Fleer Pro Vision PSA Sets

Rudedawg

Hello!!

My name is Brandon and I am a PSA member and have a few sets on the Registry. New to the board as of today and have posted in the Sports Card/Memorabilia this morning on the Fleer Pro Vision sets from the early 90s.

I guess I just wanted to share my story on these sets (particularly 1991) and hopefully some other people will get the urge to collect some of these sets as well. For PSA Set Registry purposes, the only sets you can register would be the 1991 Baseball, Football and Basketball. I completed all three sets a few months ago and am very proud of them. So far, there are not many who have dived into this beautiful series of cards and I would love to see more people take an interest. I think the 1991 Baseball set of 12 black borders is the most beautiful card of the late 80s/early 90s.

One of the issues is that not many submissions have been made to PSA on any of the three sports, with the exception of the 1991 Michael Jordan. Because of this, I found the only way of achieving a Mint 9+ set would be the old-fashioned way..........ripping packs. There are several aspects of this set that make is so appealing to start a Registry set. First, thanks to the unappealling yellow base set, boxes of 1991 Fleer baseball are plentiful and can be had for $7-8 each. The rate of insertion is about 5-6 per box. So, you are assured to get some in each box. Second, the black borders chip and show any marks, thus making a Mint or Gem Mint example tough to find. Centering is also an issue with a lot of boxes. It's initially frustrating, but makes the search that much more rewarding when you score a Mint 9 or Gem Mint 10. Third, the entire set is 16 cards (including the Factory Set cards) so it won't break the bank to complete a nice PSA set. Lastly, the set is full of the big stars from that time.

There are two other PSA members that have sets of the 1991 Baseball set and one of the members has expressed the same interest in getting more attention to this set. I am currently the only member with a registered set of the 1991 Football. Again, there aren't many PSA graded examples, so pack ripping and submission is about the only way to get a complete set. The 1991 Basketball set is a little more popular and is pretty easy to complete.

I plan on constantly upgrading all of my Pro Vision Registry sets and actively sell on eBay. I don't have any extras right now, but will be doing submissions in the next few months. If you are interested in any PSA graded examples, let me know!! If you want any help, advice or have questions about any of these sets, please let me know!!!

Here are links to my three 1991 Pro Vision sets::

http://www.psacard.com/PSASETREGISTRY/publishedset.aspx?s=104024&ac=1

http://www.psacard.com/PSASETREGISTRY/alltimeset.aspx?s=107475

http://www.psacard.com/PSASETREGISTRY/alltimeset.aspx?s=104025

Unfortunately, Fleer included the Pro Visions from 1992 into the base set, so they are not available to be put into a Registry Set. That is too bad because all three sports are very appealing, especially the 1992 Basketball set.

I will post scans of some of my favorites today or tommorow. Thanks for taking a look and happy collecting!!!!!!!!!!

AISAVDBBALLINPHILLY

Hi Brandon,

Welcome to the boards! I checked out your baseball and football Pro Visions. They are nice sets. The black borders and vibrant colors certainly make the baseball set attractive and the fact that it is an insert set with many stars is appealing as well. On the football side, I've got the Lawrence Taylor Pro Visions in a PSA 10 in my LT Master Collection. I also have a few other football Pro Vision cards somewhere because I busted a few boxes of the football a while ago. I think 90s subsets will appeal more and more to collectors as the boxes in which they can be found remain reasonably priced for now.

John

Rudedawg

Thanks John, appreciate the welcome and glad you checked out my sets, thanks!

I'm sure the Gem 10 LT card is a GREAT looking card, very nice. The shot of him in that card is fantastic, he even looks intimidating as a drawing I'll go check out your set. I agree with you on 90s subsets, the boxes likely aren't going to become expensive until supply dries up a bit. I doubt anyone will be hoarding packs of 1991 Fleer anytime soon I've got two raw 1991 Pro Vision LT's that I will be submitting soon, so hopefully I can improve on my set.

mikeschmidt

What a blast from the past! I loved these cards when I was a teenager ripping packs. The Puckett was always one of my favourites.

Who would have recognized this guy?

Rudedawg

Thanks for checking this out!! I'm definitely going for the "blast from the past" reaction The Puckett is a great looking card.

Yeah, that must be Barry Bonds skinny little brother, right?!?! LOL.......

Fabfrank

Congrats on your sets Brandon. I love these cards. Ironically I have a few in my "player sets", which are not on the Registry, that I track on a spreadsheet. Wouldn't it be cheaper to try and buy the insert sets? Check some of the on line dealers like www.hoppenworthcards.com. I also see theses cards in .25 boxes at shows. I think the 90's inserts sets will be the next area that I will be building sets for the registry. I've actually started to dabble a little by starting the 1990 and 1992 Fleer All-Pro sets. These are in addition to my SP Authentic football insert sets.
Good luck in your collecting and keep us posted on your progress.

