1991 Skybox Was a Psychedelic Adventure Worth Remembering
by Ben. on Dec 14, 2008 5:29 PM PST
83 comments
There is no question that 1991-1992 Skybox was the single greatest card design ever put forth by the six kajillion basketball card companies. Where to even begin describing these cards aesthetically? In this card, selected in honor of Terry Porter's jersey retirement on Tuesday, TP30 appears to be shooting a fire-breathing basketball as Magic Johnson hopelessly contests against an Escher-inspired (?) backdrop of turquoise geometry. That is so far beyond brilliant.
If you didn't guess already, yes I'm snowed in on top of a tall hill. Thus I dragged out the basketball card collection that I look at once every 3 years or so in hopes that all those hours spent collecting from 1989 through 1994 might have finally paid dividends. Each time I do this, without fail, I am disappointed by the value of the cards and taken to a different dimension thanks to 1991 Skybox. I'm writing this from Mars right now.
For a solid 5 years, basketball cards were always at the top of my Christmas list. I have a feeling many of you had similar experiences. Feel free to wax nostalgic about your collection or your favorite card collecting memories in the comments.
CLICK THROUGH TO SEE PICTURES OF TERRY PORTER AND KEVIN DUCKWORTH CARDS.
Also, feel free to click on the Best Buy logo below per DAVE'S EXPLANATION HERE.
-- Ben
-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)
3 recs |
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Ben
This is what puts you over the top as a blogger in my opinion. Posts like these. Obviously, you strike a chord with those of us who were just teenagers during the Rip City Renaissance of the early 90’s.
I have my fair share of Skybox cards as well. It’s a shame. Cards from our era, unless you have some of the prized 1985-1988 Fleer sets, have done nothing but deteriorate in value over the last 20 years. Nowadays you have like 20,000 card companies with super duper limited edition silver platinum brazened editions and it just ruins it for me.
My favorite card in my collection is the 1987-88 Fleer Terry Porter RC card.
Even though the cards aren’t worth what I paid for them, they will always stay in my family as an heirloom and a memoir of those magical years of being a Blazer fanatic.
Peace
"Life is a meaningless sequence of events in between Blazer championships"
by broggerboy19 on Dec 14, 2008 5:49 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
I used to be big into collecting (still do every now and then, depending on discretionary spending)
The Skybox and Hoops stuff from the early nineties always had inflated value, as they were overproduced during the card market boom. The 91-92 Skybox was cool, but always liked the 90-91 version better. I love those fleer sets from 86-90 (one of my prized hobby possesions is a complete set of the 86-87 Fleer, with stickers, no less!). The one downside for me is that basketball is a relatively newer sport than baseball, so there is not as many older, classic sets to get cards from.
I will never waste a beer. There are too many sober kids in India. -Rod Benson
by supremepuntiff on Dec 14, 2008 6:19 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Great Post! I was totally in to Skybox cards
The only couple years I was in to collecting were about 89-90, 90/91-All Skybox. I actually have an unopened box of skybox basketball cards… The thrill of going for the David Robinson rookie card was a rush tearing through each pack. I have not looked for years at what those sets are worth or what the Robinson rookie card is worth. Anyone have a value range? Thanks!
We all know what K*be did in Colorado to that girl. Dear Lord, please let whatever team that plays the LA Clankers beat them to oblivion. Amen.
by Pritchslap on Dec 14, 2008 9:10 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I think
the Robinson rookie is worth about $12-$15 (it was at about $50 in his heyday). That Hoops set is worth $20-$25, and the other sets are probably in the $12-$25 range.
I will never waste a beer. There are too many sober kids in India. -Rod Benson
by supremepuntiff on Dec 14, 2008 10:45 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Too cool...
