The first "shiny" cards

[Peter_Spaeth]

Are there any before the 93 Finest Refractors/93 SP Foil cards?

[packs]

Hmmm guess it depends on definition. What do you think about the Donruss Elite cards? Maybe a proto-shiny? Or the 1992 Topps Golds? Not a totally shiny card, but shiny-adjacent?

[OhioLawyerF5]

I'll go with 1992 for my definition of "shiny" cards as well. The 1992 Donruss Elites are what I would consider shiny. The 1991 Elites didn't have that real shiny foil finish like the 1992 versions did. And in 1992 the Bowman set had foil cards as well that I would consider shiny.

I don't think the "dufex" printing that Pinnacle brands did came out until 1993, so that would be the same time as the Finest Refractors and SP foils.

The only other thing I can think of were the "hologram" cards. Some might consider those to be shiny. And they predate even 1992. An example would be the Hank Aaron Heroes Hologram from 1991 Upperdeck.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I'll go along with 1992. But why do we sometimes read that 1989 Upper Deck ushered in the ultramodern era? What was so different about those, other than perhaps the pricing?

[Bigdaddy]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I'll go along with 1992. But why do we sometimes read that 1989 Upper Deck ushered in the ultramodern era? What was so different about those, other than perhaps the pricing?

Because 1989 Upper Deck was a game changer with the card stock (shiny white borders, not cardboard), quality control (little/no miscuts, o/c cards or printing flaws), foil packs that couldn't be resealed and awesome photography on both the front and back. They were the BMWs to the Fords (Topps), Chevys (Fleer) and Dodges (Donruss) that we were used to collecting. And they upped the game each year with better layouts, photography and autographed chase cards. That is when the trading card hobby vectored off in a different direction than the course it had been on for almost 40 years.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Bigdaddy

Because 1989 Upper Deck was a game changer with the card stock (shiny white borders, not cardboard), quality control (little/no miscuts, o/c cards or printing flaws), foil packs that couldn't be resealed and awesome photography on both the front and back. They were the BMWs to the Fords (Topps), Chevys (Fleer) and Dodges (Donruss) that we were used to collecting. And they upped the game each year with better layouts, photography and autographed chase cards. That is when the trading card hobby vectored off in a different direction than the course it had been on for almost 40 years.

Agree with Tom. The term "shiny cards" isn't really supposed to be a literal description of what quickly became prevalent in what I think of more as the modern card era. People don't associate "shiny cards" till the '90s, and they started so close to 1989 that the two terms, "shiny card era" and "modern card era" became somewhat synonymous IMO.

[ChiefBeef]

Originally Posted by Bigdaddy

Because 1989 Upper Deck was a game changer with the card stock (shiny white borders, not cardboard), quality control (little/no miscuts, o/c cards or printing flaws), foil packs that couldn't be resealed and awesome photography on both the front and back. They were the BMWs to the Fords (Topps), Chevys (Fleer) and Dodges (Donruss) that we were used to collecting. And they upped the game each year with better layouts, photography and autographed chase cards. That is when the trading card hobby vectored off in a different direction than the course it had been on for almost 40 years.

"BMWs to the Fords (Topps), Chevys (Fleer) and Dodges (Donruss)". LOL love it.

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I'll go along with 1992. But why do we sometimes read that 1989 Upper Deck ushered in the ultramodern era? What was so different about those, other than perhaps the pricing?

• Holographic stamps affixed to each card as an anti-counterfeiting measure
• Tamper-evident packaging
• The hobby's first $1 per pack (at release) product
• Higher-end card stock

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Eric72

• Holographic stamps affixed to each card as an anti-counterfeiting measure
• Tamper-evident packaging
• The hobby's first $1 per pack (at release) product
• Higher-end card stock

With all of that, would it have been a big deal without Griffey Jr.? I mean suppose the biggest rookie had been Sheffield.

[maniac_73]

I was 9 when Upperdeck came out with their first set and I remember my mind being blown at the quality of it. We looked at Topps, Score, Donruss and fleer as pure junk compared to UD after that lol

[BCauley]

I can see 1989 Upper Deck being the leader in all of this but my mind can't escape calling 1991 Stadium Club as the beginning of the "shiny" era.

With that said, if anybody remembers those little mini-sets that Kay-Bee Toy stores put out, those things had some serious gloss/shine to them! At least one of their sets did anyway.

[wdmullins]

These 1950s Good Luck Margarine Airplane cards were shiny -- they were printed on the backs of foil-coated boxes.

[G1911]

Those stickers of team logos put into Upper Deck packs are shinier than shiny...


Literally, the answer is basically for as long as cards have existed. Some Cabinets were given a lacquer coating to make them glossy and shine. T205 and other T cards have shiny shiny borders (at least, they were shiny when they were produced originally before time has faded the finish and effect).

In the sense of premium chromium type cards, 93 is the start.

1981 topps large photos have a glossy front as does the 1983 All Star Edition mail in

[Smanzari]

IIRC - The first shiny cards were the Foil Inserts in 1950 Topps Hopalong Cassidy

(not my card)

[4reals]

1992 Topps Micro factory sets had the full gold foil inserts and 1993 micro had prism cards which look like atomic refractors.


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[Rad_Hazard]

There were quite a few "shiny" sets between 89 UD and 93 Finest, but 93 Finest really was a game changer. I remember the packs being over $70 each if you could find them.

[Daveyc]

1984 topps tiffany would be the first in my opinion. white card stock and super glossy fronts.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by Rad_Hazard

There were quite a few "shiny" sets between 89 UD and 93 Finest, but 93 Finest really was a game changer. I remember the packs being over $70 each if you could find them.

And because of the dyes Topps used, they are still 'changers'