Two promos hint at what could have been a memorable set

Action Packed is best known for the “puffy” football card sets they produced in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Their cards were akin to a topographical map; the player’s image was embossed, raising it off of the surface of the card, giving it a 3-dimensional quality unlike any other cards.

But in the early 1990s, Action Packed tried to get into the hockey card market. Unable to secure a license to make standard-sized cards of current players, Action Packed planned on releasing a Hockey Hall of Fame set. Two promo cards of Bobby Hull were issued in 1993 to show off what the set was going to look like. But then the set never came out.

So, what happened? Continue reading “1994-95 Action Packed Hall of Fame Prototype Cards”

One of the harder-to-find insert sets of the 1990s

Remember when a print run of 10,000 copies felt small? That number is laughable now, as numerous insert sets today are limited to 99, 50 or even just 10 copies of each card.Of course, there are 1 of 1 cards to collect too, so tracking down a set limited to “just” 10,000 copies doesn’t seem too daunting. But back during the 1993-94 season, it was a good idea at the time, given the millions of cards printed during the hockey card boom.

The 1993-94 Donruss Elite Series insert set was a sign of things to come, a harbinger of serial numbers and shiny holo-foil. Given that insert sets became more and more numerous, stepping back and making something that was limited in print run and looked extremely different than the base set design made this insert set unique.

So, how does this set hold up today? Is it worth buying? Continue reading “Review: 1993-94 Donruss Elite Series”