Quick Look: 1991 Pro Set ‘Special Promotional Sample’ Stamped Promo Cards

My memory may be off but I am fairly certain that I was given one of these stamped 1991 Pro Set cards upon visiting their booth at the 1991 National Collector’s Convention in Anaheim. I want to say it was Randall Cunningham’s base card. Or maybe Jeff George. All I know is that I was disappointed it wasn’t Emmitt or something more “valuable.” In the years since I have only seen a handful of these cards pop up. The image below of Rocket Ismail’s card was one I found in a box of various early 90s “hot” cards in sleeves, picked up at a thrift store in Van Nuys, CA. As of now, it is impossible to say whether Pro Set stamped the entire series one set or just certain players and exactly how many of each were issued. I do not believe that any more than two copies of any player have been confirmed. Because of their non-descript fronts, I turn over every 1991 Pro Set single I find mixed with other promo/oddball/hot cards of the time.

1991 Pro Set Football Errors & Variations: Ongoing Checklist

* Key:

***** = rarest known variations

**** = very scarce variations

*** = tough to find variations due to early or late printings

** = slightly tougher than most variations

 

1D Mark Carrier ROY

1O Emmitt Smith ROY

1Op Emmitt Smith ROY promotional sample text on back (National) *****

2 Does Not Exist

4-26a LL Subset with cream-colored square/box around text

4-26b LL Subset with green tinted square/box around text **

5a Mike Singletary MOY Pack-issued type (gray square behind text)****

5b Mike Singletary MOY 3-D hologram prototype *****

5c Mike Singletary MOY Pack-issued type (cream-colored square behind text)

6a Bruce Smith LL light grey square behind text ****

6b Bruce Smith LL cream-colored or yellow square behind text

8a Jim Kelly LL NFLPA logo

8b Jim Kelly LL NFLPA logo removed, registration symbol present ****

8c Jim Kelly LL NFLPA logo removed, reg symbol removed, “ghost” of NFLPA logo partially visible ***

8d Jim Kelly LL NLFPA logo entirely removed, no trace remaining

12a Jay Novacek LL Stat headings partially obscured ****

12b Jay Novacek LL Stat headings printed correctly

19a Derrick Thomas LL Bills helmet on front ***

19b Derrick Thomas LL Chiefs helmet on front

Quick Look: 1991 Pro Set WLAF Mike Teeter #11 Text Variation

Here is an old image from the lone copy of this variation I have owned. No longer a part of my collection, I still flip over the backs of the World League inserts in 1991 Pro Set just in case there are other similar variations to be found. I do believe that there is much to still be discovered in 1991 Pro Set and the World League sets.

Although I have only found the one copy, it’s scarcity is yet to be determined as few collectors know of it’s existence and bother to check for it. Hopefully, with the word getting around on this variation, we’ll see more copies for sale and possibly new, similar variations in the World League subsets.

Quick Look: 1991 Pro Set Mike Prior #529A “Missing Text”

1991 Pro Set is not quite the variation wonderland that 1990 is, but there are a handful of tough error cards throughout the set worth spotlighting. One of the few known varieties from series 2, affects two Indianapolis Colts players: #523 Chip Banks and #529 Mike Prior, both can be found with or without their text or back.

Initially upon release, I recall finding a handful of these, however, they seem to have dried up  as they now show up only once or twice a year and usually command a high premium. Here is an example of the text-less variation: