Fleer’s Metal line brought the grunge of the late 90s to cardboard. Rivets, brushed steel textures, loud fonts, and die-cuts that dared you to sleeve them without a nick. Net-Rageous was the showpiece. The cards are cut into the shape of a basketball net, all teeth and negative space, with a full-bleed action photo anchored by heavy foil. Michael Jordan’s card #5 is the one most collectors circle, a true era piece that feels dangerous to handle and impossible to forget.
What the card is
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Year and set: 1996-97 Fleer Metal, Net-Rageous insert
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Player and number: Michael Jordan, #5
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Serial numbering: none, scarcity comes from pack odds and survival
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Construction: intricate net-shaped die-cut, foil layers, full-bleed photography
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Theme: a literal “net,” which makes the name and design click the second you see it
Why collectors care
Net-Rageous captures everything people love about 90s tech inserts. It is bold, it is risky to produce, and it cannot be mistaken for anything else. The design fits the theme, the era, and the player. Since there is no serial stamp, demand is driven by how hard it was to pull and how few clean copies survived. That keeps the chase honest and makes condition the real premium.
How it fits into the Metal universe
Metal leaned into industrial art while Metal Universe went full sci-fi a year later. Net-Rageous sits alongside other 90s icons like Jambalaya, Golden Touch, Big Men on Court, and Hot Numbers as a card you can point to and say, this is why the decade still matters. It is also one of the most condition-sensitive mainstream MJ inserts of the era, which is part of the appeal.
Market check using recent 2025 sales
Grade swings matter on this release and the prices show it.
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PSA 9, sold Sep 1, 2025: $4,999.99, Buy It Now
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PSA 9, sold Sep 9, 2025: $3,821.95, accepted offer
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PSA 8, sold Sep 12, 2025: $2,750.00, accepted offer
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PSA 6, sold Sep 22, 2025: $1,239.00, auction
That range makes sense for a die-cut with fragile points. Eye appeal inside each grade can move a copy hundreds of dollars either way. Clean teeth, smooth foil, and centered visuals are the three levers that push a sale to the top of the band.
Condition hurdles to expect
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Die-cut “net” points, tiny flares and micro-chips are common
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Foil surface, hairlines and roller lines appear at certain angles under bright light
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Edge whitening, especially around the inner cutouts where cards catch on sleeves
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Corner dings from the slick stock
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Centering, the frame and net geometry make small shifts more noticeable
Authenticity and trimming risk
Because the shape is complex, trimming is a known concern. On raw copies, study the teeth. Natural wear is uneven and shows tiny fibers or rough edges under magnification. Overly perfect, glassy points paired with other signs of handling can be a red flag. Graded examples remove most of the guesswork, but still judge with your eyes.
How to store and display without damage
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Use an oversized soft sleeve and a roomy semi-rigid so the points do not snag
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If you prefer magnetics, choose a recessed inner well and load from the hinge side
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Avoid tight top loaders, pressure on the teeth will create new flakes
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For a wall display, float the card in a mat with clearance around the die-cut
Buying strategy that actually works
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Decide early if you are grade-first or eye-appeal-first. A sharp PSA 8 can look better in hand than a tired PSA 9
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Use the 2025 band as your anchor, PSA 6 around $1.2k, PSA 8 near $2.7k, PSA 9 roughly $3.8k to $5k depending on eye appeal
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Be patient, supply is lumpy and great copies rarely stay available for long
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If you collect by theme, pair Net-Rageous with one 1996-97 Metal base Jordan and a second high-impact 90s insert. Three cards tell the whole story without needing a dozen slabs
Small details that separate strong copies
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Teeth look even and crisp when viewed straight on, with no mashed tips where the card meets a holder
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Foil fields keep their sheen when you tilt the card in arcs, dull foil usually means micro-scratches across the face
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Nameplate edges and team tag stay sharp, soft or fuzzy borders hint at handling or cleaning
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Back edges show minimal chalking, heavy white flecks pull the eye and the grade
Quick reference for your notes
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1996-97 Fleer Metal Net-Rageous Michael Jordan #5
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Non-numbered die-cut insert, scarcity by odds and survival
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Known for extreme condition sensitivity, especially at the teeth
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2025 sales snapshots, PSA 6 about $1,239, PSA 8 about $2,750, PSA 9 about $3,822 to $4,999.99
If 90s inserts are about audacity, Net-Rageous is the template. It is loud, it is risky, and when you find a clean one, it sits in a showcase like a little piece of sculpture.