A good deal of these are also in my own collection, along with a few others (such as those packaged once-upon-a-time with Franz white bread). Sadly, I haven’t collected for several years now as other priorities have since wrested the money out of my hand. But your recollections remind me what a great crop of blazers I’m missing out on as we reminisce these little rectangular photographs of card stock goodness – I hate to think who my last Blazer rookie card was of…
P.S. You’re absolutely right – from that era, Skybox ruled.
by SubXero on Dec 14, 2008 5:49 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
i was an upper deck guy at the time but i think that’s because my 9 and 10 year old self didn’t have enough art criticism under my belt to truly appreciate what level skybox was on…
Draft Kyle Singler.
by Ben. on Dec 14, 2008 5:53 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Save 5-25% on select camcorders... not too shabby
http://www.bestbuy.com/site//olspage.jsp?id=pcat17080&type=page&qp=crootcategoryid2323-12323-1~q70726f63657373696e6774696d653a3e313930302d30312d3031cabcat0400000232302323dhcabcat04030002323023231j~nf3967C7C4f6e2053616c65&sc=abCameraCamcorderSP&sp=%2Bbrand+skuid&usc=abcat0400000
I’ve always wanted to be able to video tape things once in a while.
by Bust a Bucket on Dec 14, 2008 5:57 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
I'll have to scan my autographed Robert Pack card
though I think it may be with my pictures taken in Cambodia so it might be a while
I hate bears
by Sexual Tyrannosaurus on Dec 14, 2008 6:07 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Ahhh yes, the changeover era for basketball cards
When packs of basketball cards went from 10 cards for 40 cents, to 5 cards for $1.00. Like many collectors, I walked away from the industry. I was only a recreational collector (ie. “I need to get all the Blazers”), but it just wasn’t worth it anymore. I still miss opening a pack just to see if I got a few Blazers in it. And eating the cardboard gum.
Skybox/Upper Deck and the like are charged by many card collectors as killing the accessibility of card collecting to kids, and causing the entire industry to bottom out over a generation, with prices of old cards plummeting.
I’d take Topps any day back then, even though they were more stoic and not as edgy. Sorry guys.
(I could also be cranky because I have a head cold and a stomach flu. ugh)
by Timmay! on Dec 14, 2008 6:09 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
I don't actually own all these cards, I just like them and created that image for Dave's fantasy lineup posts a while ago
Viva la Rudylucion
by Norsktroll on Dec 14, 2008 6:09 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Oops, that looked smaller in the previews ;-)
Viva la Rudylucion
by Norsktroll on Dec 14, 2008 6:10 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I actually wish the first image was bigger
it looks cool, but I can’t see all the details.
by Bust a Bucket on Dec 14, 2008 6:20 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/6862/blazersfantasylineupzs6.jpg
Viva la Rudylucion
by Norsktroll on Dec 14, 2008 6:27 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
i have tons of the NBA Hoops cards i'll have to see i have that TP one
honor rasheed wallace
by Zaron5551 on Dec 14, 2008 7:31 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
91' set is cool.
I’ve collected off and on since 85 and have most of the Blazer cards
from Topps, Fleer & Donruss. I also have a fair amount of the Franz cards,
as they were tough to collect here in Medford. I have a much larger collection
of Baseball cards, many signed from games attended or the many years at
Spring Training. I suppose some of my favorite basketball cards are the 93-94
Fleer Tower of Power Uncle Cliffy, 96 Topps Imagine Earl Monroe/Clyde Drexler,
94 Skybox “Glide” (Great photo), 92’ Kelloggs College Basketball Greats
“Clyde Drexler – Houston Cougars”, 94 Skybox – Drexler Vs. Jordan and
93’ Fleer Sharpshooter – Clyde Drexler.
Since the overproduction started in the late 80’s, I haven’t purchased paks/
boxes, but I bought a couple of boxes for Christmas last year (Topps 50th
anniversary – Bill Russell & GO) and pulled a GO Rookie Photo Shoot
Autograph (# 69/100). Sweet. The last time that happened was Christmas
five years ago when I bought four paks of 03-04 Upper Deck Legends. I
gave two paks to my older brother for a gift and popped a LeBron James # 23,
Signs of a Future Legend autograph.($ 400.00 HB) When my brother found out
he was pissed. Oh well ! I started collecting in 67-68 when baseball cards
were 5 cents a pak and had the pink gum. I wish I had those cards back !!
It's GO time !
by walkoff41 on Dec 14, 2008 6:18 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Nice pulls!
I really liked the legends series UD did. My biggest love in collecting is olde baseball cards. My Koufax rookie is tied for most prized card (with a Jordan Fleer rookie, mostly because the Jordan card was a birthday gift from my dad; I got it right before the card took off in value).
