Cheap Wax Wednesday Box Breaks: 1996 Fleer Update Baseball
1996 Fleer Update Baseball has a base checklist of 250 cards. They come with a matte finish and gold foil text on the card fronts. The best part about the matte finish of these cards? No risk of sticking together and bricking, something I obviously encounter in older products. Each base card also has a glossy Tiffany parallel. This wasn’t a great checklist in regards to Rookie Cards, the best being Rich Aurilia, Mike Cameron, and Raul Ibanez.
This being a Fleer product, of course there are inserts. Just four are possible in this retail box, though: Smooth Leather, Headliners, Soaring Stars, and Diamond Tribute. All of these, with the exception of Diamond Tribute will be found in every box. Diamond Tribute cards landed about once in every couple boxes at 1:100 packs.
1996 Fleer Update Baseball Box Break
Cards per pack: 11
Packs per box: 48
Price paid: $45
Shop for 1996 Fleer Update Baseball boxes on eBay.
Pack 1 highlights:
Tony Phillips & Roberto Kelly Tiffany (one per pack)
The matte finish also makes these cards great for autographs.
Pack 2:
Cal Ripken Jr., Joe Girardi, Barry Larkin, Rey Ordonez CL & Robert Perez Tiffany
Pack 3:
Jamie Moyer, Jermaine Dye, Matt Williams, Danny Darwin Tiffany & Ken Griffey, Jr. Smooth Leather (1:5 packs)
Pack 4:
Dwight Gooden, Mike Cameron RC, Mike Piazza, Bob Abreu, Tilson Brito Tiffany & Chipper Jones Soaring Stars (1:11 packs)
Pack 5:
Kevin Mitchell, Kevin Brown, Roger Cedeno, Chip Hale Tiffany & Greg Maddux Headliners (1:6 packs)
Mitchell played just 27 games in Boston after a deadline trade. The Sox sent Brad Tweedlie and Roberto Mejia to the Reds for him.
Pack 6:
Tony Phillips & Lance Johnson Tiffany
Pack 7:
Ryne Sandberg, Jose Canseco & Dennis Eckersley Tiffany
Pack 8:
Ron Gant, Jeff Bagwell, Willie McGee & Mark Gardner Tiffany
Pack 9:
Derek Jeter, Barry Larkin, Rey Ordonez CL & Jayhawk Owens Tiffany
Jayhawk was actually Owens’ middle name. His first name is Claude.
Pack 10:
Ryan Klesko, Jermaine Dye, Matt Williams, Tim Raines Tiffany & Matt Williams Smooth Leather (1:5 packs)
Pack 11:
Dennis Eckersley, Dwight Gooden, Mike Cameron RC, Mike Piazza, Kevin Brown & Mike Cameron Tiffany
Pack 12:
Roger Cedeno, Roger McDowell Tiffany & Juan Gonzalez Headliners (1:6 packs)
Pack 13:
Tony Gwynn, Andres Galarraga & Dave Veres Tiffany
Pack 14:
Randy Johnson, Rick Aguilera, Ryne Sandberg CL, Chad Mottola Tiffany & Rey Ordonez Smooth Leather (1:5 packs)
Pack 15:
Reggie Sanders & Andy Fox Tiffany
Andy Fox is currently the first base coach for the Red Sox.
Pack 16:
Harold Baines, Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Bonds CL, Al Leiter, Hideo Nomo Tiffany & Jeff Bagwell Headliners (1:6 packs)
Pack 17:
Cecil Fielder, Mark Grace, David Wells, Frank Thomas & Brett Mayne Tiffany
Pack 18:
Kenny Rogers, Lance Johnson, Devon White, Melvin Nieves Tiffany & Barry Bonds Smooth Leather (1:5 packs)
Pack 19:
Ryne Sandberg CL & Gary Gaetti Tiffany
Pack 20:
Rick Aguilera, Jorge Fabregas Tiffany & Will Clark Smooth Leather (1:5 packs)
Smooth Leather is fitting. Will Clark won the 1991 Gold Glove at first base.
Pack 21:
Cal Ripken, Jr., Rey Ordonez, Reggie Sanders, Jermaine Dye Tiffany & Jeff Bagwell Soaring Stars (1:11 packs)
Pack 22:
Chipper Jones, Harold Baines, Ken Griffey, Jr., Barry Bonds CL, Chris Haney Tiffany & Albert Belle Headliners (1:6 packs)
Pack 23:
Ryne Sandberg, Mark Grace, Frank Thomas & Dave Hollins Tiffany
Pack 24:
Jamie Moyer, Tony Gwynn & Mike Kelly Tiffany
Pack 25:
B.J. Surhoff, Derek Bell, Jack McDowell, Wally Joyner & Curtis Goodwin Tiffany
Surhoff was a super steady bat. He finished his 19-year career with 2,326 hits and a .282 batting average.
