Early Preview: 2012-13 Upper Deck Fleer Retro Basketball

Upper Deck Fleer Retro Football goes live today, some singles began to show up on eBay yesterday from dealers in Asia, but with football now available and Fleer Retro Hockey set to hit the shelves in a month it is time to start looking at the next round of retro products.

 

Upper Deck has released information regarding the upcoming 2012-13 Fleer Retro Basketball release, scheduled to be released in June 2013. Boxes should be roughly the same price as last year’s release, $350-400 a Master Box. All box break info is based on the 20-pack master box.

 

Box Break:

6 Autographs
4 Inserts
1 Lucky 13
2 Fleer EX cards
6 Rookie Sensations

The base set is made up of 80 cards, 50 regular cards and 30 Rookie Sensations. The Autographic autos are based on the Fresh Ink autos from 1999-2000 and the Rookie Sensations are based on the 1991-92 inserts, the remaining inserts are new this year. Here is a rundown of what you can expect to find in packs:

E/X Essential Credentials

Flair Legacy Row 1
Flair Legacy Row 0
Fleer Molten Metal
Fleer Tradition Playmakers Theatre
Fleer Tradition Thrill Seekers
Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems
Mystique Raise the Roof
Ultra Court Masters
Ultra Platinum Medallion
Ultra Starring Role
Z-Force Big Men on Court
Z-Force Rave
Z-Force Super Rave

 

Last year's release had a bit of (re-imagined/Re-boot) originality, for colloectors who started, or like me came back to collecting in the 1990s this was a nice stroll down memory lane but once we saw the set reintroduced in both football and hockey within months the retro idea seems to already be played out. Yes this set is different from last years but it just does not seem as fresh now.

I do like the Fresh Ink autographs, I do not know if it is because I like AI and Dr. J that is skewing my feelings here though. I am a bit confused by the Lucky 13 cards, Jeremy Lamb was the #12 pick not the #2 pick (Kidd-Gilchrist) and Miles Plumlee was the #26 pick not the #5 pick (Robinson..