Pro Set’s Failed Attempt At Entering The Baseball Card Market

Pro Set released a steady run of products starting in 1989, and continued to do so until they met their demise in 1994.  During that time period, Pro Set produced cards for football, hockey, golf, soccer, and racing.  They also released a handful of entertainment sets.  It was football and hockey that they were mostly known for though.  Pro Set was the king when it came to error cards.  Some of these errors continue to bring in big dollars today.

You wouldn’t know to look at them, but 1992 Flopps was made by Pro Set.  It was a project that didn’t get that far off of the ground.  To put it simply, it was Pro Set’s attempt at making a baseball card product.  Without obtaining a license from MLB or getting permission from the MLBPA, Pro Set decided to throw these spoof cards out there to see how collectors would react.

Pro Set made 5-card promo packs that were distributed to dealers.  Each pack contained the same cards – Barry Bones, Ken Groovy, Jr., Stickey Henderson, Wade Bugs, and Lance Perishable.  Of all the products that Pro Set made, these were probably the most artistic.  I wonder what happened to the original artwork?  The card backs feature fun write-ups too.

The name “Pro Set” doesn’t appear anywhere on these cards.  They made it look like “Flopps” was an official company.  Maybe that’s what Pro Set wanted because they knew there was a chance that someone was going to step in.  And that’s exactly what happened.  The MLBPA took legal action, and Pro Set never tried to make baseball cards again.  The actual set was suppose to contain (66) cards – (55) base, (10) Scratch N’ Sniff, and (1) collectible card.  I have no idea what the collectible card was going to be.  Holograms were big at the time, so perhaps something like that.

The only cards Pro Set officially released were the 1992 Flopps promo packs.  The MLBPA jumped in before Pro Set could go any further.  Occasionally a Scratch N’ Sniff card will popup.  Those probably found their way out the backdoor.  You would think a canceled product such as 1992 Flopps would be rare, but that’s not the case.  Sealed promo packs can easily be found for next to nothing.  Even the Scratch N’ Sniff cards barely draw much attention.