1990 Pro Set Dexter Manley “NEVER released”

I keep a vast archive of old hobby publications, especially those ca. 1989-1993, the junkiest of the junk wax era. Typically I only keep pertinent and “lost” information such as old company news releases, old letters from collectors reporting their unusual findings, old product info/ads and articles outlining error and variation items of this period. Recently, I came across an advertisement by a company called 49er Headquarters, who, by 1993, seemed to be holding a decent amount of rare and/or hard to find Pro Set items: 1989 promos, 10-up sheets of Dickerson 338, Lombardi Holos and…Dexter Manley substance abuse error cards. For $124.99!

While it is just their word, in their ad blurb, I find it interesting (and likely) that they mention that the Manley substance abuse card was never released. Personally, I do not know one collector who can confirm pulling one out of sealed Final Update sets. Same for the No Bio cards. The only confirmed “source” of the Manley errors was a 10-up sheet found in a trash pile, revealed by a commenter here under the 1990 Pro Set rarities post (which, fyi, they had cut up and sold on ebay). I’m interested in hearing from collectors on this card and if anyone has any solid info to counter the ad’s claim. I will say, if true, it is very disappointing to me as I’ve opened hundreds of these sets over the years, even recently at their very-inflated current price point.

1990 Pro Set Jim Morrissey #754 – Does It Exist?

An interesting find in the March 1991 issues of Beckett Football Card Magazine. In their first listing for the 1990 Pro Set Final Update set, they show card #754 as Jim Morrissey. As many already know, that card belongs to Steve Tasker (which can also be found in two variations) of the Buffalo Bills. Interestingly, the card of Chicago Bears player fits correctly in Pro Set’s 1990 team order, right between a Buffalo Bills player (James Lofton #753) and a Cleveland Browns “player” (Jim Shofner CO #755). Since Beckett and other hobby publications received preliminary checklist info from the companies, it is safe to assume that they had originally planned on Morrissey’s inclusion.

Was this card produced? Has anyone seen a copy? What happened to cause the switch out to Tasker? My guess? It’s out there. Someone has an unfinished, blank back type of proof for this card. If anyone has any info or photos to add to this mystery, please reply in the comments.

Quick Look: 1990 Pro Set Paul Gruber #310A Missing Name & Number On Back

Recently unearthed the one and only image I have of this card. Another Pro Set collector told me that there was a recent-ish eBay sale for this extremely scarce printing variation but somehow I didn’t catch it in any of my searches. This is quite possibly the last, super-scarce 1990 Pro Set issue that can be found in packs. At this point, aside from Dexter Manley in the Final Update sets, most of the big ones came directly from the company in promotional or inter-company gift form.

1990 Pro Set Football Advertisements: Spot The Oddities

For several years of my Pro Set collecting I would purchase used copies of just about every hobby magazine I could get my hands on, clipping out letters from readers, advertisement for error-laded products and long-forgotten product info that may or may not have made it to the final version released to the hobby. One of my favorite finds were 1990 Pro Set NFL (and NHL) ads, with all of their mockup glory. Below are a few pages of ads for their 1990 series one and two offerings. How many promos, proofs, oddities can you spot?

 

UPDATED: 1990 Pro Set Error & Variation Master List

More than 50 new additions have been made to the Ongoing Checklist. I will continue to add more as time permits. I know that more that have shown up over the last few years but since so many are very minor, I will wait until something substantial turns up.

If you have any additions that you feel should be added, please post them in the comments section here or in the original 1990 Pro Set Errors & Variations Master Set Checklist blog.

The following items will not be added to the Master Checklist:

-The printer’s scrap cards that have flooded eBay the last few months. This includes the blacked-out cards, smeared, miscut fronts/wrongbacks, errant color tone, smudged, etc. These cards are printer’s waste and were NOT pack-issued or meant for distribution. They were cut from sheets pulled from garbage bins. While really fun to look at and collect, they should not be considered essential to a master set.

–Wrong front/back cards. Again, these are really cool but are seldom found pack-issued and were usually cut from sheets found in the trash, making their way into the market illegally.

–Miscuts.

–Draft Day blank back/front proofs. Great, recent discovery variant proofs for Jeff George and Keith McCants draft day subset but not pack-issued or legally distributed.

1990 Pro Set Playbook Points Instant Winner 1:10 Cases!

I recently completed sorting through my 5000ct box of 1990 Pro Set series one inserts: those folded booklets that come with two scratch-off areas, one for “points” redeemable through the Gazette and one for the chance to instantly win one of several prizes ranging from a trip to the Pro Bowl to a Collector’s Game Program.

While hunting and successfully discovering several variations, I also stumbled upon an actual, unscratched “5th Prize” instant winner. Holding up each copy from the monster box to a desk lamp, I was able to see what was printed beneath the silver scratch-off ink. An amazing feat, considering the stated odds for this prize was 1:7200 packs! With a stated print run of 10,000 “5th Prize” instant winner cards, that places production equal to the pack-issued Lombardi holograms! And when you consider how many were mailed in (maybe few, maybe most) and how often these find their way into the trash, this becomes one of the rarest items among the 1990 Pro Set issue.

 

Quick Look: 1990 Pro Set #39 Cornelius Bennett – 3 Varieties

Another recent find, this variation is similar to the Rod Woodson and Wes Hopkins variations found in series 2. At first thought to be available in just red or black stat headings on back, it’s become apparent that three different types exist for card number 39. Here’s a comparison close-up of each type: black stat headings, red and black stat headings and just red stat headings:

New 1990 Pro Set variation: #135 Rohn Stark

Finding a new variation in the 1990 set is not generally big news, as tons of minor varieties pop up every day, such as hairlines in text, broken stat lines etc. New varieties featuring types of changes not previously seen before, are another thing.

Take a look at a recent find, unearthed while sorting over 30,000 1990 Pro Set commons. Card number 135, Rohn Stark, Punter for the Indianapolis Colts:

Notice how Rohn’s right foot lines up with the K in STARK on the first example and on the second, his foot lines up between the A and R in STARK. It appears as though Ron’s name was shifted to the left and eventually centered to fit the set’s format.

Out of 43 copies, just 3 had the first type with his name shifted to the left. Is it rare? Not sure, because, as with 1990 Pro Set, a collector out there could have 40 copies of the left-shifted name and 3 of the centered-name type.

Why is this a noteworthy find?

This marks the first of this type of error. As far as I know, there are no previously documented variations that involve the placement of the player’s name in the team-color bar, which opens the door to the possibility that there are others out there. Thus creating a new variety type to be on the lookout for.

I’d be interested in hearing  of any other cards affected by this type of variation.