You can grab a 1990 Score baseball factory set for under $10, but the 25-card McDonald’s version? With only 4,000 reportedly made (vs. who knows how many millions of base cards), it commands 40x the price!
I have to acknowledge that I only recently discovered the existence of this set after looking back through the May 1992 issue of Sports Collector Digest’s Sports Card Price Guide Monthly and skimming Jeff Kurowski’s hobby commentary.
However, while Kurowski wrote that the cards were only available in Boise, Idaho, The Standard Catalog wrote that they were also available in eastern Oregon:
This 25-card set was released exclusively at 11 McDonald’s restaurants in Idaho and eastern Oregon. Four cards were given with a large fries-soda purchase. Production was reported at 4,000 each. The cards have front borders of graduated purple shades around a game-action photo. Backs are similar in format to regular 1990 Score cards and include a portrait photo. The McDonald’s logo appears on front and back. Fifteen World Series trivia cards were part of the promotion.
BaseballCardPedia adds that the cards were only available for about three weeks in the spring of 1990. Others have presumed these cards were part of a trial pulled by McDonald’s before being implemented nationwide.
Here’s an example of a 1990 Score McDonald’s card, Ricker Henderson’s, #5, graded Gem Mt 10 from PSA that sold for $313 back in October 2016 by PWCC (now Fanatics Collect).
As I said, the sets are pricey; this ungraded example was sold on eBay for $489 on December 9, 2024.
This example, with all of the trivia cards, sold on eBay for $525 on September 28, 2024.
I haven’t been able to track down any sales of complete graded sets, but there are a handful out there, including four active ones in the PSA Set Registry; PSA has graded 680 cards across the set (as of mid-December 2024), so more are possible.
I suspect we may see a few more PSA or SGC-graded examples pop up; back in November 2024, a collector offered dozens of them on a Facebook group before mentioning he would move them to eBay later (some were already graded).
And here’s an example of the 4-card wrapper.
In late 2021/early 2022, a collector picked up a handful of packs on eBay, so there are a handful of unopened packs floating around, though I haven’t seen a graded one, which would potentially be a four-figure collectible!
Doug Kale published this piece in the January 1997 issue of Sports Card Trader, highlighting three significant sports collectibles events: The 1996 East Coast National, the Superior Sportscards Auction, where Marshall Fogel bought his 1952 Topps PSA 10 Mantle for $121k, and the September 21st sale of the Greztky/McNall T206 Wagner for $640,500.
There’s been talk around the hobby that the 1952 Topps PSA 10 Mantle cards could be worth $50M now; before Fogel displayed the card during the 2021 All-Star Game, he said he had rejected a $25M offer for it.
Here are a few photos from the Colorado Rockies Facebook page from that event.
Mario Alejandro introduced me to this card in his tweet from March 2024, and then I ran across the following picture of it in Issue 15 (Summer 1993) of Topps Magazine.
First, here’s a screen capture of what Mario wrote about the card
And here are the images he attached to the tweet.
Unfortunately, in their Topps Magazine blurb, Topps doesn’t add much more to the story. Mario alluded to the back of the card, which invited folks to show up at the Nikon House on Tuesday, April 13th, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. after RSVPing to Rebecca Kirisits. But that means the card had to have been distributed before then.
Perhaps it was handed out by Topps’s “paparazzi,” whose photos were displayed at Nikon House.
By the way, PSA has a single example, a gem mint 10, in its Pop Report.
Let me know if you have any more info about this card.
Bob Cousy helped revolutionize the point guard position while playing for the Boston Celtics between 1950 & 1963, contributing to six NBA Championships. During this time, Cousy was a 13-time NBA All-Star and received the MVP award in 1957. Beloved as a player, his retirement ceremony became known as the “Boston Tear Party.” His legacy is extraordinary, encompassing the organization of the National Basketball Players Association, the popularization of modern guard play, the elevation of the NBA’s profile, the reception of a Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the naming of numerous basketball awards in his honor. Additionally, Cousy was well-known for his public stance against racism. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have many basketball card options, with only ten items needed to complete his PSA Master Set Registry. While many collectors target his 1957 Topps or 1951 Berk Ross cards for their collections, my favorite is the 1963 HP Hood Dairy oddball.
Bob Cousy retired in 1963 and went to work doing promotions and clinics for the H.P. Hood Dairy Company. These 2 3/8″ x 3 7/8″ cards were distributed during this time period. Bob Cousy confirmed to a collector friend of mine that he used these cards during the period from 1963-1966. One of the Massachusetts-based company’s slogans during this period was “Schoolboy or Celtic, they both get energy to burn from Hood Milk!” The cards come in two variations. The most common variation has a blue ink facsimile signature and says “yours for better fitness, Bob Cousy”. At the bottom of the card it has the Hood logo and below that, it has the “Boston Traveler” logo. The Boston Traveler was a newspaper that is now defunct. The other variation is in black ink and only has the Hood Dairy emblem. Currently, the reason for the difference in cards is unknown. The Boston Traveler newspaper did go out of business in 1967, so maybe Hood had plans to use these cards longer?? We may never know. The black ink Hood card appears to be the rarer of the two. Twenty years ago, it was believed that these cards were exceedingly rare. However, as time has gone on, we have seen a few small finds of these, which have brought the price down slightly. I’ve also included an image of an 11 x 17 advertisement for John Alden fine foods that uses the Cousy graphic from this card.
1963 HP Hood Dairy Bob Cousy Card Variations From VintageBasketball.com
Bob Cousy John Alden Contest Featuring The Same Cousy Image
I’m unsure when that overview was written, but regarding the black ink variation, Heritage Auctions sold a lot of nine of them in June 2022 for $1320.
1963 HP Hood Dairy Bob Cousy Cards – Fronts
1963 HP Hood Dairy Bob Cousy Cards – Backs
PSA doesn’t appear to differentiate between variations in its Pop Report, which contains 22 cards and six autographed copies; SGC has graded six.
Despite the cards’ relative scarcity, they’re not that expensive. In 2021, Probstein sold a trio of them on eBay: a PSA 5 sold for $202 in March, a PSA 6 went for $472 in April, and a PSA 4 for $143 in July. He also sold a PSA 2 for $406 in June 2014.
1963 HP Hood Dairy Bob Cousy Cards
That said, a PSA 7 (the highest graded) sold for $2,247 on eBay in November 2024.
1963 HP Hood Dairy Bob Cousy PSA 7
Lelands sold the original photograph used for the card in November 2023 for $3,540.
Bob Cousy Original Photograph – Front
Bob Cousy Original Photograph – Reverse
Interestingly, I found an advertisement for Hood Milk for sale on eBay a while ago. It was described as coming from the Saturday Evening Post and is dated March 10, 1962, in the upper-left corner. The image looks like it could have been taken on the same day as the PSA Type 1 photo that Lelands sold, and the timeline fits the description of the Cousy card being used from 1963 to 1966.
Hood Milk Ad
The same image used on the 1963 HP Hood Diary Cousy card was also used for the souvenir program for “Bob Cousy Day” at Boston Garden on March 17, 1963, aka The Boston Tear Party. In April 2021, SCP Auctions sold the following team-signed copy for $3,769.
Bob Cousy Day Souvenir Program
The scarcity of basketball card options for iconic figures is an unfortunate reality of the hobby. However, Bob Cousy played a big part in the growth of basketball in America, which led to the abundance of basketball card options that emerged in the late ’80s.
It may be because I recently published The Uncut Sheet Archive, but I’ve been seeing a lot of awesome uncut sheets lately while perusing old catalogs lately, like this 1962 Topps uncut proof!
Ron Oser Entperises offered it in their April 2001 catalog and included the following description:
With 43 cards appearing on a 21″ x 28″ blank backed partial process proof sheet. Includes: Bunning, Snider, Kaline AS, Aparicio, Ford AS, Zimmer, etc. Only includes the actual photos used for the cards without the baseball card information. There is some moisture damage around the edge on the front with heavier damage on the reverse. Of the stars only the Bunning is affected. Minor creasing is also apparent.
Here’s an example of the final 1962 Topps Snider (top right corner of the sheet) and Ford All-Star cards for comparison (bottom row, third over).
There are quite a few production proof sheets in the archives of the major auction houses, but just a handful are actual photo-based. For example, REA sold this one, which included a handful of photos from the 1959 Topps set. It sold for $1,860 in the summer of 2019.
On the football card side of the house, Heritage sold this 1962 Topps Football Player Portraits Uncut Proof Sheet with 44 Players, including the Tarkenton Rookie, for $1,920 in December 2024.
Mastro offered this incredible uncut sheet of 1/4 of the complete set of 1933 Goudey World War Gum cards in their November 2000 catalog; Heritage Auctions recently re-sold the sheet for $492 in October 2024.
Here’s Mastro’s complete item description:
Offered is an uncut sheet of “World War Gum’ another of the classic propaganda sets of the 1930’s. This one is a Goudey product, employing black-and-white photographs with succinct captions and orange borders to convey its military messages. It is no ordinary group of R174’s, however, this is a full sheet of 24 images (1/4 of a complete set) that were apparently used in the late proof stages of the series’ design. Twenty-four cards are presented here in a 4″ x 6″ layout, on a blank-backed card stock sheet. Other features of this specialprinting are exceptionally-vivid reddish-colored card edges and the presence of a striking depth to the subject photography. The sheet has a large (greater than one inch) selvage area upon which cutting proportions and manufacturer numbering appears. Small punch-holes at the north and south positions were, evidently, a means to secure the sheet for handiwork, or to verify alignment. Technically-figured grading places conditionof the 14″ x 16-3/4” sheet at Excellent, with three distinct edge faults that do not affect the card designs. If the item were framed and matted to present the center subjects, the result would be a crisp Near Mint to Mint appearance. This is a one-of-a-kind mid-production piece that reflects cartophilic history as well as visual splendor.
Heritage didn’t add much to their description, saying:
1933 R174 Goudey “World War Gum” Uncut Proof Sheet. This uncut proof sheet of 24 blank back cards from the 1933 R174 Goudey “World War Gum” series is a remarkable piece of historical memorabilia. Featuring black and white photos of scenes from World War I, the sheet offers a unique glimpse into the past, reflecting the cultural impact of the war and the era’s collectible cards. The presence of holes at the top and bottom, used by Goudey for holding the sheets in place, adds authenticity, making it a prized item ready for framing and display. Measures 14″ x 16 13/16.”
Welcome to part four of my series about Upper Deck commemorative sheets. As with the baseball, hockey, and basketball ones, Upper Deck used the football sheets to celebrate specific events and sets as promotions for the brand. However, like the basketball ones, there isn’t a lot of documentation about the football ones out there either, so I’ll be categorizing them the same way, by the year printed on gold seal (or gold football) or for later years, the date printed between the words “Limited Edition” and the serial number.
1991 Upper Deck Football Sheet
The first Upper Deck football limited edition collector series sheet I ran across in my research was this one saluting the New York Giants defeating the Buffalo Bills 20-19 in Super Bowl XXV.
1991 Upper Deck Football Sheet – Redskins vs. Giants
The pictured cards are all New York Giants from the 1991 Upper Deck football set. However, the date on the sheet is October 27, 1991. That was a week nine game played between the Redskins and Giants that the Redskins won 17-13. So I presume this sheet was given away at that game, given the title of the sheet, “Redskins vs. Giants,” and the date. Upper Deck was honoring the Giants’ performance from the Super Bowl the year before; Super Bowl XXV was played on January 27, 1991.
1992 Upper Deck Football Sheets
Most of the Upper Deck football sheets I discovered were from 1992, and we can sort them into two categories: those released in partnership with Sports Collector’s Digest and the NFL playoff sheets.
TCDB explains that “Upper Deck produced eight different football sheets for insertion into the September 18, 1992 issue of Sports Collector’s Digest. 8,000 of each sheet were produced, and one was inserted into each SCD issue. Each measure 11’’ by 8 1/2’’.” Unlike most of Upper Deck’s other limited edition sheets, the backs of these aren’t blank; text was repeated across the back. Here are all eight variations.
