Ultra Baseball Card Guide

1991 Ultra

The 400-card debut includes multiple player photographs and a separate ten-card Ultra Team insert, sometimes called Ultra Gold. That insert nickname should not be confused with the later full Gold Medallion parallel program. Identify the actual card number and group.

1992 Ultra

The 600-card release uses two equal series and moves to glossy, full-bleed photography with a marbleized lower design. Tony Gwynn tribute content adds separate inserts and autographs. A printed tribute card is not automatically a hand-signed version.

1993 Ultra

The checklist expands to 650 cards, with a larger second series accommodating the new Colorado and Florida clubs. The design closely resembles 1992, making the back and number essential. Expansion-team content helps distinguish the later checklist.

1994 Ultra

Two equal series form a 600-card base set, with foil stamping on both sides. Rising Stars and On-Base Leaders are separate insert groups. The base foil treatment should not be mistaken for the Gold Medallion parallel introduced the following year.

1995 Ultra

The 450-card issue introduces Gold Medallion as a parallel program. Its two series contain 250 and 200 cards. Gold Medallion and the year's varied inserts need separate lists; gold color alone does not identify which group a card belongs to.

1996 Ultra

The 600-card set uses noticeably thicker stock and continues Gold Medallion. Season Crowns, Rising Stars and Thunder Clap provide additional insert projects. Material thickness is an intended product feature, while the precise insert or parallel still needs checklist verification.

1997 Ultra

The 553-card checklist has extra Series Two cards available in the hobby version beyond retail's run. David Ortiz appears under David Arias-Ortiz in that extension. A collection built from retail Series Two alone cannot cover the full annual checklist.

1998 Ultra

The 501-card issue introduces short-printed base groups including Season Crowns, Prospects and Pizzazz. Mike Piazza's Mets card is a late addition at 501. Those special designs and the final number are part of the documented base completion target.

1999 Ultra

Ultra returns to a single 250-card series, with the last 35 cards short-printed. Gold Medallion is a separate treatment. A collection containing only the common portion should not be described as complete without checking the final block.

2000 Ultra

The 300-card set ends with fifty short-printed Prospects. Gold Medallion continues alongside Feel the Game and Fresh Ink content. An autograph or memorabilia card from the product is distinct from a prospect base card of the same player.

2001 Ultra

The annual run reaches 280 cards, with five numbered continuation cards distributed in Fleer Platinum RC. Those final cards are numbered to 1,499, unlike the ordinary Ultra prospect groups. Host product and annual checklist identity should both be recorded.

2002 Ultra

The 285-card checklist combines 200 ordinary cards with short-printed All-Stars, Teammates and Prospects. Multi-player Teammates cards occupy their own numbers. Count each as one checklist entry rather than multiplying the total by the number of pictured players.

2003 Ultra

The 265-card annual run includes fifteen numbered continuation cards in Fleer Rookies & Greats. Some earlier rookies appear in the 2002 Ultra design within the 2003 product. Design-reference year and actual issue year must therefore be distinguished.

2004 Ultra

The 395-card release includes a substantial Update Series after the original 220-card issue. Both portions contain short-print content. A complete annual collection needs the continuation rather than simply every card from the first release.

2005 Ultra

The 220-card set places twenty short-printed prospects at its end. Follow the Leader and Kings memorabilia are separate groups. The material statement on a relic card should be recorded directly instead of inferred from the subset's name.

2006 Ultra

The first Upper Deck-era Ultra issue contains 251 cards, including Retro Lucky 13 and a Kenji Johjima exchange-related final entry. A redemption card and the delivered card are different items. Preserve the actual example's status in a collection inventory.

2007 Ultra

The 250-card release has a hobby version named Fleer Ultra SE and a retail format. Its final fifty cards include Ultra Rookies and Lucky 13. Format-specific content and base short prints should be identified separately rather than treating every SE card as a unique parallel.

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