I think the Julio Auto from our Stadium Club break was supposed to be in today, but FedEx decided to just leave a note instead of ringing the bell, so I have to go pick it up.
In the meantime, I did have a fun mail day otherwise. Some goodies to show off at a later point, but one that feels perfect for this crew. I've said a bit about how I am an absolute sucker for the 1990s insert series. Luckily, the vast majority of them are quite cheap - a whole set Fleer Pro Visions or the 1999 HoloGrfx or a slew of other creative, bonkers cards won't run you much more than a twelve pack or like a tenth of a box of cards today. However, a small group of inserts from that era have maintained their popularity and price over the years. In some cases, like with Pinnacle Z-Team, I was fortunate enough to pull one as a kid that is still in my collection today. In other cases, such as the early SpX autos, I re-bought. In this third case, I never got one but as I got back into the hobby I looked back and lamented a bit on what I could never pull. I shared a Donruss Elite a few days back which was one of those. This was another.
The 1996 Pinnacle Skylines insert is a perfect storm of why some inserts from this era hold value. First, they were naturally hard to hit. 1:29 packs doesn't seem like much...except that it was Series 2 Pinnacle AND it was only in Magazine packs - not retail or hobby. So a unique insert to a specific format. Like, you can still get a box of Pinnacle Series 2 today for $50-$60 or so and have a fun throwback rip, but these particular inserts weren't in that format. Second, the checklist is pretty much a mid 90-s All-Star game - Raul Mondesi is likely the weakest name on the checklist and it is packed with stars. Third, it's one of the earliest acetate cards. These are both more common and better done (in terms of QA) today but this era was the first to really start using acetate as the base - this is one of the earliest examples I am aware of with Fleer and the technology was new and fresh. Fourth, it has that great city - player combo that many of the modern chase inserts (Topps Home Field Advantage, Panini Downtown).
What does this all mean - a very easily damaged but great looking insert from a format that has long, long, long been out of circulation with a killer checklist with a pioneering card technology? Challenging market. However, two saving graces - the only Red Sox in the set is Mo Vaughn and while I LOVE Mo...he's relatively cheap in the hobby. Second, this copy has a spot on the acetate and some scratching on his name, which definitely caused a markdown. It's not being graded but it's a top tier personal collection item.
Also, the flavor text on the back? Just perfect.
1996 Pinnacle Skylines - Mo Vaughn.
View: https://imgur.com/a/c798MdD