What's Wrong with Press Pass?

[CamaroDMD]

In the past, I have seen several people comment about problems with Press Pass cards on other forums. I have been thinking about doing an older set (by that I mean 10-15 years old) and I remember buying some of the earlier press pass products as a kid and liking them. I only collected football cards from Press Pass. I know they are a big thing when it comes to NASCAR...but I liked their football products (at least "back in the day") because they were all college.

However, as I have said...I have seen several negative comments about Press Pass here in the past so I wanted to make sure their product was decent. I'm more interested in assembling a couple of their football auto sets. Possible a 1999 auto set and a 2006 Bronze auto set. I might also eventually look into a 1997 as it was the set I collected as a kid.

Is their product generally decent or is there a reason to avoid them? Is their any reason that I have gotten a less than positive impression based on my readings online?

 

[Mike]

I think most of the negativity you'll see revolving around PP is the fact that the cards don't hold value well and in today's money making age of collecting, that seems to be all that matters. I, personally, don't collect them but ONLY because I don't like college products. If I didn't despise college cards like I do, though, I definitely wouldn't have a problem collecting Press Pass.

Additionally, if you like the cards you shouldn't let anyone else's opinion sway your decision to collect them. Collecting "should be" about adding whatever brings you joy to your collection. That's all it's about for me and I, honestly, couldn't care less what anyone else thinks about my collection or the brand of cards in it.

 

[CamaroDMD]

I understand what you are saying...I guess what my concern was, with some of the negativity towards them...is there an authenticity problem? I have no issue with cards that lose value, in fact...since I prefer the older products (before they lost their NCAA license), this fact actually benefits me.

 

[Leafsfan1967]

Randy is someone who would know more about Press Pass then most on here. I would share a doozy story with you on how they ripped me off for a poker redemption card I sent in, but that would require way too many words we aren't allowed to say in an open forum, so I'll just say I hope they go bankrupt, because I would laugh for months. Haven't bought a single pack from them since, and have told the story a thousand times, so who has suffered more from this? I'm only out $30 dollars, or so I spent on buying the redemption auto.

This company has no integrity, nor do they give a crap about their loyal customer supporters. This is a company who couldn't figure out how odd it was that every Brad Keselowski autograph was exactly the same as the next, and inserted them into product anyways, hence his nickname "Autopen". They don't send reps to get autos, or memorabilia in person. They send cards to race teams, or 3rd parties in hopes they get signed by the drivers. How many autos are actually signed by the drivers, and how many are signed by secretaries, mom's etc? They are a disgrace to the industry, and that's not even taken into account how they suck people into giving hundreds of dollars on their products, only togive you pennies on the dollar in return. Dang, I said I wasn't gonna get into this, lol!!

 

[CamaroDMD]

Randy is someone who would know more about Press Pass then most on here. I would share a doozy story with you on how they ripped me off for a poker redemption card I sent in, but that would require way too many words we aren't allowed to say in an open forum, so I'll just say I hope they go bankrupt, because I would laugh for months. Haven't bought a single pack from them since, and have told the story a thousand times, so who has suffered more from this? I'm only out $30 dollars, or so I spent on buying the redemption auto.

This company has no integrity, nor do they give a crap about their loyal customer supporters. This is a company who couldn't figure out how odd it was that every Brad Keselowski autograph was exactly the same as the next, and inserted them into product anyways, hence his nickname "Autopen". They don't send reps to get autos, or memorabilia in person. They send cards to race teams, or 3rd parties in hopes they get signed by the drivers. How many autos are actually signed by the drivers, and how many are signed by secretaries, mom's etc? They are a disgrace to the industry, and that's not even taken into account how they suck people into giving hundreds of dollars on their products, only togive you pennies on the dollar in return. Dang, I said I wasn't gonna get into this, lol!!

Interesting info. Is this how they have always been or is this a newer trend? I ask because I am interested in assembling a couple of their older football auto sets but if half the signatures might be fake...then I don't know if it's worth it. I have no interest in buying newer products so my collecting won't put a dime in the company's pocket. I have a 2006 Press Pass auto of an Oregon football player sitting on my desk (Demetrius Williams)...so I decided to read the back. Normally, many companies say the autograph was "signed in the presence of a company representative" or something like this...this one does not. All it says is "This card was personally signed by Demetrius Williams."

