1988 Smokey Bear San Diego Chargers Set

     

Click here to find Smokey Card Sets on eBay

The San Diego Chargers were the subject of a "Smokey Bear" fire prevention set that was released in 1988. This was the second Chargers Smokey set issued over a a string of four consecutive years, from 1987 through 1990. All of these sets feature cards that are over three times larger than the standard size of 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches.

The '88 Smokey Chargers cards measure 5 by 8 inches. They are printed on thin cardstock (a stacked complete set measures less than 1/2 inch thick), and a set is complete at 52 cards. Incredibly, 17 of the 52 cards are shortptrints; cards would be withdrawn from distribution as players were injured or left the team. The entire fronts of the cards are filled by candid, game day photos, with the only borders being a rectangular pinstripe that frames each card edge. The only other graphics found on card fronts are all in the lower right corner; the subject's name and position, along with a small Smokey Bear head and Chargers football helmet. Backs each feature a prominent drawing that promotes fire safety, as well as a few biographical points for the person who is the subject of the card. The sponsors are listed across the back bottom, and include the Chargers, Forest Service, U.S.D.A., California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Prevention, and the Bureau of Land Management, U.S.D.I. Cards are not numbered except for player uniform numbers.

There is much to like about these cards, especially when one considers the landscape of the football collecting hobby back in 1988. Topps was still the only game in town in '88, though things would change quickly just one year later with the welcome arrivals of ProSet and Score... But until these two new football card makers would go on to forever raise the standard of action photography on every card front, collectors were stuck with the usual mediocrity of Topps and their endless parade of helmetless, sitting or standing player photos (look up any Eric Dickerson or Tony Dorsett "regular" Topps card released during the 1980s and you'll see what I mean). 

The Forest Service used this design for several sports-related sets over the course of roughly three years, from 1988 through 1990. This somewhat timeless design ranks among one of my personal all-time favorites, and was used for football, baseball, and even a small set of rodeo cards in 1990. A few months ago we featured the 1988 Smokey St. Louis Cardinals set, which shares a similar motif.

The fact that there are 52 different Chargers players and staffers found in this set makes it a must-have for fans who are looking to collect obscure names that were underrepresented in the nationally-released football sets. Two such names are Head Coach Al Saunders and Chairman of the Board Alex G. Spanos, since Topps did not include staff cards in their football sets. Quarterbacks Mark Hermann and Mark Vlasic are both pictured before their rookie cards were printed in national sets. Tight end Rod Bernstine is also pictured a year before his ProSet rookie card was released, and fan-favorite receiver Wes Chandler is pictured a year after his last Topps card was issued.

There is one known variation card found in the set, featuring Chairman of the Board Alex G. Spanos. The first printing of his card incorrectly states on the back that he purchased the team in 1987; the corrected version of the card gives the year as 1984. The incorrect version is the scarcer of the two and is one of the more valuable cards in the set.

The shortprints are obtainable, meaning a set must have them to be considered complete. Generally speaking, the '88 Smokey Chargers cards don't show up in any significant quantities on eBay; I would not consider these cards scarce, but similar to many other oddball sets from this era, the cards were dissipated to collectors and non-collectors alike many moons ago and tend to stay tucked away. When a set comes available, I'd expect the value to be in the $35 to $50 range.

Click here to find Smokey Card Sets on eBay

(2) Ralf Mojsiejenko, P

(9) Mark Hermann, QB (Shortprint)

 (10) Vince Abbott, K

(13) Mark Vlasic, QB

(14) Dan Fouts, QB

(20) Barry Redden, RB

(22) Gill Byrd, CB/S

(23) Danny Walters, CB (Shortprint)

(25) Vencie Glenn, FS

(26) Lionel James, WR

(27) Daniel Hunter, CB (Shortprint)

(34) Elvis Patterson, CB

(36) Mike Davis, SS (Shortprint)

(40) Gary Anderson, RB

(42) Curtis Adams, RB

(43) Tim Spencer, FB

(44) Martin Bayless, SS

(50) Gary Plummer, ILB

  (52) Jeffrey Jackson, ILB

(54) Billy Ray Smith, OLB

(55) Steve Busick, ILB (Shortprint)

(56) Chip Banks, OLB (Shortprint)