1992 Upper Deck Football SCD Sheet – Version 1
1992 Upper Deck Football SCD Sheet – Version 2
1992 Upper Deck Football SCD Sheet – Version 3
1992 Upper Deck Football SCD Sheet – Version 4
1992 Upper Deck Football SCD Sheet – Version 5
1992 Upper Deck Football SCD Sheet – Version 6
1992 Upper Deck Football SCD Sheet – Version 7
1992 Upper Deck Football SCD Sheet – Version 8
Upper Deck gave away the AFC and NFC championship sheets at the Super Bowl Card Show III and the NFL Experience in Minneapolis. While the Super Bowl XXVI sheet was given away at various locations in the Minneapolis area during the week of the Super Bowl, it’s just weird to imply the Bills at Super Bowl XXVI champs since the Redskins ended up defeating them 37-24 on January 26, 1992.
1992 Upper Deck Football Super Bowl XXVI Sheet – Redskins
1992 Upper Deck Football Super Bowl XXVI Sheet – Bills
You can see that the NFC playoff sheet salutes the Redskins for defeating the Lions 41-10 on January 12, 1992, and the AFC sheet sales the Bills for shutting down the Broncos in a 10-7 game to earn a trip to the Super Bowl.
1992 Upper Deck Football NFC Champion Sheet – Lions vs. Redskins
1992 Upper Deck Football AFC Champion Sheet – Broncos vs. Bills
All four playoff sheets have 1992 dates on the gold football seal and feature 1991 Upper Deck football cards. Here’s the Comic Bowl sheet.
1992 Upper Deck Comic Bowl Sheet
1994 and 1995 Upper Deck Football Sheets
The 2006 Standard Catalog of Football Cards says four sheets were issued at the Super Bowl Card Show VI in 1995, and it included the Rookie Class 1994 sheet, the Jan. 26-29, 1995 sheet, a sheet saluting the St. Louis Rams, and another saluting Dan Marino. However, the sheets I found don’t seem to align perfectly with that checklist, and the “Limited Edition” dates are slightly different.
This first sheet appears to be associated with Upper Deck’s Collector’s Choice brand and features Marshall Faulk. I’ll note that a 1994/95 Collector’s Choice Crash Super Bowl XXIX set was available at the NFL Experience card show in Miami, so it’s possible this sheet was available there.
1994 Upper Deck Collector’s Choice Football Rookie Class of 1994 Sheet
This next sheet, the Rookie Class of 1994, also has a 1994 date and advertises the Upper Deck football set due to launch in August 1994. That seems like a weird item to be shared at the Super Bowl Card Show in 1995.
1994 Upper Deck Football Rookie Class of 1994 Sheet
I also ran across a pair of Joe Montana sheets with 1994 dates on them; one celebrating his three Super Bowl championships, and the other a few of his biggest comebacks.
1994 Upper Deck Football Joe Montana Super Bowl Sheet
1994 Upper Deck Football Montana’s Magic Sheet
The next sheet was definitely for the Super Bowl since it has Super Bowl Card Show VI printed along one side and Super Bowl XXIX on the other.
1995 Upper Deck Football Super Bowl Card Show VI Autograph Sheet
If The Standard Catalog was correct, here’s the Rams sheet they described, with a 1995 seal and copyright.
1995 Upper Deck Football Salutes the Saint Louis Rams Sheet
And here’s the 1995 sheet celebrating Dan Marino’s records.
1995 Upper Deck Football Salutes Dan Marino Sheet
And finally, a 1995 sheet celebrating Joe Montana.
1995 Upper Deck Football Salutes Joe Montana Sheet
FYI, The 49ers, behind QB Steve Young, defeated the Chargers 49-26 in Super Bowl XXIX on January 29, 1995. Also, during this time, Upper Deck had a lot of inserts and unique sets devoted to both Marino and Montana.
Conclusion and Further Reading
I imagine there are more football sheets out there, so if you run across any, please leave a comment or email me. Anyway, that wraps up my four-part series about Upper Deck commemorative sheets. If you haven’t checked them out, here are the previous three articles about the Upper Deck Baseball, Hockey, and Basketball sheets; I hope you enjoyed the nostalgia!