I will never waste a beer. There are too many sober kids in India. -Rod Benson
by supremepuntiff on Dec 14, 2008 6:23 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
My card collection . . .
is 75% baseball. I have every Tom Seaver card ever made
and many 80’s rookies & sets. Ripken, Bonds, Maddux, Clemens,
Big Unit, etc, etc. Of course, being a long time player & coach,
I’ve collected autographed balls and hand made signs for 20 years.
I can’t scan now or I would show off my 91’ Skybox Autographed
Clyde Drexler.
P.S. – My dad saw Koufax throw the No-No against the Giants.
It's GO time !
by walkoff41 on Dec 14, 2008 6:52 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I always preferred the 1990 Skybox series
The other day I was thinking, what if today’s players had been around then?
by Praisebecrom on Dec 14, 2008 6:21 PM PST reply actions 27 recs
Did you just make those?
Holy cow that is awesome!
by Busta Bucket on Dec 14, 2008 6:23 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
rec’d for incredible
Draft Kyle Singler.
by Ben. on Dec 14, 2008 6:23 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
This may be the coolest thing
I have ever seen on this site. I am a hige novice in all things like this on my computer, so pardon my ignorance if I ask, how did you do it, and was it difficult at all?
I will never waste a beer. There are too many sober kids in India. -Rod Benson
by supremepuntiff on Dec 14, 2008 6:24 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Made them in photoshop...
..using an scan of an old Skybox card as a reference to get the colors and measurements right.
The hardest part of making the actual card design was getting the fonts right. They used a pretty obscure font for ‘Skybox’, so just tracking that down probably took twice as long as anything else.
by Praisebecrom on Dec 14, 2008 6:39 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
This post is getting
a RECtal exam.
I will never waste a beer. There are too many sober kids in India. -Rod Benson
by supremepuntiff on Dec 14, 2008 6:26 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
This is proof
that Blazers Edge has the greatest readership known to man/woman.
by Bust a Bucket on Dec 14, 2008 6:27 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Made it green.
This is beautiful work.
honor rasheed wallace
by Cablinasian on Dec 14, 2008 6:26 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Do you have Rudy or Sergio ones
ready to go? The background and the streaking basketball design were made for the Spanish connection.
Something in an alley-oop, perhaps?
I will never waste a beer. There are too many sober kids in India. -Rod Benson
by supremepuntiff on Dec 14, 2008 6:28 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
That would be epic.
honor rasheed wallace
by Cablinasian on Dec 14, 2008 6:29 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Any ideas for Shav?
Can’t imagine there are too many action shots of him out there..
Thanks for the suggestion. Since these have gotten a good reaction, I’ll put aside some time this week to try and make one for each Blazer.
by Praisebecrom on Dec 14, 2008 6:50 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
get a picture of Shav in a suit
Have flames coming off his wing tips and out of his ears.
by Bust a Bucket on Dec 14, 2008 6:51 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
They should make those. Brandon cutting to the hoop would be an epic pose. I would buy that
Viva la Rudylucion
by Norsktroll on Dec 14, 2008 6:35 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Very nice
rec’d
I hate bears
by Sexual Tyrannosaurus on Dec 14, 2008 6:50 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Those are some High Def cards
They look 3 D! Great work.
"I saw him in the face" Sergio's quote on the latest alley-oop to Rudy.
by blazermaniac32 on Dec 14, 2008 6:58 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Nice Job sir, oh, and your avatar pic, gruesome!
I come here to meet chicks...
by BlazermaniacAndy on Dec 14, 2008 7:08 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
i can't see the photos.
dangit.
Every child must be encouraged to get as much education as he has the ability to take. We want this not only for his sake-but for the nation's sake. Nothing matters more to the future of our country: not military preparations-for armed might is worthless if we lack the brain power to build a world of peace; not our productive economy-for we cannot sustain growth without trained manpower; not our democratic system of government-for freedom is fragile if citizens are ignorant.
-President Lyndon B. Johnson
by saregister on Dec 14, 2008 8:34 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
That sucks
are you blind? what’s the issue?
by Bust a Bucket on Dec 14, 2008 8:37 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Some adblock filters block those images.
