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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Review: Fleer Ultra 1995 X-Men All Chromium Hobby Box

Hello to everybody. My first review isn’t for a new set or box. I will dedicate it to a set of cards from the ‘90s, the Fleer Ultra 1995 X-Men All Chromium. I bought a 2nd box to complete the base set and the chase sets.

The Hobby box of 36 packs (Figure 1) is scarce, but can be found in eBay for more than a $100 in “buy now”. For my opinion that is too high. I always got them in auctions for no more than $50.

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Figure 1. The box.


The set is composing of 100 cards. It has 3 types of inserts sets:  100 Gold Foil Signature (1:1 pack), 20 Impact Cards (1:2 packs), and 9 Holoflash Cards (1:6 packs). In this box I found 39 Gold Foil (Figure 2), 17 Impact, 6 Holoflash (Figure 3), and base set (finally).

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Figure 2. Gold Signature Cards.


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Figure 3. The Holoflash Cards.


The illustrations in the base set are great drawings by the Kubert family: Joe Kubert (father), Andy Kubert (Son), and Adam Kubert (Son). The Impact Cards are 10 heroes and villains with their alternates’ characters from the Age of Apocalypse. The cards are embossed and contrary to the rest of the cards aren’t in glossy stock or with metallic inks.

The condition of the cards is fantastic. Even with box in bad condition. The base, Gold, Holoflash cards can be found in Near Mint condition. By my experience open sealed boxes. The best are the cards with wrappers packs in aluminum because in paper or plastic. If you drop the box even sealed by accident be prepare to lose maybe 10% to 20% of the cards. An example is DC Cosmic Cards (Impel). The Impact Cards in other hand get them in Near Mint is more difficult. Some of them get thick with other cards. And some has greases in the corners even when you found them in a center of a package surrounded by NM cards. When opening the cards you must be careful because this series suffers what I call the “Magneto Problem”. In other words cards get thick one to the other due to the pressure.

The set has excellent artwork and the Chase Cards aren’t something great, but like the cards ’90 the focus was the base set. The design & illustrations are good. The condition of the cards in general is fantastic. If you open a “sealed box” expects to get near 90% of the cards in “Near Mint–Mint” Condition. As far the only “glossy” cards of the 90’s I found without the “Magneto Problem” are the 1994 Flair Marvel. 


The Good
-          Base set illustrations were made by famous artist.
-          Condition of the cards.
-          Three levels of Inserts.

The Bad
-          Difficult to complete base set with some boxes.
-          Condition of some Impact cards.
-          Magneto Problem.



If you are interesting to buy Fleer Ultra 1995 X-Men All Chromium sets, single/base/common cards or chase cards check my store: