premium Soccer set featured “Shining Star Rubies” that have been serial numbered to 30 for veterans. Rookies (#211-250) are serial numbered to 30 and there are additionally variations which might be numbered to fifteen which have blue foil stamping on the entrance.
1999 Skybox Premium Baseball
It was about time that baseball bought into the Star Rubies combine! 1999 Skybox Premium was the debut of the baseball Star Rubies parallel. Every of the 300 base playing cards can be found in a Star Rubies parallel which is serial-numbered to 50 copies. Rookies (#223-272) have an extra “Motion” Star Rubies that’s serial numbered to fifteen.
There was additionally a “Spring Fling” subset that contained Star Rubes parallels numbered to 50.
2000 Skybox Soccer
At this level Skybox has began to dilute and cannibalize the Star Rubies model with many appearances all through the units. That they had a number of insert units along with the bottom set that featured the Star Rubies parallel. With respect to the bottom set there was an unnumbered Star Rubies inserted 1:12 packs and a Star Rubies Excessive that was serial numbered to 50 like under:
2000 Skybox Baseball
2000 Skybox Baseball resembled soccer with a number of inserts that featured the Star Rubies parallel, an unnumbered Star Rubies and a Star Rubies Excessive serial numbered to 50 like under.
Publish 2000 Period
The Star Rubies parallel does proceed on for the three sports activities in varied units all the best way to 2004 beneath the Fleer model (generally referred to as “Star Ruby”). Many are serial numbered however the designs lack the innovation and magic that the run from 1996-2000 had. Right here’s some examples to shut it out.
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