Jerryd Bayless has two emotions: Kill and Win.
"I want to put points on your face."
-Rudy to Pau Gasol
NorrisHopper30: "someone injure pubert jones"
by rockingharder on Dec 14, 2008 11:21 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
that's weird
I’m just happy his eyes are fine.
by Bust a Bucket on Dec 14, 2008 11:23 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
great Photoshop skillz!
rec’d
when i get sad, i stop being sad & become awesome again. true story.
by Net Ranger on Dec 14, 2008 8:54 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I love Retro cards
It’s cool to see the cards that I was openning “back in the days” with curent Blazers on them.
Thanks!!!! Awesome Job!!!!
by Dmartyparty on Dec 14, 2008 10:54 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I happily give this its 20th rec
Boomshakalaka
by jksnake99 on Dec 14, 2008 11:04 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
The 1990 Skybox were way cooler than the 1991 series
1991 seemed like a letdown to me.
by tingeyga on Dec 14, 2008 11:15 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
23rd rec
and it deserves way more
Every night the team scores 100 points is sort of a mini-Hispanic night.........all the fans get free Chalupas. --Bust a Bucket
by prezofdeath on Dec 14, 2008 11:58 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I wish somebody here knew how to make multiple login names
so they could teach us and we could keep RECing it.
by Bust a Bucket on Dec 15, 2008 12:08 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
ask that boomdizzle guy
Every night the team scores 100 points is sort of a mini-Hispanic night.........all the fans get free Chalupas. --Bust a Bucket
by prezofdeath on Dec 15, 2008 12:20 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
just use different email addresses
honor rasheed wallace
by Zaron5551 on Dec 15, 2008 10:02 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
this reminds me of NBA jam
“Roy’s on Fire!”
If they redid NBA jam with today’s players and technology it could be really cool.
you think you could make that happen PBCrom? :-)
Seeing and reading about all these Basketball cards brings me back to my days of collecting comics, video games, comic book cards, basketball cards, etc. I had friends with tons of topps, skybox, fleer, etc.
Collectors became so anal retentive about having two copies of everything, mint condition, that after a while, it seemed like many people forgot what got them into collecting whatever they were into.
Wizard was king, the economy was really ridin’ high back in the clinton era. I don’t think I could pay anyone to take my “death of superman” comic book anymore.
by appel82 on Dec 15, 2008 12:29 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I love card collecting, and the range of memories that come with it
One card that always gives me bittersweet feelings is the 89-90 hoops Reggie Lewis card. It was a great looking card, and feature on Beckett after he died.
Did anybody else get Becketts, and remember the sweet, sweet covers they had? I remember there being a Drexler one early one, going for a dunk, I believe.
I will never waste a beer. There are too many sober kids in India. -Rod Benson
by supremepuntiff on Dec 14, 2008 6:31 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
i found august 1991 beckett basketball — issue #13 with magic on the cover this afternoon while going through my stuff…
Draft Kyle Singler.
by Ben. on Dec 14, 2008 6:37 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Good ol’ Magic.
I still remember watching his Oops! press conference. That was a sad day for basketball fans.
by Bust a Bucket on Dec 14, 2008 6:42 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
oh for sure… used to go to my friend’s house after school, watchin duck tales most days… then that presser came on…. “what’s aids, daddy?” awk-ward… glad he’s still kickin…
Draft Kyle Singler.
by Ben. on Dec 14, 2008 6:45 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Just FYI
Nowadays younger people infected with HIV who receive good medical care, which Magic does for sure, have a life expectancy of about 39 additional years. This is very, very different from the era before good medications were available. So, he should be doing well for quite a while. It all depends on your access to health care and your overall state of health at the time of infection.
-Happy Holidays everyone
by ofred on Dec 14, 2008 6:58 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
My buddy gave me a Jermaine O'Neal rookie card a few years back
Mint Condition, since he’s going down as a hall of famer, how much is it worth?