Rudedawg

Thanks Fab! Glad to hear that you've got a few. I kind of wondered where a lot of these PSA examples were held, so it makes sense they are in Player Sets sometimes.

It is indeed cheaper to buy just the insert set, and that is what I've done so far with the 1992 Pro Vision sets of all three sports. I should have specified that the 1991 Baseball and Football sets are a little more touchy and that I have only bought boxes of those. Most insert-only sets from 1991, on eBay for instance, have usually been handled a bit. I have bought a few insert-only sets off eBay and had some nice ones, but I've been more successful buying boxes of that year. All of my Gem 10's and all but one of my Mint 9's have come from buying and ripping packs.

However, I will certainly check out the website you provided. I've had a couple dealers that, when they say "Mint" in the description, I believe them and would buy. If I can pay for only 12 cards instead of 2000, I'm all for it!!!! Thanks for the referral.

The 1990 and 1992 All Pro Sets are great ones, especially the 1992 version. They are beautiful!! Hope you get a Registry set going soon. I will update my 1991 Baseball set in a few weeks when my submissions come back. Thanks again!!!!

Fabfrank

The 1990 and 1992 All Pro Sets are great ones, especially the 1992 version. They are beautiful!! Hope you get a Registry set going soon.

I actually have started the sets. You can check them out, as well as my other sets here: Fabfranks sets

Rudedawg

HO-LY COW!!!!! You have a SERIOUS collection..........of a lot of sets!!! There are so many I don't know where to start..............I'm 32 years old, so that 1989 Score PSA 10 set is simply astounding. It is such a vibrant and well-done set that Gem 10s look fantastic. The 50s Bowman Football and 1985 Topps Football sets are great as well. Congrats on a great collection, you've obviously put in a lot of time and love into this hobby!!

Fabfrank

Thanks Brandon. I'm a little older than you (49 years), but I've been a card collector since 1986. When I found the PSA site in 2001, I became more educated and enamored with grading. As you can see, I do primarily football, and my sets range from 1948 Leaf to 2011 SP Authentic football. The best part about the Registry is that there is something for everyone.
Pick a type set (Like Pro Visions) build it, and than try another. I know in the coming months that I'll begin going through my hoard of baseball and Football inserts to begin those sets.

ThoseBackPages

Brandon,

Its great to see someone with such a great passion! Welcome to the forums.

Rudedawg

Thanks!! This has definitely become a passion for me.

goodtricks

Rudy nice looking set there. The Puckett is the true gem of the set IMO.

What else do we consider the best "artwork" sets of the 90s?

Rudedawg

Thanks tricks, appreciate that from a fellow Hawkeye!!! I stopped collecting around 1994 so my knowledge of later 90's sets is very limited. The only other artwork sets I can think of would be the Donruss Diamond Kings (1992's was a pretty nice versions), 89 Upper Deck's art insert and 1991 Score's "Big Head/Skinny Body" card. Sorry for the long link addresses, but here are each...................

1992 Diamond Kings

http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&biw=785&bih=463&tbm=isch&tbnid=yr5EAL5ccbRAVM:&imgrefurl=http://cardboardicons.com/&docid=bYzo408n43woNM&itg=1&imgurl=http://cardboardicons.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/tristarshow1992donrussdiamondkingsfrankthomas.jpg&w=535&h=744&ei=yJKdT6a4NsXLgQeTvImCDw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=589&sig=114474241963689618440&page=2&tbnh=135&tbnw=97&start=4&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:4,i:103&tx=44&ty=45

1989 Upper Deck

http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&biw=785&bih=463&tbm=isch&prmd=imvnso&tbnid=uf4zeXD4Qky5MM:&imgrefurl=http://www.blujay.com/item/1989-Upper-Deck-678-Will-Clark-Giants-25020105-3161999&docid=HktCIqJiQoW9jM&itg=1&imgurl=http://www.blujay.com/1/422/3161999_s1_i1.jpg&w=215&h=277&ei=j5KdT-a6I9PDgAeQiYiBDw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=284&sig=114474241963689618440&page=1&tbnh=133&tbnw=103&start=0&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0,i:83&tx=57&ty=52


1991 Score

http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&biw=785&bih=463&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=L8K-Xfb_HMN6oM:&imgrefurl=http://www.baseballcardbust.com/2011/10/ken-griffey-jr-1991-score-all-star.html&docid=oABOo0FLRfTrHM&imgurl=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3203/5809635916_f8fb0774a6.jpg&w=357&h=500&ei=GpKdT9iwM8zeggeCuL2FDA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=285&vpy=53&dur=1119&hovh=266&hovw=190&tx=99&ty=218&sig=114474241963689618440&page=1&tbnh=130&tbnw=96&start=0&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:0,i:87


If you know of any others, put 'em up here!!!!!!!!!