(57) Thomas Benson, ILB (Shortprint)

(58) David Brandon, OLB

(60) Dennis McKnight, G

(61) Ken Dallafior, G

(62) Don Macek, C

(68) Gary Kowalski, T

(69) Les Miller, DE

(70) James Fitzpatrick, G/T

(71) Mike Charles, NT

(72) Karl Wilson, DE

(74) Jim Lachey, T (Shortprint)

(75) Joe Phillips, DE

(76) Broderick Thompson, G/T

(77) Sam Claphan, G/T (Shortprint)

(78) Chuck Ehin, NT (Shortprint)

(79) Curtis Rouse, G/T (Shortprint)

(80) Kellen Winslow, TE

(81) Timmie Ware, WR (Shortprint)

(82) Rod Bernstine, TE

(85) Eric Sievers, TE

(86) Jamie Holland, WR

(88) Pete Holohan, TE (Shortprint)

(89) Wes Chandler, WR (Shortprint)

(92) Dee Hardison, DE (Shortprint)

(94) Randy Kirk, LB

(96) Keith Baldwin, DE (Shortprint)

(98) Terry Unrein, NT (Shortprint)

(99) Lee Williams, DE

(NNO) Al Saunders, Head Coach

(NNO) Alex G. Spanos, CB/President (ERR, 1987)

(NNO) Alex G. Spanos, CB/President (COR, 1984)

2008 Upper Deck New York Giants Super Bowl Champions Box Set

The National Football League's Super Bowl game is easily the most celebrated sporting event in North America, and has been for many years now. Even as a young cavalry scout in the Army back in the 1990s, my fellow rogues and I would often be allowed to report late for work the day after the Super Bowl (this depended on the "cool factor" of our commanding officer). Food retailers report that sales are stronger during Super Bowl weekend than many officially-recognized holidays. Last but not least, we must not forget to honor the advertisers who were willing to pay an average of five million dollars per 30-second commercial spot during Super Bowl 50 this past February.

Needles to say, countless cards have also been printed to celebrate the NFL's season-end championship game. Topps first issued a Super Bowl card in their 1972 football set, which featured Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach scrambling against the stingy Dolphins defense in Super Bowl VI. As far as I can tell, the first "boxed set" of Super Bowl cards was issued by ProSet in 1990 to commemorate the best players and coaches to emerge during the 25-year history of the event (dubbed by ProSet as a limited edition set, these cards are about as scarce as ants at a picnic -- held on an ant farm). 

Super Bowl boxed sets have more or less appeared yearly since ProSet's 1990 release, with numerous manufacturers and formats being used since. One such set was released in 2008 by hobby heavyweight Upper Deck. Packaged in a box similar to the size of "blaster boxes" that can be found at Target and Wal-Mart, this Super Bowl XLII set was printed after the game was played and features only players from the triumphant New York Giants club. Regarded as the biggest upset in Super Bowl history, the Giants managed to come from behind in the final minute of the game to beat the heavily-favored New England Patriots squad.

The colorful box comes factory sealed in clear plastic and measures 6 1/4 inches tall, 3 1/2 inches across and 2 3/4 inches deep. Found inside the box are 50 regular-sized cards and an oversized commemorative card, which measures 5 x 3 1/2 inches. 

Cards are printed on premium medium-weight stock and have a semi-gloss finish applied to both sides. There's no foil to be found on the cards, which many collectors consider a positive trait at this point. Of the 50 regular-sized cards in the box, 40 are dubbed by Upper Deck as regular season player cards, five are regular season highlight cards, four are post season memorable moments cards, and one is a Super Bowl MVP card (Eli Manning). The oversized commemorative card, which features happy Giants Rueben Droughns, Eli Manning and David Tyree, comes sealed in a plastic sleeve that is tucked in a cardboard pouch inside the box.

Nationally-issued football sets rarely include more than a dozen or so players from any given team, meaning most of the unheralded vets and fringe players in the league are usually snubbed on cardboard. This boxed set, with it's roster of 40 different players, ensures that most of the Giants who had a hand in capturing the Lombardi Trophy are represented. Offensive tackle David Diehl, nose tackle Barry Cofield, linebacker Reggie Torbor and fullback Madison Hedgecock are four examples of players who received little to no recognition in mainstream sets after their rookie seasons. Of course all of the Giants stars and starters are also included in the 40-card set, including Eli Manning, Jeremy Shockey and Michael Strahan.

