Buzz Break: 1991 NFL Pro Line Portraits football cards

From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and post the results here. Like this and want to see more? Or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.

The packs: 1991 NFL Pro Line Portraits football cards (two)
Where to buy: Will take some looking ... BlowoutCards.com for other Retro Rips

What's inside this pack? Keep reading ...

Cards per pack: 12
Base set completion: 
23 of 300 (8 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards: Don Shula, Junior Seau, O.J. Simpson, Eric Allen, Rodney Peete, Bob Golic, Flipper Anderson, Ottis Anderson ... and others in gallery who were big in the past but perhaps not now.

Rookie Cards: David Whitmore, Jarrod Bunch

Inserts: 4
NFL Spirit (1) – Babette Kosar

Autographs/Memorabilia: None ... but autographs are possible

What's Buzz-worthy: It's a Flashback Friday kind of NFL day around here ... so here we go. This is a love-hate kind of set. Some of the photos you'll love, some of the photos you'll hate -- it's a landmark release that shook up the card approach with stories from players on the card backs and portraits of players in NFL Pro Line clothing or uniforms -- and maybe some Zubaz from time to time. The real reason to still rip into this one? Autographs are roughly found one in three boxes here -- more than 250,000 signed cards in all, according to the box -- and it includes a ton of top names (even O.J.) and a top of names you likely don't know. (Even some NFL players' wives signed cards.) With this unheard-of ease of ink at the time, there were plenty of boxes made -- and these base cards aren't expensive at all -- though they are not nearly as cheap as they used to be (and should be.) A box with no ink? You're not getting much more than a lot of basic cards with some good names involved but not much value. The 1992 (hobby) boxes are much tougher as they deliver an autograph every single time but they're not as easily (or affordably) found. This one is a classic release but if you don't land ink any box/pack price is probably rough as top names aren't worth much at all here. With the autographs, look for the card number on the back to be missing and a Pro Line crimp in the area, too. Most cards for this first set are signed on the card backs and fakes do exist that have all of the right features as unsigned sheets and crimpers got out into the market in later years. This pair of packs was pretty lean but I was fine with that, finding these on the cheap.

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Product Grade: A- (stands out as unique even today and one that challenged the norms ... that's what it gets an A from me)
Lot Grade: C+ (see below)
Fun Grade: C (two pretty lean packs here)

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