I come here to meet chicks...
by BlazermaniacAndy on Dec 14, 2008 7:06 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
A T.J. Ford card
Viva la Rudylucion
by Norsktroll on Dec 14, 2008 7:20 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I have a ton of these
from when I was a little dude growing up in portland. That terry porter one someone posted above looks an awful lot like the franz bread cards. Anyone remember those?
Things happen for a reason they say, but I say there's a reason things happen.
by sixth on Dec 14, 2008 7:41 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
i still have a few in my collection in my closet
remember them being slightly moist when you got them?
ps.. not you, the cards
when i get sad, i stop being sad & become awesome again. true story.
by Net Ranger on Dec 14, 2008 8:57 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Gah, I always thought my cards would be worth something by now… nope.
whaa happen?
by Toby on Dec 14, 2008 8:48 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
in remembrance: Tom Izzo and the "Flint"stones
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=17536383&st=basketball&type=product&id=1940556
Greatest Stories in Michigan State basketball history
by Bust a Bucket on Dec 14, 2008 8:56 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
This is a great thread. Loved the Roy/Oden 1990 Skybox imitation cards as well.
The only bummer is, that picture on top brings back painful memories of the 1991 WCF, Game Six. That team, along with the 50-10 squad from 1977-78, should have won titles. Shoulda/woulda/coulda.
MLB2PDX!!! (someday...)
by The Cactus Leaguer on Dec 14, 2008 9:29 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
The Blazers Police sets...
is what got me started in collecting cards. Then the Franz cards came along and I was hoked. I missed the first year that Fleer came out with all the rookies but after that I was collecting any and all Blazer cards. I even remember seeing a Star set at the Pegasus comics in Beaverton. I had to have it, and even though it was $6.00 ( alot of money for a set of cards at the time) I had to have it. Many years later I realized that I had Drexlers rookie card in that set.
I also have Drexlers card as a Dream teamer.
Many cool cards, many memories.
Darin
by Dmartyparty on Dec 14, 2008 11:05 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Completely OT
but I was searching for “1996 Skybox cards” and came up with this picture…lol is this really our main man PA?
Every night the team scores 100 points is sort of a mini-Hispanic night.........all the fans get free Chalupas. --Bust a Bucket
by prezofdeath on Dec 15, 2008 12:00 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
I wonder why he doesn't use all his money to get his teeth fixed (no I won't post that, but just google it if you want to get scared)
Maybe he wanted to wait until Greg has his license.
Viva la Rudylucion
by Norsktroll on Dec 15, 2008 10:02 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Greg will have his license sooner than later
if he keeps playing basketball this way.
by Bust a Bucket on Dec 15, 2008 4:05 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Basketball cards were always...
…close to my heart, growing up. I definately had TONS of them from about 1990-1995, then I entered high school, and other things took priority.
Oddly enough, my fondest memory of Skybox cards comes from 1990-91 set (the gold) from the summer of 1992, when my family took a drive from our Chicago suburb to the BASEBALL Hall of Fame in Cooperstown New York. If you ever get the oppurtunity to take this trip, do NOT pass it up! (Along the way in a hotel room one night we stopped and watched our hometown Bulls put their second straight championship away, so we had basketball fever going, on a baseball based vacation, haha. No hard feelings to the fans on this site-the Bulls’ opponent shall remain nameless. :P )
Coopsertown is a sports lover’s dream, and a sports memorabilia lover’s heaven, especially if you’re into collecting sports cards (atleast it was in ‘92.). Once we arrived in Cooperstown there was just card shop after card shop. My brother and I, who were 10 and 11 at the time blew ever cent we had on basketball cards at every shop that week. They REALLY over produced the skybox sets from 90-91, so they must’ve been on blowout or something. There were so many of those black (series 1) and green (series 2) wrappers laying around. That vacations is always the first thing that pops into my mind when I think of Skybox.
Oh, btw, the baseball hall of fame is great, too!
http://myspace.com/eme0916
by dfjmed on Dec 15, 2008 10:19 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
One thing I really liked about the 91-92 Skybox
was the send-away deal for the Clyde Drexler Olympic card. I read the back of a pack way too late to actually take them up on it, but finally tracked one down about 1-2 years ago.
I will never waste a beer. There are too many sober kids in India. -Rod Benson
by supremepuntiff on Dec 15, 2008 10:38 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
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