The final ten regular-sized cards feature the three subsets mentioned above; five regular season highlight cards, four post season memorable moments cards and an Eli MVP card. Each of the three subsets features a different design on both the fronts and backs. Of all the five different card designs found inside the box, my personal favorite is the swooping, oval design of the five season highlight cards. While all the designs found here may be a bit cluttered and too graphics-heavy for a regular card issue, a pass can be given when these kinds of designs are found on oddball issues (a pass in my mind, anyway). All the cards in this boxed set are numbered on the backs, as detailed in the checklist below.

All in all, Upper Deck created a nice box o' fun that effectively recaps the Giants' Super Bowl run during the 2007 season. The action photography is world class, and I noticed that the highlight cards feature photos from the actual games where the highlights occurred. Eli collectors definitely need to add a set to the archives, as he's the subject of three different cards. Plaxico and Tyree also capture three cards, while Strahan gets two. Unlike the fateful 1990 ProSet Super Bowl cards of yesterday, which were printed during the height of the junk wax era of overproduction, these Giants cards can't be found next to every anthill.

Click here to hunt for Giants Super Bowl Sets on eBay

Today's price will cost you about the same as when it was issued, in the $8 to $12 range.

Regular Season Player Cards

1. Eli Manning, QB

2. R.W. McQuarters, CB

3. Antonio Pierce, LB

4. David Diehl, T

5. Corey Webster, CB

6. Shaun O'Hara, C

7. Barry Cofield, NT

8. Kevin Boss, TE

9. Reggie Torbor, LB

10. Sam Madison, CB

11. Jeff Feagles, P

12. Madison Hedgecock, FB

13. David Tyree, WR

14. Grey Ruegamer, G

15. Gerris Wilkinson, LB

16. Rueben Droughns, RB

17. Domenik Hixon, WR

18. Kawika Mitchell, LB

19. Ahmad Bradshaw, RB

20. Jeremy Shockey, TE

21. Justin Tuck, DE

22. Amani Toomer, WR

23. Fred Robbins, DT

24. James Butler, SS

25. Brandon Jacobs, RB

26. Osi Umenyiora, DE

27. Aaron Ross, CB

28. Derrick Ward, RB

29. Chris Snee, G

30. Michael Strahan, DE

31. Gibril Wilson, FS

32. Sinorce Moss, WR

33. Lawrence Tynes, K

34. Jay Alford, NT

35. Kareem McKenzie, T

36. Zak DeOssie, LB

37. Kevin Dockery, CB

38. Rich Seubert, G

39. Michael Johnson, S

40. Plaxico Burress, WR

Regular Season Highlight Cards

SH1. Osi Umenyiora

SH2. Michael Strahan

SH3. Derrick Ward

SH4. Plaxico Burress

SH5. Brandon Jacobs

Post Season Memorable Moments Cards

MM1. R.W. McQuarters

MM2. Lawrence Tynes

MM3. David Tyree

MM4. Plaxico Burress

Oversized Commemorative Card

NYG -1 (Rueben Droughns, Eli Manning, David Tyree)

1981 Dallas Cowboys Police Set

In 1981, the Dallas Cowboys appeared in a police card issue for the third year in a row. As a matter of fact, the 'Boys appeared in two police sets in 1981, issued over 1,200 miles apart from one another! 

Police cards were at the peak of their popularity in the early 1980s, and someone came up with the idea of releasing Dallas Cowboys sets in two different regions; one set in the Dallas area, as would be expected, and a second one in Thousand Oaks, California, where the Cowboys held their yearly training camps from 1963 through 1989 (California Lutheran College). The only obvious difference in appearance between the two sets is the sponsor logo found at the lower right of all card fronts; Cards issued in the Dallas area feature the blue and round Kiwanis Club logo, while the cards issued in the Thousand Oaks area feature a design that shows a boy and girl holding hands, with the words "Light Up A Life" appearing above.

One might make the case that both issues could be combined to make one set, as totally different players are featured within each. The set released in the Dallas area seemingly received the short end of the stick, as most of the team's star players are hosted in the Thousand Oaks issue; Hall of Famers Tony Dorsett, Randy White and Tom Landry, along with starting quarterback Danny White, are all found in the elusive California set.

