Have you visited our store? Click here.While we’ve discussed the 1997 Bowman’s Best Mirror Image set before, this conversation is positioned as an educational piece on the six different versions of these cards. 1997 was a great year for the hobby. There were lots of products and tons of active future Hall of Fame superstars. It was a good time to be a baseball fan. 1997 was also the year that the fourth installment of Bowman’s Best was released. This set featured an interesting and somewhat peculiar Mirror Image insert set. What makes this set to intriguing is that each card in the set comes in two different forms, each with three different parallels for a total of six unique cards per player featured. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got here.
Related article: 1997 Bowman’s Best Mirror Image Atomic Refractor Baseball Cards
The Mirror Image insert features two sides, each featuring two players for a total of four players depicted on each card. This version showcases the veteran as the main photo and the rookie as the corner photo. There are three parallels:
- Base
: These were inserted at a rate of 1:48
- Refractor
: These were inserted at a rate of 1:96
- Atomic Refractor
: These were inserted at a rate of 1:192
The Mirror Image Inverted insert is the same card but depicts the rookie as the main photo and the veteran as the corner photo. These are much harder to find and most people often times don’t even realize they have them. Each of the three parallels has an unstated insertion ratio.
It took me a really long time to track down the three inverted parallels. I can remember being surprised at how difficult these were to find, especially the atomic refractor.
To see what’s currently on eBay from 1997 Bowman’s Best Mirror Image, click here.
Set Information:
| Set | Total Cards | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Base | 10 | 1:48 |
| Refractor | 10 | 1:96 |
| Atomic Refractor | 10 | 1:192 |
| Inverted | 10 | – |
| Inverted Refractor | 10 | – |
| Inverted Atomic Refractor | 10 | – |
Checklist:
| Card # | Player(s) |
|---|---|
| MI1 | N.Garciaparra/D.Jeter/H.Bocachica/B.Larkin |
| MI2 | T.Lee/F.Thomas/D.Lee/J.Bagwell |
| MI3 | K.Wood/G.Maddux/K.Benson/J.Smoltz |
| MI4 | K.Brown/I.Rodriguez/E.Marrero/M.Piazza |
| MI5 | J.Cruz Jr./K.Griffey Jr./A.Jones/B.Bonds |
| MI6 | J.Guillen/J.Gonzalez/R.Hidalgo/G.Sheffield |
| MI7 | P.Konerko/M.McGwire/T.Helton/R.Palmeiro |
| MI8 | W.Guerrero/C.Biggio/D.Sadler/C.Knoblauch |
| MI9 | R.Branyan/M.Williams/A.Beltre/C.Jones |
| MI10 | B.Abreu/K.Lofton/V.Guerrero/A.Belle |
Patrick,
Would it be possible for you to do an identification guide for 1998 Stadium Club Triumvirate using Thomas cards?
Hi Rick,
Yea, that’s a nice idea. The associated article has been published. Please search the site to find it.
Any idea on the value of the mirror image inverted derek jeter base card can’t seem to find a value anywhere. The card is ungraded.
Hi Travis,
Thanks for the comment. I recommend keeping an eye on eBay completed sold listings to gauge value. That’s what I’d do.
Have you noticed there are some of the refractors that either have refractor listed under the number and some that don’t? I have 2 Beltres that I was looking at and noticed. Curious if there’s one that is more rare? I’m checking ebay to see.
Hi Merlin,
Thanks for the comment. Yep, I have the ’97BBMI Thomas Refractor without the statement and the same issue occurred in the same set from ’96. The errors are rarer but values are likely similar between the two.