1997 Topps ProShooters Marbles

Product Details

Player collectors are a passionate bunch. That's one of the only ways to explain the prices of 1997 Topps ProShooters Marbles.

A rare test issue that is believed to have been distributed only in a small part of Canada and possibly into the United States, these oddball baseball pieces rarely pop up.

1997 Topps ProShooters Marbles Set Details

One side of the plastic-encased marble has a picture of the player's face. The back has their name, team logo and set number. Around the middle, the marbles are sealed with a black plastic band.

In all, 60 players make up the 1997 Topps ProShooters Marbles set, including many of the most widely collected players from the era. The 1" marbles were issued two to a pack.

Just as popular, if not more so, are the two checklists. Each has the names and photos of 30 players. Among the toughest cards to find for modern player collectors, these checklists skyrocket in price on the rare occasions that they surface. The main reason for this is because so many player collectors are competing with each other. Not only are the passionate Ken Griffey Jr. collectors chasing Checklist #1, but so are the Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco and Derek Jeter collectors.

So little is available about the set that it is unknown how the checklists were distributed and whether they appeared one per pack or less frequently. It is likely that most were simply tossed out by collectors, further fueling their rarity and popularity among player and oddball aficionados.

Key 1997 Topps ProShooters Marbles:

• Checklist #1 of 2
• Checklist #2 of 2
• Ken Griffey Jr. #23
• Derek Jeter #27
• Cal Ripken Jr. #50
• Barry Bonds #9