Just for the fun of it, I pulled out my oldest Press Pass pack issued auto card. It's from their 1998 set. The card is signed by Ryan Leaf (I know...lol, right). The back again makes no mention of the card being signed and witnessed by anyone.

 

[Leafsfan1967]

They stopped putting that on the back many years ago, which oddly enough is when they stopped sending reps to obtain signatures in person. Now it's about saving money, and dealing through a third party, and making sure their arse is covered legally with the specialized wording on the back. I have no clue as to whether their stuff is 100% legit, or any company for that matter. I'd have to think that the stuff you are searching for wouldn't be fake at all, because there really isn't anything that worth while of value for anyone to bother doing that, right? You should be fine on this project. Press Pass was a much better company back in those days. They all were. Now it's all about the bottom line with all these companies. If you were to encounter anything wrong with this project, the worse would be that one of the signers had a relative, agent sign for them, but that is probably a very little to no chance of happening, and very unlikely. Most football players autos are just a mere 2-letter initial, or stupid squiggle anyways, lol.

 

[CamaroDMD]

They stopped putting that on the back many years ago, which oddly enough is when they stopped sending reps to obtain signatures in person. Now it's about saving money, and dealing through a third party, and making sure their arse is covered legally with the specialized wording on the back. I have no clue as to whether their stuff is 100% legit, or any company for that matter. I'd have to think that the stuff you are searching for wouldn't be fake at all, because there really isn't anything that worth while of value for anyone to bother doing that, right? You should be fine on this project. Press Pass was a much better company back in those days. They all were. Now it's all about the bottom line with all these companies. If you were to encounter anything wrong with this project, the worse would be that one of the signers had a relative, agent sign for them, but that is probably a very little to no chance of happening, and very unlikely. Most football players autos are just a mere 2-letter initial, or stupid squiggle anyways, lol.

OK, then I think I will work on those two sets...1999 and 2006. When do you think they started to go downhill?

I have a pair of autos from the 2006 Press Pass set and I think they are a very nice looking card a set would be a good project:





As for autographs being signed by someone else, I guess that's always a risk. Heck one of the greatest football auto sets ever was the 1997 Upper Deck Legends Autograph set...and it is well known that a wife of one player signed many of the cards. For Steelers legend Donnie Shell signed about 30% of the cards and the wife signed his name of the rest. There is a very obvious difference, lol.

 

[Leafsfan1967]

Having a wife sign for them isn't as uncommon as most think, especially when it comes to TTM requests. This dates back even 40-50 years ago. It's a known fact that even the wife of HOF goalie Terry Sawchuk signed for him, and even today as rare as his auto is, some of the wife's versions come up. Doesn't help matters when they are able to signed a similiar looking version of the original athlete. Any good artist could master someone's auto in a very short time. There was a guy who could do Babe Ruth, among others as good as Babe, and even Upper Deck used one of the fakes in a multi-auto card years ago. They deny it, but it was proven true by the scammers who did those fakes that it was one of their fake cut autos.

As far as when did Press Pass go down hill, I'd have to say it was the day they ripped me off my Chris "Jesus" Ferguson autograph, but I'm a litle biased?

Are there any big name autos in those sets? Just compare them to other brands of that athletes autos, and if they are the same, you should be okay.

 

[CamaroDMD]

Good to know. Yes, it is common for wives or secretary's to sign stuff...kinda sad but true.

I still think my favorite example is the Donnie Shell from the 1997 UD Legends football set. The nice thing is, both the authentic and the "wife" auto are fairly common so there is enough to make this a legitimate variety. Both were pack issued too. Plus, he is an all-time great which adds to the fun.

What I think is interesting is the back of all the cards in this set flat out say that nobody witnessed the autographs.

I don't own either of the Donnie Shell "autos" from that set...but here they are comparisons sake:

Authentic Auto


Wife Auto