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In 1991 Pro-Line became the first brand to have and all-auto base set with its 1991 Pro-Line Portraits Autographs set. Pro-Line gets a mix of praise and criticism from me. I will start off by saying that the idea behind the card design was fantastic. A card set based not on stats or action shots, but modeling a clothing line. The idea seems a bit funny, but the final product was superb and adding an Insert set with the wives was a stroke of genius. Wow!! If you wanted an autograph from one of your favorite players from that era Pro-Line was your brand. Collector's and hobbyists are still vying for those cards a good 10 years after their release. However, Pro-Line did one thing wrong when it released the 1991 Portraits Autograph and 1992 Profiles Autograph sets, (See the 1992 Pro-Line Profiles "Pat Swilling" #373 below). It didn't give the player a proper place to sign them, therefore, many of your signatures are on the back. Nothing worse than having an autograph and not being able to display it. I've run across some real interesting information lately regarding the Pro-Line brand. As it turns out, the cards were shipped to each player with the cards already stamped. Seems like an odd way to authenticate a card. But, from my sources, this seems to be the case. I've even seen a 1991 Pro-Line Portraits of John Elway on ebay with the stamp, but without the signature. As of late, Beckett now calls out a 1992 Pro-Line Portraits of Mark Rypien which was never released in packs, boxes or cases. Mark either had a contract negotiation breakdown with his agent at the time or maybe it had something to do with his involvement with Fleer, but Mark had cards, (already stamped), shipped to him from Pro-Line before his contract talks broke off. Hence, he never returned them. Now, they are showing up in the secondary market. In addition to this, I also discovered way I could not find one my missing Pat Swilling Autographs from the 1992 Pro-Line Profiles Pat Swilling Autograph set. One of my sources has indicated to me that Pat Swilling refused to sign card #7 of the set. Swilling refused to sign because he said the photo on the back was not him. After looking at the card, he's right. It's Rickey Jackson. The player on the back is wearing a towel on his belt and the towel is #'d #57, which is Rickey's #, (See card #7 of the set below). Also, Bruce Smith did not sign card #5 because he thought the painting of him was awful. So
I have the following sets: Pro-Line Portraits Series: 1) 1991 Pro-Line Portraits Set A) Wives Insert B) Collectibles Insert 2) 1992 Pro-Line Portraits Set A) Wives Insert B) QB Gold Insert C) Rookie Gold Insert D) Checklist Insert 3) 1993 Pro-Line Portraits Set A) Wives Insert
Pro-Line Portraits Autograph Series: 1) 1991 Pro-Line Portraits Autographs Set - Incomplete ( 116 / 301 ) 2) 1992 Pro-Line Portraits Autographs Set - Incomplete ( 161 / 162 ) A) Wives Insert* B) Collectibles Autographs Insert C) Team NFL Autographs Insert - Incomplete (3 / 7)** 3) 1993 Pro-Line Portraits Autographs Set - Incomplete ( 21 / 28 ) A) Wives Insert - Incomplete ( 2 / 3 )
* Note: I do not have the Kathleen Gifford Auto. Word from Proline is that she never signed. **Note: I listed 7 cards in this set because Ali has 2 versions in this set, (one signed Ali and one signed Clay), Thomas also has two, (one with the SB Stamp, one without).
