The 1990s cards are the best. It was truly the best decade, with the best designs, the best set composition, the best time to be a collector with cards everywhere. It's got so many sets I love that I could show a thousand cards in this post and not run out of favorites. But...the challenge is to show ONE favorite card of the decade. I knew it would be a card from either 1994 Action Packed or 1996-97 Ultra. In the end I went with Action Packed because for me the 90s were more about NASCAR than the NBA, although by the end of the decade card wise the NBA had pushed NASCAR by the wayside.
1994 was my second year collecting NASCAR (started the day after Christmas 1992, but I consider 1993 my first year) and the 1994 season cards are my favorite in NASCAR history. And none top Action Packed. It's bright colorful design, the ample use of gold foil, the embossing on every card...to 10 year old me this was the greatest thing ever.
To 32 year old me, the sentiment is the same.
About the only thing that could make it better would be if I had the whole set. Yes, my all-time favorite NASCAR set is still not one I've completed. My other option for this post, 1996-97 Ultra NBA, also remains incomplete. You'd think my favorite sets in my sports would be something I would have completed long ago, but no. While I would be thrilled to complete them, it will also be a little sad, because it means that I wouldn't be able to enjoy getting any new ones any more. Of course, they both have parallels...
Sometime during 1993, I saw Ricky Rudd's showcar, which was the first time I had ever seen a NASCAR race car in person. No pictures, but I remember where it was. I'll never forget it.
Wow..your enthusiasm for that decade comes through loud and clear on here. And that card is cool.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteI was a big fan of Ricky Rudd. He seemed like such a good guy. Every time I see his old 'Tide Ride' nowadays I'm reminded of Mitch Hedberg's NASCAR bit:
ReplyDelete“I want to be a race car passenger... just a guy who bugs the driver. Say man, can I turn on the radio? You should slow down. Why do we gotta keep going in circles? Can I put my feet out the window? Man, you really like Tide...”
RIP Mitch
I don't know who Mitch Hedberg is or was, but that is funny.
DeleteIt hurts my eyes staring at that card. It is cool though, total 1990s like NKOTB. I got out of cards starting in 1994 so I missed most of the late 1990s collecting. Picked it back up in early 2000s, but wish I would have had some of these sets.
ReplyDeleteYeah they can do that sometimes. The black and white checkered pattern from this same subset can make it seem like it's moving on its own! I have lots of cards from this era if you want some.
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