Help identifying a set of football cards.

PSAbolts

Hello,
I was hoping someone with knowledge of Action Packed cards would help answer this question. I am attempting to properly identify a set from 1995 Action Packed. The Checklist is as follows

P1 Rod Woodson

P2 Bruce Smith

P3 Marshall Faulk

P4 Barry Sanders

P5 Junior Seau

I've seen them listed as promos, but I don't think that is correct. Their appearance does not resemble any 1995 action packed card. I'm beginning to believe they were some scarce, forgotten about insert, or maybe a set handed out at the pro bowl card show or something. Any information provided would be great. My ultimate goal is to get PSA to grade these, but need to properly identify them first. Thank you. Please see link below for an image of the Barry Sanders card on tradingcarddatabase....

https://www.tcdb.com/ViewCard.cfm/sid/3482/cid/14425511/1995-Action-Packed-P4-Barry-Sanders

jradke4

Beckett does not list them on their site. I was thinking maybe a promo card. But can't find any Barry AP cards with that number P4 on Beckett's site.

VoteDizzy

I have no information other than the fact that they do say "prototype" on the back.

PSAbolts

I have noticed the prototype on the reverse. But Prototype normally represents an upcoming set, and nothing else action packed put out in the era looks like this.

DBesse27

@PSAbolts said:
I have noticed the prototype on the reverse. But Prototype normally represents an upcoming set, and nothing else action packed put out in the era looks like this.

Not what prototype means. Means it’s a test. Sometimes they’re produced at a later date, sometimes they’re not.

shouldabeena10

The people that have posted the most pics / auctions of them are calling them "prototypes." And since it says prototype on the card ... I'd stick with that. Action packed went a little crazy in 1994 /1995 with all of their different sub sets, promos, gold cards, braille cards, etc .. so it's no surprise they all aren't listed by Beckett.

I'd say it's more than likely a true Protoype, since the cards only list 1993 stats... and the player write-ups mention that it's currently week 10 of the 1994 season. So they were probably printed up shortly after Nov 6th, 1994 .... as the first design for what the following years set might look like.

The later released small "Promo / Protoype" set they put out for 1995 has complete 1994 stats on them, and it also has the same card design and look as the regular 1995 set So I'm guessing the earlier released prototypes were just a preliminary design that eventually got scrapped?

Since they're pretty scarce cards to find, I doubt they were ever released in any real quantities? Probably just an initial small print run given out to employees and some of the salesmen ... to show off to the vendors / dealers.

I found pics of all the cards (except for the Rod Woodson card) by googling around. Not sure if that means anything? ... but if you've experienced the same thing in collecting them .. he maybe the tougher one to find?