Context: The 1999-00 Ultra set runs at a manageable 150 cards, a far cry from Ultra’s original 1992-93 set of 375, a remnant of the early 90’s when sets would go on for hundreds and hundreds of cards. Commons all over the house, in shoeboxes, in the closet… So the 150 in this set shows some thoughtful consolidation over time. The final 25 cards are rookies and short prints. They were inserted at a rate of 1:4 packs. Because of this fact, you’ll see a few more “base sets” of the first 125 cards for sale than full sets, although neither is particularly difficult to complete. The set design is classy and simple; a borderless photo with the Ultra logo, player’s name, team, and position in foil along the bottom. The borderless photo makes wear on the edges and corners very visible! Part of the fun of collecting this set is that you can always strive to upgrade its condition, since flaws in these areas are so exposed. There are a variety of associated insert sets, and three parallel sets to interest collectors (Gold, Platinum, and a 1/1 Masterpiece for those lucky to find any). Attractive cards, notable players, low cost… I think this is an often overlooked, fun-to-collect set!
The Card: This card was very popular when it first was produced. It was even featured on the cover of the 2001 Standard Catalog of Basketball Cards. But this same book demonstrates the unfortunate tale of its value. It was listed in this publication at $20.00 and can now be found about $2.00! But to me, this card is still a highlight of the set. The design is elegant (despite the color of the back creating a monochrome effect with the Clippers jersey). There’s even a hard-to-spot error; Odom’s birthplace, Jamaica, NY is spelled “Jamacia.”
Again, these cards are hard to find in high grades because of the borderless design. The Beckett population report shows this clearly, 67 graded, with none above a 9. There are some PSA 10’s, which makes me think there might be bore leeway there than with BGS.
In Short: An attractive Lamar Odom rookie card, and an uncorrected error for a very low price… How can you go wrong?
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