One of the first unique card parallels I remember as a kid were artist or press proof cards. They were never very special or different, but they usually included some type of stamp or emblem that showed they were different.
I've probably only pulled one or two in my life. I remember pulling a Kenny Lofton in 1998 Donruss. I'm not sure if I still have it, but I remember it.
In the early days, press proofs would say something along the lines of 1 of 1500. However, serially numbering cards became all the rage, and before you knew it, press proofs were given exact numbers. Take this one for instance:
I just landed it on eBay for $.50, which I was happy with. I'd spend that much for a Tino base I didn't have, however, when you have one numbered to just /25 and get it for that price, that's a pretty cool thing. Yeah, it's from the Lost Years and the Donruss set is pretty unforgettable, but into the PC it goes as unique Tino #721. Now, the card really isn't special other than the Press Proof logo and serial number.
But I guess that's most parallels, really. Isn't it?
Congrats on the new Tino!
ReplyDeleteYou can't go wrong at that price, even though it's not a very exciting card. When I was collecting Jeff Innis cards (early 1990s Mets relief pitcher) I was always excited about parallels because it gave me something else to add to his binder. Now that I've given up player collecting, I find parallels a lot less interesting.
ReplyDelete.50!!!! I still get way too excited when I get good deals on cards. At least we have blogs to share the excitement!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! That's a great deal. I'm still a big fan of parallels from the 90's. Mirror golds and refractors have always been my favorite... but I'll never turn a Press Proof away from my insert binder.
ReplyDelete