Pro-Line Profiles Autograph Series: 1) 1992 Profiles Autograph Set - Incomplete ( 245 / 473 ) A) Carl Banks (9 / 9) - Complete B) Bubby Brister (9 / 9) - Complete C) Keith Byars (9 / 9) - Complete D) Anthony Carter (9 / 9) - Complete E) Gary Clark (1 / 9) F) Eric Dickerson ( 2 / 9 ) G Mike Ditka (1 / 9) H) Chris Doleman (9 / 9) - Complete I) Boomer Esiason (8 / 9) J) Jerry Glanville (9 / 9) - Complete K) Eric Green (9 / 9) - Complete L) Jim Harbaugh (6 / 9) M) Jeff Hostetler (7 / 9) N) Haywood Jeffires (8 / 9) O) Jim Kelly (1 / 9) P) Bernie Kosar (4 / 9) Q) Steve Largent (7 / 9) R) Ronnie Lott (8 / 9) S) Warren Moon (9 / 9) - Complete T) Anthony Munoz (9 / 9) - Complete U) Dan McGwire (9 / 9) - Complete V) Ken O'Brien (7 / 9) W) Christian O'Koye (8 / 9) X) Rodney Peete (9 / 9) - Complete Y) Michael Dean Perry (9 / 9) - Complete Z) Jerry Rice (4 / 9) AA) Timm Rosenbach (9 / 9) - Complete AB) Mark Rypien (9 / 9) - Complete AC) Jr. Seau (5 / 9) AD) Sterling Sharpe (1 / 9) AE) Art Shell (5 / 9) AF) Mike Singletary (8 / 9) AG) Pat Swilling (8 / 9)* AH) John Taylor (5 / 9) AI) Vinny Testeverde (7 / 9)** - Complete AJ) Thurman Thomas (9 / 9) - Complete AK) Andre Tippett (5 / 9) AL) Al Toon (9 / 9) - Complete 2) 1993 Profiles Autograph Set - Incomplete ( 11 / 62 ) A) Ray Childress (8 / 9) B) Jay Novacek (1 / 9) C) Gale Sayers (2 / 9)
* Note: Pat Swilling never signed card #7. This was due to the fact that the picture on the back was not him. It is Rickey Jackson.. **Note: Two of the nine autos in this set are not known to exist.
Pro-Line Live Series: 1) 1993 Pro-Line Live Set A) Autograph Insert B) Future Stars Insert C) Draft Day Insert 2) 1994 Pro-Line Live Set A) Spotlight Insert B) Autograph Insert - Incomplete ( 127 / 134 ) 3) 1995 Pro-Line Live Set - Do Not Have A) Pro Bowl Insert B) Field Generals Insert C) Grand Gainers Insert D) Images Previews Insert E) Phone Cards $1.00 Insert F) Autograph Insert - Incomplete ( 160 / 168 ) 4) 1996 Pro-Line Live Set A) Rivalries Insert B1) Autograph Insert B2) Autograph Gold Insert - Incomplete ( 42 / 74 ) C) Touchdown Performers Insert 5) 1997 Pro-Line Set A1) Autograph Insert - Incomplete ( 49 / 58 )* A2) Autographs Emerald Insert - Incomplete ( 37 / 45 )** B) Rivalries Insert C) Board Members Insert
* Note: Beckett lists this set as 56, but 58 includes the unlisted Yatil Green Auto and the unlisted and unsigned Eddie George Auto. **Note: Beckett lists this set as 43, but 45 includes the unlisted Koy Detmer and Troy Davis Autos.
Pro-Line DC3 Series: 1) 1996 Pro-Line DC3 Set 2) 1997 Pro-Line DC3 Set - Do Not Have A) Road to the Super Bowl Insert B) Autographs Insert - Incomplete (5 / 6) 3) 1998 Pro-Line DC3 Set - Do Not Have A) Clear Cuts Insert B) Choice Cuts Insert C) Team Totals Insert D) X-Tra Effort Insert
Pro-Line Memorabilia Series: 1) 1996 Pro-Line Memorabilia Set A) Producers Insert B) Stretch Drive Insert C) Rookie Autographs Insert 2A) 1997 Pro-Line Memorabilia Set 2B) 1997 Pro-Line Memorabilia Signature Series Parallel Set A) Veteran Autographs Insert A) Rookie Autographs Insert - Incomplete ( 17 / 26 )
Other Pro-Line Series: 1) 1996 Pro-Line Intense Set A) Determined Insert 2) 1997 Pro-Line Gems Set A) Gems of the NFL Insert B) Through the Years Insert
My Pro-Line Grades:
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