Rudedawg

Ahhh.....just found another one............1990 Bowman Art Inserts.. I won't put up a 500 letter link, Google will find an example

BenG76

<< <i>Thanks Fab! Glad to hear that you've got a few. I kind of wondered where a lot of these PSA examples were held, so it makes sense they are in Player Sets sometimes.

It is indeed cheaper to buy just the insert set, and that is what I've done so far with the 1992 Pro Vision sets of all three sports. I should have specified that the 1991 Baseball and Football sets are a little more touchy and that I have only bought boxes of those. Most insert-only sets from 1991, on eBay for instance, have usually been handled a bit. I have bought a few insert-only sets off eBay and had some nice ones, but I've been more successful buying boxes of that year. All of my Gem 10's and all but one of my Mint 9's have come from buying and ripping packs.

However, I will certainly check out the website you provided. I've had a couple dealers that, when they say "Mint" in the description, I believe them and would buy. If I can pay for only 12 cards instead of 2000, I'm all for it!!!! Thanks for the referral.

The 1990 and 1992 All Pro Sets are great ones, especially the 1992 version. They are beautiful!! Hope you get a Registry set going soon. I will update my 1991 Baseball set in a few weeks when my submissions come back. Thanks again!!!! >>





I bought some lots of the 91 Pro Visions off of Ebay and was a bit disappointed. I got maybe a couple I have thought about submitting. I really like the looks of the set. I thought about buying some wax boxes to pull some of the cards but I hate to go through all of those awful yellow cards. I dont see a lot of 9 or 10's of these pop up on Ebay although I havent been looking much recently.

Rudedawg

Hey G76- Yes, that has basically been my experience as well. Sometimes, an auction will come up with a "pack to holder, NM/MINT" description and I will take a shot at it. As of this point, I've ripped a few cases of 91 Baseball and it does kinda get, well, "blinding" from all that yellow-ness

Buying boxes can be hit and miss. If you decide to do it, I would buy at least 3 or 4 boxes at a time. eBay has a couple sellers that do this at a reasonable price and usually the boxes are advertised as being from the same case. In my experience, if the first box has centering/edge issues on the Pro Visions, all the other boxes in the order will have the same problem. The same is true if the first box has great centering/edges/corners. One particular order of 4 boxes yielded about half of my Mint 9s and Gem 10s. The last order of 4 boxes I did had 23 Pro Visions and not one of them were better than NM/Mint 8. It was disappointing, but that is part of deal with this set.

I wish they had put the Pro Vision set into 1991 Score instead, lol.

PSAbolts

Hey rudedawg, I just came across this thread, great to see others are collecting the pro-visions as well. Did you submit a bunch more to PSA? I saw the Pops Jump up.

Rudedawg

Hey, thanks for checking this out!! Yes, I just got a poppage last week and haven't looked at it yet on-line. I always wait for them to come in the mail so I will know how they graded tomorrow. I only did 22 cards in that sub. to take the urge off. Hopefully I got some 9's and 10's. We'll see!!!

What kind of a Pro Vision collection do you have going so far?? Yes, it's a very well done set and glad it gets some recognition every now and then..................

PSAbolts

I am BAD_MAV_302 on the PSA set registry. I won't spoil anything for you, but your submissions did good. I'd love to have first dibs on any doubles you don't need. I'm going to submit somemore in a few weeks. hopefully one day both of us will have all 10's, that would be awesome.

MeteoriteGuy

Always enjoyed these sets, good luck on the registries you two.

A couple years ago I sold what was at the time the only 1991 Basketball PSA 10 set. Looks like the registry has doubled+ since then, so there is a little interest in them. I don't see my name in the all-time finest list so maybe I never registered it?

MeteoriteGuy

Guess I still have the scan.

Rudedawg

<< <i>I am BAD_MAV_302 on the PSA set registry. I won't spoil anything for you, but your submissions did good. I'd love to have first dibs on any doubles you don't need. I'm going to submit somemore in a few weeks. hopefully one day both of us will have all 10's, that would be awesome. >>



Cool!, now I connected the dots. Good to hear from you. I saw that you started a Set Registry on the 1991 Football, so that is great! Also saw that you got your 1991 Baseball to over a Mint 9 average a while ago. I was gonna send you an e-mail to congratulate, but didn't have the address. Good to know who you are on the Boards.

