1999 Skybox Molten Metal Xplosion inserts

I was watching a number of items from one seller, who was off loading a few cards mainly from brands such as Pinnacle, Skybox, Score and Fleer. I was intrigued by the of number of more 'interesting' cards advertised as inserts, however the seller was asking ridiculous prices and not surprising very few, if any, were snapped up by collectors in the UK.
Patience however is a virtue.

I'm not sure what to make of these baseball cards, if you can call them that. They are more like a printing plate.

They come from the 1999 SkyBox Molten Metal set.

The 1999 SkyBox Molten Metal set was issued in one series and distributed in six-card packs with a suggested retail price of $4.99. The set features 100 of the game's top veterans in the Metal Smiths (cards 1-100) subset with an insertion rate of 4:1 pack; 30 of today's power hitters in the Heavy Metal subset (101-130) inserted one per pack; and 20 of 1999's hottest rookies in the Supernatural subset(131-150) with an insertion rate of 1:2 packs. The cards are silver-foil on 24-point stock and enhanced with additional holofoil and wet laminate.

These cards are from the SkyBox Molten Metal Xplosion parallel set

Randomly inserted in packs at the rate of one in two, this 150-card set is
parallel to the base set printed on metal stock with added etching, rounded
corners and foil stamping. A promotional card featuring Kerry Wood was
distributed to dealers and hobby media several weeks prior to the product's
national release. This unnumbered card can be readily identified by the text
"PROMOTIONAL SAMPLE" running diagonally across the back.

Although it wasn't the sample card that I was able to pick up, instead 7 'metal ' cards:

#15 Ruben Rivera Padres

#24 Sean Casey Reds

#32 Ray Durham White Sox

#34 Richie Sexson Indians

#75 Eric Karros Dodgers

#145 Sammy Sosa Cubs

#146 Kerry Wood Cubs

Not sure which genre of collecting to place these. Oddball, gimmick, parallel, inserts, alongside printing plates? At first I thought that Skybox must have had a hell of a time disguising these to ward off would be pack searchers. But the weight of these cards is not dissimilar to some of the blanks inserted in more recent Upper Deck products, roughly 3-4 regular cards.

Fleer Skybox EX 'Plastic' cards

I make no apology for this, but I am a complete sucker when it comes to this type of card. The clear plastic cards that Fleer, in the guise of Skybox EX, foist upon collectors firstly in 1999, and then again and again for the next few years, are the sort of cards I like to have in my collection. Long lasting, strong and transparent.

Although I can see why collectors may baulk.

In Australia they have plastic money, yes plastic notes of various denominations,made I am to led to believe of recycled supermarket carrier bags. When you see and feel this money it just isn't right. Real money should be metal or paper, credit cards are plastic. So it may be roughly the same thing with baseball cards. They should be made of cardboard. Vary the thickness, add a piece of bat or clothing, draw on it if you like (but don't put stickers) but never, NEVER make them from plastic.

Whatever your take is on this type of card, they have to be admired for innovation and trying 'something different'. Is there any harm in that? Some collectors spend a fortune making their cards plastic anyway through the grading process. As I have heard it put recently, the card collecting hobby is for enjoyment. Although I must mention the 2003 version of EX tried a little too hard to be different. The background is very sparkly, too sparkly like lip gloss. If you have young daughters you will know what I am talking about. If not, try to get a hold of some of these cards to get feel for them yourself. I like shiny cards but even this is too much for me.