Cowboys fans will still want to grab a copy of the Dallas-area set. Tight end Doug Cosbie and safety Michael Downs make an appearance a year before their Topps rookie cards were issued, and backup quarterback Glenn Carano wasn't featured on a Topps card until the 1984 USFL boxed set was released. Shoring up the set are Cowboys legends Ed "Too Tall" Jones and Butch Johnson, both of whom contributed greatly during the Staubach-era years of the team.

Though the designs found on the card fronts and backs are classic and liked by most oddball collectors, the fact that there were virtually no format changes during the five-set run has been known to cause much confusion... Cowboys Police Sets were released in 1979, 1980, 1981 (x2) and 1983, and they all basically look alike. The year of issue in not noted on the cards.

A complete set of the '81 Dallas set consists of 14 cards. Many of the specimens from this year seem to be "diamond" cut, where the side borders are not cut at a 90 degree angle and don't run parallel to the photo; it's just something to look for when purchasing a set, because this type of defect does hurt the value. While on the subject of value, I'd give the set a current price range of ten to fifteen dollars. 

Random Fact: The most obscure Cowboy to make the set is probably center Robert Shaw. Though he was taken by the Cowboys in the first round of the 1979 draft, the Tennessee alumnus never really had the chance to play as he was stuck behind veteran Tom Rafferty. Starting just six games in three seasons, Shaw was out of the NFL after the 1981 campaign.

We have previously featured the 1979 Cowboys Police Set, 1980 Cowboys Police Set and 1983 Cowboys Police Set. 

Click here to hunt for Cowboys Police Sets Sets on eBay

 (18) Glenn Carano, QB

(20) Ron Springs, RB

(23) James Jones, RB

(26) Michael Downs, S

(32) Dennis Thurman, CB

(45) Steve Wilson, CB

(51) Anthony Dickerson, LB

(52) Robert Shaw, C

(58) Mike Hegman, LB

(59) Guy Brown, LB

(61) Jim Cooper, T

(72) Ed Jones, DE

(84) Doug Cosbie, TE

(86) Butch Johnson, WR

 

1986 Dairy Pak Cartons Football Set

Click here to hunt for Dairy Pak cards on eBay

Consider yourself a hardcore football collector if you own a set of these. Consider yourself a hopeless collector if you're trying to acquire all of the color variations that were printed for these cards.

Here are the basics: In 1986, Dairy Pak, the company responsible for manufacturing and printing the waxy cartons for countless milk and orange juice companies, released a set of 24 current football player cards. These cards were printed in two colors and were found on the sides of the cartons. Each measures 3 1/4 inches by 4 7/16 inches and is bordered by a dashed line to help interested collectors cut the card off of the carton.

If someone cares to own a complete set, all they need to do is obtain each of the 24 different player cards and call it a day. Where it starts to get difficult is when a player or set collector decides to go for all the different color variations -- and let it be known that some of these said variations are very elusive. For starters, ten different colors were used for the "SUPERSTARS SERIES" title found across the tops of the cards: black, brown, purple, green, lavender, aqua, orange, red, light blue and dark blue. But in addition to this, there are three variations for the color used to print the players' photos: black, red and blue. 

In the photo provided here you can see ten different Eric Dickerson variations, with one of the cards featuring the Hall of Fame running back's photo in red. From what I have personally seen, cards with the player photos in red or blue are much harder to find than the black. As far as I can tell, cards with red photos always have blue Superstar Series titles, and vice-versa... If my theory is true, that brings the total amount of variations up to twelve per player.

These variations exist because of the assorted color schemes used on the packaging of the different brands. I'm sure that certain colors are harder to find than others (as mentioned with the blue or red player photos), but these findings have never been published. 

The cards can be found one of four ways. They are most commonly found cut off of a carton, hopefully with the dashed border lines still intact. The second way to find these are with the partial or full side panel still intact (a special offer is mentioned below the card, either for a poster or set of four superstar cups). Finally, you may be able to find a used carton that has been left fully intact, or an unfolded and unused carton. Used cartons are scarce because of the amount of space they occupy, and unfolded cartons are maybe the rarest of all, as they apparently didn't survive in any meaningful quantities.

