Card of the Day: Rich Batchelor 1994 Topps Stadium Club #344

Card of the Day: Rickey Henderson 1994 Topps #248

Card of the Day: Bo Jackson 1994 Topps Stadium Club #547

Card of the Day: Steve McMichael 1994 Topps #646

Card of the Day: Jose Canseco 1994 Topps #80

Card of the Day: Doug Strange 1994 Topps Stadium Club #97

Card of the Day: Cal Ripken Jr. 1994 Upper Deck Collector’s Choice #240

Card of the Day: Erik Pappas 1994 Topps Stadium Club #448

Product Highlight: 1994 Fleer Baseball

A lot of collectors consider 1994 Fleer Baseball to be one of the company’s best products.  The base set consists of (720) cards, which was released all in one series.  When it comes to the base cards, the design is very simple.  Card backs have full stats, and a head shot of the player.  Nothing too fancy.

In addition to the massive base set, you’ve got a bunch of inserts to collect.  You’ll find an insert in every pack.  There are (12) different inserts to find, and none of them are that difficult to pull.

My favorite looking insert are the Pro-Visions.  Wayne Still is the artist behind these crazy looking fantasies.  There are (9) Pro-Visions in all, and every box should have (3).

Fleer made a 12-card insert set based on Tim Salmon.  Those come (1) per box.  If you were really lucky you could’ve pulled one of the autographed versions.  Fleer was able to get Tim Salmon to sign 2,000 cards.

The most difficult insert to pull are the All-Rookie Team redemptions.  You could redeem this for a 9-card set featuring some of the best rookies from 1994.  None of these players appeared in the main base set.

From a set collector’s perspective, this product has it all.  The cards were released in one series, the design is simple, (1) insert per pack, and its not expensive.  This product does have it’s share of rookies, but none of them are worth talking about.  Fleer released an Update set later on that has an Alex Rodriguez rookie.

Product Highlight: 1994 Action Packed NFL COASTARS

Action Packed lasted longer than most new card companies that got their start during the junk wax era.  They made football, baseball, basketball, racing, and wrestling cards.  Getting into the hockey card business was a top priority, but it never fully panned out.  Almost all of their hockey products were issued as promos.

Given the amount of sports cards that flowed into the hobby during the 80s and 90s, Action Packed needed to do something in order to separate themselves from their competitors.  Their answer was thicker card stock, rounded corners, and “puffy” pictures.  I call them “puffy” because the images are raised resembling those stickers that became popular during the 80s.  The “puffy” picture became Action Packed’s signature style for all of their products.

Action Packed sure had it’s share of unusual products to collect.  In 1994 they introduced their line of COASTARS.  These are actual coasters that you can throw on the table and place your drink on.  Six coasters come shrink-wrapped to a sheet.  You need to punch-out the coaster from the sheet in order to use it.  The checklist features players like Boomer Esiason, Dan Marino, Emmitt Smith, and Jerry Rice.  One side of the coaster has the player in their home uniform.  Flip it over and you’ll find them pictured in their away uniform.  COASTARS is one of the only products Action Packed made that doesn’t include “puffy” pictures.  Probably so you wouldn’t spill your drink.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but COASTARS didn’t catch on.  Fun novelty, but no major demand.