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1997 SPx is a sturdy but condition sensitive die-cut set. The roster is small but strong and the parallels are somewhat confusing. I can remember collecting the run for my player and really having a heck of a time trying to figure out what was what with some of these cards.
Related article: 1997 SPx Baseball Parallel Identification Guide
The hologram is a prominent design feature throughout the 1997 SPx release. Holograms were popular in early 1990s inserts across the trading card spectrum but they waned over time as the decade progressed and were eventually phased out of most products. It was utilized well in the 1997 SPx set and I can’t think of another technology that would’ve been better suited in this design.
To see what’s currently on eBay from 1997 SPx, click here.
Set Information:
1997 SPx is a 50-card set by Upper Deck issued in 3-card hobby-only packs with an SRP of $5.99. The base set includes a Ken Griffey Jr. Sample card that was distributed to dealers and hobby media prior to the product’s release. It’s believed that cards 25-50 in the Steel parallel set were printed in shorter supply than the rest of the cards in the run. The Grand Finale set got its title to signify the fact that 1997 SPx would be the last baseball product Upper Deck would make using holoview technology. Only RC in the set: Jose Cruz Jr.
| Set | Total Card | Print Run(s) | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base | 51 | – | 3:1 |
| Steel | 50 | – | 1:2 |
| Silver | 50 | – | 1:6 |
| Bronze | 50 | – | 1:3 |
| Gold | 50 | – | 1:17 |
| Grand Finale | 50 | 50 | – |
| Bound for Glory | 20 | 1500 | – |
| Bound for Glory Supreme Signatures | 5 | 250 | – |
| Cornerstones of the Game | 10 | 500 | – |
Checklist:
| Card # | Player(s) | Card # | Player(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPX1 | Eddie Murray | SPX26 | Gary Sheffield |
| SPX2 | Darin Erstad | SPX27 | Jeff Bagwell |
| SPX3 | Tim Salmon | SPX28 | Raul Mondesi |
| SPX4 | Andruw Jones | SPX29 | Hideo Nomo |
| SPX5 | Chipper Jones | SPX30 | Mike Piazza |
| SPX6 | John Smoltz | SPX31 | Paul Molitor |
| SPX7 | Greg Maddux | SPX32 | Todd Walker |
| SPX8 | Kenny Lofton | SPX33 | Vladimir Guerrero |
| SPX9 | Roberto Alomar | SPX34 | Todd Hundley |
| SPX10 | Rafael Palmeiro | SPX35 | Andy Pettitte |
| SPX11 | Brady Anderson | SPX36 | Derek Jeter |
| SPX12 | Cal Ripken Jr. | SPX37 | Jose Canseco |
| SPX13 | Nomar Garciaparra | SPX38 | Mark McGwire |
| SPX14 | Mo Vaughn | SPX39 | Scott Rolen |
| SPX15 | Ryne Sandberg | SPX40 | Ron Gant |
| SPX16 | Sammy Sosa | SPX41 | Ken Caminiti |
| SPX17 | Frank Thomas | SPX42 | Tony Gwynn |
| SPX18 | Albert Belle | SPX43 | Barry Bonds |
| SPX19 | Barry Larkin | SPX44 | Jay Buhner |
| SPX20 | Deion Sanders | SPX45 | Ken Griffey Jr. |
| SPX21 | Manny Ramirez | SPX46 | Alex Rodriguez |
| SPX22 | Jim Thome | SPX47 | Jose Cruz Jr. RC |
| SPX23 | Dante Bichette | SPX48 | Juan Gonzalez |
| SPX24 | Andres Galarraga | SPX49 | Ivan Rodriguez |
| SPX25 | Larry Walker | SPX50 | Roger Clemens |
| S45 | Ken Griffey Jr. Sample |
To see what’s currently on eBay from 1997 SPx, click here.
Bound for Glory:
| Card # | Player(s) | Card # | Player(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andruw Jones | 11 | Jeff Bagwell |
| 2 | Chipper Jones | 12 | Mike Piazza |
| 3 | Greg Maddux | 13 | Derek Jeter |
| 4 | Kenny Lofton | 14 | Mark McGwire |
| 5 | Cal Ripken Jr. | 15 | Tony Gwynn |
| 6 | Mo Vaughn | 16 | Ken Caminiti |
| 7 | Frank Thomas | 17 | Barry Bonds |
| 8 | Albert Belle | 18 | Alex Rodriguez |
| 9 | Manny Ramirez | 19 | Ken Griffey Jr. |
| 10 | Gary Sheffield | 20 | Juan Gonzalez |
Bound for Glory Supreme Signatures:
1997 SPx Bound for Glory Supreme Signatures come with the same design as the non-auto set but have the following differences: signed, smaller print run, and no card numbers.
| Card # | Player(s) | Card # | Player(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeff Bagwell | 4 | Alex Rodriguez |
| 2 | Ken Griffey Jr. | 5 | Gary Sheffield |
| 3 | Andruw Jones |
Cornerstones of the Game:
| Card # | Player(s) | Card # | Player(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | K.Griffey Jr./B.Bonds | 6 | J.Bagwell/R.Sandberg |
| 2 | F.Thomas/A.Belle | 7 | M.Pizza/I.Rodriguez |
| 3 | G.Maddux/C.Jones | 8 | C.Ripken Jr./E.Murray |
| 4 | T.Gwynn/P.Molitor | 9 | M.McGwire/M.Vaughn |
| 5 | V.Guerrero/A.Jones | 10 | A.Rodriguez/D.Jeter |
To see what’s currently on eBay from 1997 SPx, click here.
