The Pack Gambler Retro Break: 1994-95 Fleer Ultra Series 1 Hockey Hobby Box

This month's Retro Box break takes us back 18 years with 1994-95 Fleer Ultra Series 1 Hockey. Really doesn't seem that long ago when we use to get our allowance and run to the store to pick some packs up. These were part of the glossy and fancy cards that were recently popping up within the hobby. For 1994-95 these were a pretty good pack to pick up for around $2.50 a pack (if we remember right) and when hobby shops had sealed boxes for $79.99.

We never bought boxes back then, only packs so opening a box of this we thought would be fun and interesting to see. As with all of our Retro box breaks we don't expect much to come out of them, it's more of an interest on how times were different over a decade ago with collecting cards.
So the basics of this box were the following: 36 packs per box with 12 or 14 cards per pack. Each pack will include an insert from the Series 1 selection of Ultra Power, Pad Men, All-Stars, Award Winners, and Fedorov Highlights. Pulling an insert in each pack was a big thing back then so hence the reason for the $79.99 price tag on a back back then.
The two toughest inserts to pull were the Ultra Power and Pad Men. Both were 1 per box and were sought after by collectors not only due to the scarcity but the designs of them were pretty cool for 1994-95.
Again box and product is strictly about the inserts and not much about the base cards or even rookies in the product. Collectors would pick up packs to just collect the inserts and not care too much about the base cards.
So lets see how we did on this Retro Box Break:

Base Cards: 306 (Complete 250 card set with 56 doubles)
All-Stars: 17 (Complete set of 12 with 5 doubles)
Trophies: 5 - Gretzky, Brodeur, Bourque, Graves, Fedorov
Scoring Kings: 5 - Gilmour, Bure, Gretzky, Lemieux, Fedorov
Ulta Power: 1 - Jason Arnott
Padmen: 1 - Felix Potvin
Fedorov Highlights: 7

So breaking this box was fun but a little tricky with opening the packs and moving through the cards. The packs and the cards inside were a little stuck due to the glossy finish on them add on the 18+ years of them sitting in a sealed box and you run into bricks in packs. Carefully you can ease them into breaking off from each card, but you have to be careful or else the finish will come off them as you move them off each other.

Every pack came with an insert which is great and we even finished a complete set of the Series 1 Base cards, along with a All-Star game insert set. Not too bad for this box, as we were not expecting too much coming out of it.

Some of the inserts were nice and of star players too, so value of opening this box is pretty decent. Again your not breaking the bank or finding a treasure in here, but for a box full of inserts it's a good break.

If you have a chance to open one of these boxes, just be careful on the cards that are stuck together. You'll have fun going through breaking the box and will enjoy the inserts it provides.

Most cards we pull in our breaks end up in our COMC account (ThePackGambler), eBay account (thepackgambler) or within our sites storefront (www.packgambler.com). If you are interested in any of the cards we have mentioned please send us an e-mail at packgambler@gmail.com

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