Pro Set trading cards


Pro Set was a Dallas-based trading card company founded by Ludwell Denny in 1988. Denny had gained a card license that year after making and selling other NFL memorabilia in previous years. His licensing agreement with NFL Properties allowed Denny to gain access to its extensive photo library and become the first card maker officially associated with a professional sports league. Across the bottom of most of his company's cards was its designation as "The Official NFL Card," a distinction it held through 1991.
During its years in the business, Pro Set got licenses from several sports associations such as NFL, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour to produce trading cards.

History

The first year that Pro Set released a product was 1989. The year marked the beginning of the modern era for pro American Football Cards. Score also released a football product. For several years, Pro Set flooded the market with its product. The company managed to produce football sets through 1993 and in 1994, but Pro Set folded, due to Chapter 7 bankruptcy, citing more than $800,000 in unpaid royalties to the NFL Players Association.
Pro Set made rookie cards of actual rookies and offered more color and action shots than Topps did. Pro Set claimed to have its own printing presses for its product, which could make and issue cards very quickly. For its first football card set in 1989, Pro Set released its cards in three series. The 1989 rookies were found primarily in the second series. Key rookies in the set included Troy Aikman, Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas, Jeff Lageman and Deion Sanders. The 100 card Series II set was sold in packs, but the packs averaged 11 Series I cards and 4 Series II cards per pack. These cards not only featured first round picks but featured later round picks. These cards were labelled as Pro Set Prospects.
At its peak, Pro Set had a headquarters, where 225 employees designed various cards. In 1992, Pro Set forecasted sales of $165 million. A free magazine was published by Pro Set called the Pro Set Gazette. It was mailed to 1.2 million collectors twice a year. Beckett Publications noted that in 1991, sports cards grossed about $1.9 billion in sales in North America, so Pro Set had a dramatic impact, albeit briefly.

Insert Cards

Football

There were a number of inserts in 1989 Pro Set football, including a 30 card subset of broadcasters. There were also Super Bowl insert cards for each game that had been played. There was also a card for NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle. Pro Set introduced an insert card for Santa Claus that was labelled as a coach card. The first year it was released was in 1989 and it was a dealer premium. It was inserted in packs in 1990 and 1991. The Santa Claus cards included Pro Set founder Ludwell Denny somewhere in the card. On the back of each Santa card is a parody of the poem "The Night Before Christmas" that has sportscard subject matter. Pro Set included other insert cards in its 1990 offering, such as Payne Stewart, a comic book character called Super Pro, which was a superhero in a football uniform, a tribute to the late Joe Robbie, and the Lombardi Trophy Hologram card.