Yeah, I felt pretty good about what I submitted. It took A LOT of box rips. I will certainly contact you with doubles. I actually saw that you had posted some PSA slabs on eBay yesterday. If we can get to a Gem 10 average on the baseball set, I'll be a happy man Good luck on your submission!!

Rudedawg

<< <i>Always enjoyed these sets, good luck on the registries you two.

A couple years ago I sold what was at the time the only 1991 Basketball PSA 10 set. Looks like the registry has doubled+ since then, so there is a little interest in them. I don't see my name in the all-time finest list so maybe I never registered it? >>



Thanks! We're both active on our sets, so we'll just keep chuggin' along.

That was a really nice Basketball set, thanks for posting it! Not sure on the All-Time list, I've never posted any sets in that category. Out of curiousity, do you know how much you got for that Gem 10 set??

Rudedawg

UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FINALLY got my sub back today in the mail after waiting about one month on the Set Registry 10-day special. Good grief, I was about going nuts.

I could not have asked for anything better on this one. There were some very minor disappointments, but MANY more great surprises. I raised my set average from about 8.84 to 9.38. Subbed 22 cards total and bumped up 10 cards in the set. A lot of time and effort was put into this sub and it paid off. Here are some of the cards that I got bumped up:







The biggest thrill of the sub had to be these. I subbed 3 cards and ALL came back as Gem 10s. I literally went to a knee when I pulled out the third one:




I was a little worried about the McGwire and Strawberry cards I sent, as they have been the hardest in the set for me. Most packs I rip have really bad centering or edge issues. Getting a Mint 9 on each was huge for me. I now have at least a Mint 9 of each card in the set. The only disappointments were in the Factory Set cards. I was expecting 10's on those, but I think the back centering prevented that on three of them.

All in all, one happy kid here

Fabfrank

That's an awesome sub. Congrats
One question though. Some flips are marked Factory set and others aren't. I thought these cards only came in packs?

mikeschmidt

those are great grades on tough black-bordered cards.

Congrats!

PSAbolts

congrats on the 9.38 Average!!!! that PSA10 Mattingly is a great looking card.

MeteoriteGuy

Nice sub Rudedawg. It's always good to move a set up into the 9.0s.

I can't remember what I sold the 1991 basketball set for. I am thinking about $100-120. There wasn't much interest in them at the time so I was happy.

Please keep us updated on your progress.

Do you think at some time you will branch into other 1990s insert sets?

Rudedawg

Thanks guys!! Still got more work to do.

@ Fab---- The white border 4-card "Factory Set" only came out in those sets and were never in packs. The black border 12-card set came only in packs, they did not come in Factory Sets. There was a third "hobby set" box, but I'm not sure if the black borders were in those. PSA decided to include both the Factory Set and Black Border cards into the same Registry Set, thankfully.

@ Meteorite----- Not sure right now if I'll get into any other insert sets. My next subs will be for the 1992 Pro Visions, 1993 Diamond Marks "Pro Visions" and some Auto submissions on some Pro Visions. The only other 1990s insert I'm working on right now is the 1996 Mantle Reprints. Are you working on any yourself???

Rudedawg

Also, BadMav.........I sent you a PM

Fabfrank

Rudedawg- PM sent

PSAbolts

Rudedawg- PM sent

jbs726

Those Pro-Visions cards are awesome. I had a bunch when I was a kid but didnt realize the 91's were a stand alone set. I always thought they were just part of the large fleer set. I am working on another great art card set from the 90's, the 1992 Triple Play Gallery of Stars set. Very similar to Diamond Kings...Donruss..Dick Perez...except the quality of the cards are much worse. The stock is flimsy and the corners are often rounded in the packs which makes getting a PSA 10 pretty tough. I just busted a few boxes today and got 14 cards, 2 of which I am sending in for grading. Anyway, great work on the Pro-Visions, keep it up. I might try that set next after I complete the Gallery set.

Justin

goodtricks

Just bought my first box...... here we go....

Rudedawg

Awesome, let me know how it goes!!

goodtricks

I bought 4 boxes of basketball. I'm going to attempt to do all three as you did.

I'm back in the hobby since February most of my purchases have been pre slabbed PSA. I haven't really broke into any packs, and am really looking forward to it.

I have also never submitted anything to PSA. Does anyone have any recommendations of some sleeves that I can buy to send cards in? I saw that they don't want toploaders to be sent.

Thanks!

*ALSO are there any other valuable cards in these sets? What have you been doing with the non-pro-vision? Anything worth submitting?