The James Lofton card was short printed due to some off-field troubles that were happening at the time. Lofton's scarcity puts him in the top-five valuable cards of the set, along with Joe Montana, Walter Payton, Dan Marino and John Elway.

The value of a nice complete set, cut with full borders and no creases, starts around $40. A set of four cups from the special offer is worth in the $30 to $40 range. I can't recall the last time I found one of the posters for sale, but I'd be willing to pay around $25 for a nice one.

Random Fact: Lions quarterback Eric Hipple is found on card number six, but doesn't really qualify for "superstar" status. Through the 1985 season Hipple had 25 wins versus 21 losses, along with 46 touchdown passes versus 56 interceptions. As far as the 1985 Lions roster is concerned, Hipple was still probably the best choice if a Detroit player had to be included in the '86 Dairy Pak set.

Click here to hunt for Dairy Pak cards on eBay

1. Joe Montana, 49ers

2. Marcus Allen, Raiders

3. Art Monk, Redskins

4. Mike Quick, Eagles

5. John Elway, Broncos

6. Eric Hipple, Lions

7. Louis Lipps, Steelers

8. Dan Fouts, Chargers

9. Phil Simms, Giants

10. Mike Rozier, Oilers

11. Greg Bell, Bills

12. Ottis Anderson, Cardinals

13. Dave Krieg, Seahawks

14. Anthony Carter, Vikings

15. Freeman McNeil, Jets

16. Doug Cosbie, Cowboys

17. James Lofton, Packers (SP)

18. Dan Marino, Dolphins

19. James Wilder, Buccaneers

20. Chris Collinsworth, Bengals

21. Eric Dickerson, Rams

22. Walter Payton, Bears

23. Ozzie Newsome, Browns

24. Chris Hinton, Colts

1985 Philadelphia Eagles Team Issue Set

Oddball football collectors love this type of issue, which was released at a time when Topps still had a monopoly on releasing a nationally-distributed yearly NFL football set (Fleer did release yearly sets during this time, but were only licensed to show action photos without mentioning player names).

One problem with the yearly Topps sets is that they were not large enough to include much depth within the rosters they chose for any given team; frankly, most casual collectors probably liked it that way. In Topps' 1985 football set, for example, only twelve cards were used to represent the Eagles, including their team card that featured an action shot of running back Wilbert Montgomery... And speaking of action shots, that team card is the only card out of twelve that features one. All of the eleven Eagles player cards feature tightly-cropped sideline shots. As a fourteen year old lad at the time, it was frustrating to see these boring cards endlessly come out of the wax packs I opened.

The Philadelphia Eagles themselves released a welcome alternative to Topps early in the 1985 season. Of course, as a young teen who lived in Deer Park, Texas, I didn't know the cards existed until several years later. These days, I'm thrilled to have a set in my collection. Consisting of a whopping 53 cards to make a complete set, there's room for just about anyone who did or didn't make the team that season. The cards are sized a generous 3 -7/8 inches tall by 2-17/18 inches wide, give or take 1/16th of an inch or so (the cards in my set vary quite a bit within that range). Medium-weight, semi-glossy cardstock was used. The vast majority of the fronts are occupied by large, color action shots with the player's name, position and uniform number printed across the bottom. Backs feature a fairly lengthy bio of the the player, and most cards include one or more obscure personal facts (did you know that Mark Dennard worked during the off-seasons as a loan officer at the First National Bank in Bryan, Texas?) The cards are not numbered except for player uniform numbers.

Of the 53 cards, 48 of them feature Eagles players. Quarterback Ron "Jaws" Jaworski, wide receiver Mike Quick, safety Wes Hopkins and running back Wilbert Montgomery are featured as expected. For the hardcore Eagles collectors, they may be just as excited to find cards of quarterbacks Dean May and Jeff Christensen, who were both cut before the 1985 season even began (May tossed exactly one pass in 1984 during his Eagles stint, while Christensen did absolutely nothing). Cornerback Andre Waters and linebacker Mike Reichenbach are featured two years before their Topps rookie cards were printed. 

The five non-player cards in the set include a helmet/header card, 1985 schedule card, Eagles logo card, and cards featuring team president Norman Braman and head coach Marion Campbell. 