Error cards

Football

The 1990 Pro Set football card release has several errors and variations. Due to a contractual dispute, and his unwillingness to join the NFPLA, the Pro Bowl card of Eric Dickerson was withdrawn early creating a short print. Card #338 would be reissued with Ludwell Denny on the front and it was a promotional card not available in packs. Card #75 in the set was meant to be Browns Center Cody Risien, but the card was withdrawn early due to his retirement during training camp, also resulting in a short print. The most sought after variation from 1990 Pro Set is card #204 Fred Marion of the New England Patriots. This card is rather controversial because the card features San Francisco 49ers player John Taylor in the background and the belt from Taylor's pants came undone. The positioning of the belt gives the appearance that his private area is exposed, but it is just a shadow and the belt.
AthleteErrorDescriptionCorrectionDescription
Barry Sanders1aNo ROY trophy on back1bShows picture of Barry holding the ROY trophy
Joe Montana2aback reads "Kelly-3,521 yards"2bback corrected to "Kelly: 3,130 yards"
Walter Stanley15a#8 on back15b#86 on back
Chris Doleman18aerror back, wrong stats, "Townsent"18bback corrected to 104.5 sacks for Taylor; "Townsent" corrected to "Townsend"
Andre Ware19ano draft stripe on front19bdraft stripe on front
Mo Elewonibi20ano draft stripe on front20bdraft stripe on front
Percy Snow21ano draft stripe on front21bdraft stripe on front
Anthony Thompson22ano draft stripe on front22bdraft stripe on front
Franco Harris25awrong birthdate25bcorrected birthdate 3/7/50
Jack Lambert27awrong birthdate27bcorrected birthdate 7/8/52
Mike Ditka59aSMALL FONT for "Hall Of Fame" on front59bLARGE FONT for "Hall Of Fame" on front
Rickey Dixon63ano bio notes under photo63bbio notes under photo
Sam Wyche68ano bio notes under photo68bbio notes under photo
Ozzie Newsome75awrong hometown75bcorrected hometown: Muscle Shoals, AL
Johnny Holland110ano name, number on back110bcorrected
Perry Kemp111aKen Stills photo on back111bcorrected
Sterling Sharpe114asays he was born in Glenville114bcorrected birthplace: Chicago, IL
Andre Rison134aNO TRADE STRIPE134bWITH TRADE STRIPE
Mervyn Fernandez152aDraft status incorrect152bstatus corrected to "Drafted 10th round '83"
Art Shell161aBirthdate: 11/25/46 on back161bBirthdate: 11/26/46 on back, large HOF print in banner on front
Fred Marion204a49ers player with belt204b49ers players belt airbrushed out
Morten Andersen210aname in white on back210bcorrected
Eric Martin216aname in white on back216bcorrected
Jim Mora221aname in white on back221bcorrected
Charles Haley289aincorrect fumble recovery stats289bstats corrected to 5 total fumble recoveries
Ray Perkins319ano name or position on back319bcorrected
Chris Hinton343ano stripe343bwith traded stripe
Randall Cunningham386aSmall Print On Front386bLarge Print On Front
Dan Hampton449aDE on back449bDT on back
Kevin Glover496aC-G back496bG back
Wes Hopkins607aStat Categories Fumbles and Interceptions in Black607bStat Categories Fumbles and Interceptions in RED
Rod Woodson626aRed fumble interceptions header626bBlack fumble interceptions header
Rod Bernstine627aposition listed as TE627bposition corrected to RB
Anthony Miller630aposition listed as WR on the back630bposition listed as WR-KR on the back
Leslie O'Neal632aposition listed as LB-DE on front632bposition listed as LB on front
David Richards633aposition listed as G-T on back633bposition listed as G on back
Curt Jarvis657ano "Official NFL card" on front657b"Official NFL card" added to front
Terry Wooden698aback number 90698bback number 51
Pat Terrell718aback number 41718bback number 37
Oliver Barnett723aposition listed as DT on front723bposition listed as NT on front
Johnny Bailey743aBack says 46743bBack says 22
Eric Moore744ano prospect stripe744bprospect stripe added
Dexter Manley772amentions substance abuse problems on the back of the card772bdoes not mention substance abuse on back
Commissioner at Berlin Wall785aback says "peered through the Berlin Wall"785b"posed at the Berlin Wall"

Various cards in the 1990 offering have three variations. They are as follows:

1990-91 Pro Set Hockey

1991-92 Pro Set Hockey

1991-92 Pro Set Platinum

Of note

When Pro Set, Inc. entered Chapter Eleven bankruptcy protection prior to the 1992–93 NHL season, Price traveled weekly from Toronto to Dallas and became the unofficial hockey brand manager. The second year of Parkhurst was the last with Pro Set as the company went bankrupt and Price took his Parkhurst tradename and license to the Upper Deck Company, an agreement which began with the 1993–94 season.
The allegations were based on investments made by former NFL Properties presidents, John Flood,, and his predecessor, John Bello, who quit in September 1993. Neither Flood nor Bello told the league they had set up companies to invest in Pro-Set Press, a printer partly owned by the Pro Set trading card company.

List of products

1991 NHRA Winston Drag Racing
1992 NHRA Drag Racing
1991 Superstars series 1
1991 superstars series 2
1991 Yo MTV Raps Products launched by Pro Set included: