I think this is a perfect example of past hype carrying over into the future. 241 copies is nothing these days, but the fact that these cards spiked so high at one point has lead to people holding on to the fact that these are "worth" so much more than say an insert today #'d/25. Obviously there is still a demand for these cards and there are enough people willing to pay higher prices now, so the values remain high, as do sellers expectations.
The cards were one of the nicest made at the time and are still probably one of the nicest looking cards made ever. While going through my Dodgers, I am coming across these older 90s sets and reminding myself that although that time frame lead us to what we have today (good and bad), some of the most innovative technology, styles and designs were born. 1993 Flair are some high quality cards for example! They get no respect in the market (mainly due to no super impact rookie cards...imagine if Jeter was in the set?), but I don't know if there is a nicer base cards out there from any period!
When I collected Frank Thomas, that refractor was always considered one of the untouchables for me. As with any other hot issues from that same era (92 Fleer Rookie Sensation, 94 CC Gold, Donruss Elites, etc), if you wait long enough, the prices eventually drop. However, Finest has dropped probably harder than most, but because the spike was so much more than other sets, the new "lower" prices are still expensive. I landed a refractor Thomas card for under $100, which was my goal when they were hot, but I imagine someday I will be ashamed to admit that, much like many of the inflated 90s inserts that dropped by 1000s of % below their peak BVs. How long that will take, I do not know. Right now there are 4 Thomas cards on ebay and the cheapest runs $299!!!