The downside to this set is that no cards were made for two promising rookies -- quarterback Randall Cunningham and defensive end Reggie White. As the set was probably produced before the season even started, I'm guessing that no photos were available for these new players. Of the fourteen rookies who made the Eagles roster in 1985, not a single one is featured in this set.

I can tell you firsthand that this set ain't easy to find. I'm not sure how the Eagles originally distributed the cards, but there don't seem to be many of them floating around. My estimate for a current, fair market value would be in the $50 to $75 range.

Eagles Helmet/Header Card

(2) Mike Horan, P

(5) Dean May, QB

(7) Ron Jaworski, QB

(8) Paul McFadden, K

(11) Jeff Christensen, QB

(20) Andre Waters, CB

(21) Evan Cooper, DB/KR

(22) Brenard Wilson, S/CB

(24) Ray Ellis, SS

(25) Joe Hayes, RB/KR

(26) Michael Haddix, FB

(29) Elbert Foules, CB

(31) Wilbert Montgomery, RB

(32) Michael Williams, RB

(34) Hubie Oliver, FB

(39) Major Everett, FB

(43) Roynell Young, CB

(46) Herman Edwards, CB

(47) Andre Hardy, RB

(48) Wes Hopkins, FS

(51) Reggie Wilkes, LB

(52) Rich Kraynak, LB

(55) Mike Reichenbach, LB

(56) Jerry Robinson, LB

(58) Anthony Griggs, LB

(59) Joel Williams, LB

(63) Ron Baker, G

(64) Dean Miraldi, T

(65) Mark Dennard, C

(67) Gerry Feehery, C/G

(68) Dennis Harrison, DE

(71) Ken Clarke, NT

(73) Steve Kenney, G

(74) Leonard Mitchell, T

(79) Rusty Russell, T

(81) Kenny Jackson, WR

(82) Mike Quick, WR

(83) Tony Woodruff, WR

(84) Vyto Kab, TE

(85) Melvin Hoover, WR

(86) Gregg Garrity, WR

(87) Lawrence Sampleton, TE

(88) John Spagnola, TE

(93) Tom Strauthers, DE

(94) Byron Darby, DE

(95) Jody Schultz, LB

(96) Harvey Armstrong, NT

(98) Greg Brown, DE

Marion Campbell, Head Coach

Norman Braman, President

1985 Eagles Schedule Card

Eagles Logo Card

Discussing the eTopps Convention Promo Cards

Click here for a brief overview of the eTopps program.

This past week I added a couple of cool eTopps cards to my collection. As shown in the scans, the two cards appear to be "normal" eTopps cards with two exceptions. First, the cards are housed in sealed PSA-style holders, as opposed to the traditional, smaller eTopps holders. Secondly, both cards feature an embossed gold-foil logo on the fronts, informing us that these cards are "1/1 ANAHEIM." Thanks to the information strips found inside the holders, we know that these cards passed through E-Convention 4, which was held in Anaheim, California on July 29, 2006. 

These promos are apparently regular eTopps cards with the special embossing added, and a quick internet search will reveal dozens and dozens of different eTopps cards, featuring all sports, that have been struck with these kinds of foil convention logos. The Rich Gannon card is from the 2001 eTopps football set, while the Boller is from the 2003 issue. eTopps cards were not individually serial numbered those first few years of production, so I don't know for sure whether these promos do indeed count towards the published total of cards (I am guessing that they do). Speaking of totals, only 327 of the '01 Gannons were released, making this promo a nice find. The'03 Boller is from the peak year of eTopps production numbers, and a hefty 3,189 of these cards were produced. 

I would be curious to know more about these kinds of eTopps promos. I have seen several others from this same 2006 convention numbered to five, as well as several other one-of-ones. Does a checklist even exist, documenting all the different eTopps cards that were grabbed from the warehouse and stamped in this fashion? Let me say that I am aware of eTopps promotional cards that were specifically printed for these conventions. I'm mainly curious about the embossed cards that were printed well before these conventions were ever held. In this case, the 2001 Gannon and 2003 Boller were obviously printed well before the Anaheim convention in 2006.

I'm not sure if collecting these elusive gems is a route I should take, but I'd certainly be willing to add others if the price is right.

Click here to find eTopps cards on eBay