Pack 26:
Ron Gant, Wade Boggs, Jim Edmonds, Kenny Lofton & Charlie O’Brien Tiffany
Pack 27:
Jason Isringhausen, Richard Hidalgo, Kenny Rogers Tiffany & Ken Griffey Jr. Headliners (1:6 packs)
Pack 28:
Ryan Klesko, Vince Coleman, Eric Davis & Mark Clark Tiffany
Pack 29:
Manny Ramirez, Benito Santiago, Roberto Alomar, Sammy Sosa, Steve Gibralter Tiffany & Randy Johnson Headliners (1:6 packs)
Pack 30:
Jeff Bagwell, Willie McGee & Willie Greene Tiffany
Willie McGee doesn’t get a ton of love. He was a really good player, though. He won the 1985 NL MVP, a Silver Slugger (also ‘85), two batting titles, and three Gold Gloves.
Pack 31:
Albert Belle, Barry Bonds, Jason Kendall, Jose Malave Tiffany & Frank Thomas Headliners (1:6 packs)
Pack 32:
Julio Franco, Derek Bell, Jack McDowell, Wally Joyner & Matt Luke Tiffany
Pack 33:
Otis Nixon, Wade Boggs, Kenny Lofton & Kimera Bartee Tiffany
Pack 34:
Rey Ordonez, Jason Isringhausen, Richard Hidalgo, Reggie Sanders Tiffany & Raul Mondesi Smooth Leather (1:5 packs)
Pack 35:
Tino Martinez, Vince Coleman, Eric Davis, David Doster Tiffany & Ken Griffey Jr. Soaring Stars (1:11 packs)
How about these Soaring Stars inserts? Griffey definitely helps.
Pack 36:
Paul Molitor, Roberto Alomar, Bernard Gilkey, Bob Abreu, Sammy Sosa, Raul Mondesi Tiffany & Hideo Nomo Headliners (1:6 packs)
Pack 37:
Manny Ramirez, Jimmy Key, Luis Alicea Tiffany & Manny Soaring Stars (1:11 packs)
Pack 38:
Raul Ibanez RC, Rich Aurilia RC, Rickey Henderson, Scott McClain Tiffany & Kenny Lofton Headliners (1:6 packs)
Pack 39:
Benito Santiago, Juan Gonzalez, Ken Griffey, Jr. CL & Jimmy Key Tiffany
Pack 40:
Greg Maddux, Raul Mondesi, Mo Vaughn & Ken Ryan Tiffany
1996 was the only season of Vaughn’s career that he finished over 1.000 OPS. His 1.003 OPS would’ve trailed just Judge and Ohtani this season.
Pack 41:
Tim Raines, Tom Gordon, Paul Wilson Tiffany & Kenny Lofton Smooth Leather (1:5 packs)
Pack 42:
Hideo Nomo, Gary Sheffield, Frank Thomas CL & Mike Durant Tiffany
Pack 43:
Manny Ramirez, Lance Johnson, Mo Vaughn, Don Slaught Tiffany, Tony Gwynn Headliners (1:20 packs) & Greg Maddux Smooth Leather (1:5 packs)
Pack 44:
Cecil Fielder, Jose Canseco, Jimmy Key, & Omar Daal Tiffany
Pack 45:
Rickey Henderson, Osvaldo Fernandez Tiffany & Manny Ramirez Headliners (1:6 packs)
There really are so many great Henderson base cards with this being yet another example.
Pack 46:
Juan Gonzalez, Mike Piazza, Ken Griffey, Jr. CL & Jamie Moyer Tiffany
Pack 47:
Kenny Rogers, Tim Salmon, Greg Maddux, Raul Mondesi & Chris Singleton Tiffany
Pack 48:
Tom Gordon, Kevin Mitchell, David Wells Tiffany & Cal Ripken, Jr. Smooth Leather (1:5 packs)
Lastly, the Flash Gordon card back. They did these right and are loaded with career stats.
Unfortunately no Diamond Tribute insert in this one. They are tough — and awesome. I don’t think I own a single card from the set. Maybe it’s time to find one.
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Want more installments of Shane Salmonson’s Cheap Wax Wednesday? Check out his other breaks in the archives.