Rudedawg

That's great that you got some 1991 basketball boxes. I've actually never bought any factory boxes of the basketball. I always bought 6 card Pro Vision sets on eBay. Off the top of my head, not sure what good RC's may be in that base set, maybe Gary Payton and Larry Johnson.

Ripping packs is exciting when submit to PSA and come back with a Mint 9 or Gem 10. It's a good rush!! However, you will have frustration along the way. Not sure how the 1991 Basketball will go for ripping. I think the white borders hold up pretty well, so you should be able to pull some 9's or 10's. Centering is a big issue with Fleer that year for all sports issues.

As for holders to submit to PSA, you will need to get some Card Saver I holders. You can get them on eBay or from PSA direct. I think you can get them from eBay for a little cheaper. I usually get a 50 or 100 pack. You will also want to get some soft sleeves to put the cards in before you put them into the Card Savers. It may be a little cautious, but it doesn't hurt. The Card Savers are a tight fit and the 1991 Baseball's corners and edges are kind of delicate. Having them in a soft sleeve will protect them a little more.

As for non-Pro Vision cards from that year, there aren't a whole lot of them. The 1991 baseball base set only has the Luis Gonzalez RC and a few "dual player" cards that are kind of neat (Griffey/Bonds, Sandberg/Dawson). The Baseball Factory Sets have black-bordered "All Star Cards" and 1990 World Series cards that are kind of neat. The 1991 Football set has the Junior Seau RC and some other minor RC's, but nothing too great. There are a ton of HOF's and Stars from 1991, but not any "valuable" cards to speak of. I think the 1991/92 Basketball has some pretty cool cards in it. Admittedly, 1991 Fleer is not a great year for anything but the Pro Visions, IMHO When I do pack rips, I usually just keep the HOF's or Stars I get.

Good luck and post any scans if you get some good ones.

goodtricks

Ahh I thought I saw that you were buying boxes and ripping in this thread? Or was that not basketball?

Thanks for the advice on the products to send in.

Rudedawg

I've ripped many boxes of 1991 Baseball and Football, just not any Basketball yet. The Jordan and Karl Malone I got off eBay already in Gem 10 and the others in my set were raw purchases and submitted. The Basketball set is more abundant in good condition.

Also, will be sending you a PM........

goodtricks

Busted my first box of basketball tonight. Brought me back to my childhood. 2 Barkley's, 1 Ewing, 1 Magic, and 1 MJ. 3 more to go and baseball on the way. I guess I'm hooked.

Rudedawg

Sweeeeeeet!! 5 or 6 per box is about the norm. Keep rippin!!!

PSAbolts

Sending in more 1991 baseball to PSA tomorrow!!!!!!!!!

Should be lots of PSA10's in 45 day

Fabfrank

PSABolts- Keep me in mind if you get dupes

PSAbolts

for sure Fabfrank. I'm BADMAV302 on the registry. I sent in 2 or 3 of each card, hand pulled from packs by me and in great condition.

Rudedawg

Mav, here's hoping your sub is loaded with 10's!!! If you sent in 2-3 of each card, I would think chances are pretty good. Did you get some of the Factory White Borders in the sub as well???

PSAbolts

yes, some white borders also. only 2 of each, but no sandberg's.
I did put 3 Bo Jackson's in there also. Looking forward all our sets being upgraded.
I'll let you guys know the results as soon as they are emailed to me

Rudedawg

Fantastic, appreciate the work on it. Even a few bumps would be great..................

goodtricks

Hey guys - Just busted 7 boxes of 1991 Football. Pulled 8 total cards. I was expecting more given the output of Basketball and Baseball. Is this common?

I'd say 5 of the 8 have a shot at high grades, the other 3 quite a bit OC.

Rudedawg

Glad you got some good ones! Pulling 8 Pro Visions out of 7 boxes is on the low end, though. The biggest problem with 1991 Football is the second insert (All Pros) that are also included in packs/boxes. So, it's a toss up as to which insert you will pull. It's kind of annoying when you go through an entire box and only get one Pro Vision and 4 All Pro cards. But, there isn't any way around it. The 1991 Rack Packs also have this same issue. If you get 3 Pro Visions in a box, that's about as good as it gets in my experience.

The only positive is that, imho, the card stock and finish on the 1991 Football is better than the 1991 Baseball. Edges and corners are usually much sharper. Even though you pull fewer of them, they are usually more gradable. As you said, though, OC is usually the biggest defect.

Feel free to post scans of your good ones!!!

goodtricks

To be honest I had a couple boxes with 0, but they had a number of the All-Pros

I will post scans once these are graded. This will be my first submission to PSA.... Any tips?