I Miss The Days When Inserts Ruled The Hobby World

There's always been reasons why people collect cards, rookie cards are what carried the hobby in the 80's, but in the 90's where I really began collecting heavily it was the insert card. Back in the 90's when certified autographs were a rarity, and memorabilia cards did not exist, it was insert cards that helped drive sales for card companies. All the major companies at the time, had to consistently come up with new and innovative cards and they definitely did not disappoint. Some of the best cards in my opinion come from this era. Each company had their own unique spin on inserts, for Upper Deck, I really loved the way the used die cut and holograms infused in their insert sets, Topps and the Chrome/Finest like finish on their inserts were really nice, and to me when it came to innovation, no one could top Fleer. Insert cards used to be the cards that people would chase, the 1:360 mega pull, the die cut foiled rare gem of a superstar is what everyone dreamed to pull, but it wasn't just those cards, almost every insert set put out in this time weather it be a 1:6 pack insert or a 1:720 pack, just seem like a lot of thought and effort was put into the design and when you opened that pack and saw one of these insert cards, you knew you'd pulled something different and special. Then in 1996 Upper Deck started inserted game used jersey cards in their product and a new era was born. At first, Game Used Jersey cards were the holy grails and inserts were still prominent but slowly but surely, companies decided to overflood the market with game used memorabilia cards, and the insert card became nothing but an afterthought. Besides parallels, insert cards as rare chase cards have basically become extinct. No longer do companies seem to put as much effort into these sets as they used to, they'd rather use their time to create countless memorabilia sets which of course is what the collector wants. Yes, Upper Deck reintroduced Jambalaya a couple times in their E-X sets, but for the most parts, especially in my opinion with Panini, inserts have become boring bland cards that just feel like they're there just for the sake of being there. I would love for the insert to make a comeback, though I really can't see it coming, but it's good to see collectors still appreciate and love those insert cards of the 90's. Here's a tribute to insert cards from the 90's and early 2000's as i show off the inserts that I grew up with and loved.