2014 Flair Showcase Football Cards

Product Review

2014 Flair Showcase Football Product Review

Reviewed by Ryan Cracknell

Good: Long overdue return of one of the most unique and attractive brands of the 1990s, nice mix of rookies and retired greats, on-card gold signatures look good.

Bad: Foil design does not compare to Flair Showcase of old, the set structure that made Flair Showcase unique abandoned for a more straightforward short print approach, player-worn memorabilia cards.

The Bottom Line: While the Flair name has been used in recent years as inserts in a handful of Upper Deck’s Fleer Retro sets, 2014 Flair Showcase Football sees it return as a standalone brand. While the name and overall design is the same, it has a very different feel. For those looking for a more modern-style release, they might appreciate some of the changes. However, those that loved the brand back in the late 1990s might be in for a bit of a shock. This is a set that has many solid elements but it doesn’t go far enough in recreating what Flair Showcase used to mean.

Card Design: 3.0/5.0

At first glance, 2014 Flair Showcase Football has the elements of the Flair Showcase of old — the one I love. But there’s something not quite right. It took me a bit to figure it out what is was though. I thought it was the foil itself, but when I put the new cards next to 1997 Flair Showcase, both matched. But it was then that I realized why the foil didn’t look overpowering back then like it does now — the backgrounds. Back then, they were in tact. Even if the portrait photo was massive and there wasn’t much in behind, it added some contrast to the foil. 2014 Flair Showcase Football is missing those backgrounds. The result is a foil-heavy look that lacks some of the original elegance. They don’t look bad, but things feel more generic.

I’m not a huge fan of the way most of the hits look. The memorabilia isn’t appealing as the swatches are small and they are merely player-worn pieces. The autographed stickers stand out negatively as well, but that’s a major issue I have with most every foil-based set that doesn’t have on-card autographs. The on-card gold signature cards are nice except for the fact that the color is the same as the gold foil on the nameplate so the autograph is nearly lost. Part of the problem is also that most of the hits maintain the same designs as the base set. Variety is something this set is definitely lacking as far as design goes.

Checklist: 3.0/5.0

Aside from the look, another element that set Flair Showcase apart was the tiered Rows. Each was like a stand alone set that had the same players at the same numbers (i.e. Row 1 #3 was the same player as Row 2 #3). 2014 Flair Showcase still has the rows but they all fit together to make one big set. For me, this means that something that used to be very distinct as far as structure went is now something very typical. Going from row to row, players don’t even match up.

Perhaps I’m being a little nostalgic, wishing things were the way they used to be. At the same time, that’s fair because the fact that Flair Showcase was brought back is rooted in nostalgia.

As I mentioned, there’s very little variety outside of the rows. Autographs and memorabilia cards are essentially parallels, which takes away from the overall appeal.

That said, most of the key rookies are here. They’re complimented by a solid crop of Hall of Famers. So if you’re looking strictly player-wise, 2014 Flair Showcase is very solid. The letdown for me is rooted in the structure.

Value: 3.5/5.0

There’s a fair bit going on with Flair Showcase. The short prints, autographs and Legacy Collection cards make up the majority of what you can count on. Boxes come with a reasonable amount of each. The bonus comes for those lucky enough to land Jambalaya and PMG inserts. Both have been used with some regularity the past few years, so there are diminishing returns in that regard. For those looking to buy singles, autographs look to be decent bargains as they’re not going for as much as their NFL counterparts. If you’re more concerned about the signature than the team, this is a good way to go. On the flip side, if you’re busting boxes, you may want to take this secondary market reception into account.

The Fun Factor: 3.0/5.0

2014 Flair Showcase Football is like a movie that teases you with an amazing trailer and ends up being good but not great. The problem is that with so much excitement, the end result is something of a letdown. This is coupled with the fact that I love the Flair Showcase brand of old, so there’s a nostalgia letdown as well. That’s not to say this isn’t a decent set. Just keep your expectations in check. There’s a lot of solid content in the product, it just doesn’t match up exactly with the “good ole’ days.”

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2014 flair showcase jambalaya DEREK CARR rookie card BGS 9.5

$500.00

2014 Flair Showcase Brandin Cooks #65 Rookie Auto

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2014 Jimmy Garappolo Auto RC Fleer Flair Foil Rainbow Showcase Row 1 PSA 9 Mint

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2014 Flair Showcase Derek Carr Precious Metal Gems PMG Magenta /25 PSA 9 RARE SP

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Danny Manning 2014-15 Flair Showcase Auto Clippers

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2014 FLAIR SHOWCASE PATCH AUTO /125 DEVONTA FREEMAN RC FLORIDA STATE FSU *READ*

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2014 Flair Showcase Metal Universe PMG Teal /100 Jimmy Garoppolo #M-18 Rookie RC

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2014-15 SP Authentic Flair Showcase Michael Jordan Auto BGS 10/9

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2014 Upper Deck Employee Flair Showcase Tiger Woods Jambalaya

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Kelvin Benjamin 2014 Flair Showcase Autograph #35 Auto Florida State FSU RC

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2014 Flair TAJH BOYD Rookie Pink Precious Metal Gems PMG /25 Clemson RC #10

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2014 Flair Showcase Blake Bortles Row 2 Gold Rookie Auto RC No. 20

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2014 Flair Showcase Metal Universe PMG Purple /25 Marqise Lee #M-26 Rookie RC

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2014 Flair Showcase Jerseys Mike Evans Row 1 #116 Rookie RC auto

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BISHOP SANKEY 2014 FLAIR SHOWCASE #142 ROOKIE 3-COLOR PATCH AUTO #113/125 AX4656

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2014 Flair Showcase Jarvis Landry RC #125 Row 1 Rookie Autograph

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RYAN HEWITT RC AUTO 2014 FLAIR SHOWCASE AUTOGRAPHS #69 STANFORD MINT

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2014 FLAIR SHOWCASE TEDDY BRIDGEWATER (PRECIOUS METAL GEMS-PMG)-ROOKIE #74/100!!

$27.95

BISHOP SANKEY 2014 FLAIR SHOWCASE ROOKIE PATCH AUTOGRAPH AUTO #058/125 AX4657

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2014 Legacy Showcase #119 Odell Beckham Jr. Rookie Auto AGC 10 Gem Mint 34/125

$149.99