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One of the most memorable things about the 1991 Action Packed football card set had less to do with any big-name rookies and more to do with a couple of promotions:
collectors could find 24-karat gold stamped cards and certificates redeemable for 18-karat solid gold cards inside packs.
Hence, the company referred to itself as the "gold standard" of football cards.
Also, cards #281 through #288 with big-name players like Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas and Jerry Rice that featured details printed in braille on their reverse sides.
Action Packed would continue producing sets through 1997 and churned some pretty good cards along the way, some of which are found in their 1991 release.
And in this guide, we'll take a look at the 12 most valuable.
Let's jump right in!
Ross Uitts - Owner
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Let's be clear: most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days.
Like the 1991 Pro Set, Bowman, Fleer, Score, Stadium Club, Topps and Upper Deck sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values.
So, for the cards on this list to be worth much, they'll have to be graded by PSA to be in perfect, gem mint condition.
That means the card needs to be flawless.
Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the list:
1991 Action Packed Rookie Update #21 Brett Favre Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $100
During Brett Favre's rookie season with the Atlanta Falcons in 1991, no one could have predicted he would one day be a Hall of Famer.
The Falcons organization thought enough of the young quarterback from Southern Miss to use the 33rd pick of the 1991 NFL Draft on him.
But, then-head coach Jerry Glanville didn't like the choice at all.
That was Favre's first problem.
And that problem only grew bigger as Glanville became even more annoyed by Favre's penchant for late nights drinking on the town.
Favre's second problem was that veteran quarterback Chris Miller played incredibly well in 1991, delivering his first and only Pro Bowl season.
Between Miller's strong play and Glanville's disapproval of Favre, the future Hall of Famer barely got the chance at any action in 1991, appearing briefly in just two games.
In one of them, a 56-17 romping at the hands of the Washington Redskins, Favre attempted the only four passes of his rookie campaign.
And Washington intercepted two of them, returning one for a touchdown.
Favre's time in Atlanta ended as quickly as it began.
On February 12, 1992, the Falcons traded him to Green Bay, the team with which he immediately became a Pro Bowler in the 1992 NFL season and arguably the most iconic player in franchise history.
1991 Action Packed #124 Bo Jackson
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $75
On January 13, 1991, during a divisional playoff game inside a packed Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, one of the most incredible athletic careers in history came to a sudden halt.
Well, at least half of a sports career did, anyway.
As the greatest two-sport superstar in sports history, Bo Jackson suited up for the Los Angeles Raiders that afternoon to face the Cincinnati Bengals.
And his 1991 Major League Baseball season would soon open in a few months after that.
Yet, after Jackson broke off a monster 34-yard run, Cincinnati linebacker Kevin Walker delivered a routine hit that brought Jackson down at a weird angle.
As a result, Jackson's left hip popped out of place, and he'd have to leave the game.
Later, doctors delivered some of the worst news sports fans had ever heard: Jackson had avascular necrosis in his left hip joint and would never play in the NFL again.
He'd still salvage his MLB career, soon signing with the Chicago White Sox to play parts of three seasons from 1991 to 1993.
And after playing out his one-year deal with the California Angels during the strike-shortened season in 1994, he'd also call it quits for good in baseball.
Jackson is still the only player named an MLB All-Star (19890 and NFL Pro Bowler (1990).
1991 Action Packed #247 Joe Montana
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $75
From 1979 to 1990, legendary quarterback Joe Montana helped build the San Francisco 49ers into a perennial powerhouse, winning four Super Bowls during that span.
And while a frustrating loss to the New York Giants in the 1990 NFC Championship Game ended a run towards a fifth ring, Montana and crew looked to make another run in 1991.
And then, disaster struck.
Montana's throwing elbow hadn't been 100% since injuring it and other body parts during a brutal hit that forced him out of the 1990 NFC Championship Game.
And throughout the 1991 NFL preseason, team staff maintained that Montana was battling tendinitis in that same elbow.
Then, during a team drill on August 13, 1991, Montana felt something tear after throwing a 40-yard pass.
Eventually, Montana faced surgery, and the team decided to shut him down for the season.
Montana would end up missing nearly two full seasons, during which Steve Young developed into an MVP-winning quarterback in 1992.
Young's spectacular play created a quarterback controversy in San Francisco, and the team ultimately decided to trade Montana to the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of the 1993 season
1991 Action Packed #248 Jerry Rice
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $75
Since Jerry Rice entered the league during his 1985 rookie season, he and legendary quarterback Joe Montana had a chemistry that few duos have rivaled since.
And by the time the NFL was ready to kick things off in 1991, Rice already had two Super Bowl rings, five Pro Bowl nominations, five First-Team All-Pro selections, and an Offensive Player of the Year award to his name.
But nobody knew how Rice would fare when his partner in crime had to miss the entire 1991 season for elbow surgery.
How would Rice adjust to Steve Young's left-handed throwing style?
Would he be as effective with Steve Bono under center?
As it turned out, Rice was just fine.
In six starts with Bono at quarterback, Rice reeled in four touchdown passes.
And in the other ten starts with Young under center, he scored another ten touchdowns.
With 14 receiving touchdowns that season, Rice made it three years in a row with the most touchdown receptions.
And his 1,206 were third-best in the league behind Michael Irvin (1,523) and Gary Clark (1,340).
Though Young missed several games due to injury, you could already see another iconic quarterback and receiver connection in the making.
1991 Action Packed Rookie Update Emmitt Smith Prototype
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $75
During the 1990 NFL se
1991 Action Packed #59 Emmitt Smith
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $60
When the Dallas Cowboys selected Emmitt Smith with the 17th pick of the 1990 NFL Draft, they knew they were getting a special player.
During his days at the University of Florida, Smith showed the world that he possessed incredible ability as an elusive running back with both speed and power.
After the Cowboys finished with a dreadful 1-15 record in 1989, Smith helped steer the ship in the right direction as Dallas finished at 7-9, with Smith winning 1990 Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
With a rookie season like that, expectations were even higher heading into his sophomore campaign in 1991.
And Smith didn't disappoint.
The future Hall of Famer announced himself as one of the top backs in the game by leading the NFL with 365 carries and 1,563 yards while adding 12 rushing touchdowns.
With an 11-5 record, Dallas finished second in the NFC East and earned a Wild Card berth.
In the NFC Wild Card Game against the Chicago Bears, Smith carried the ball 26 times for 105 yards and a touchdown to help Dallas to a close 17-13 victory.
Unfortunately, the Cowboys ran into a brick wall against the Detroit Lions, losing 38-6 in the NFC Divisional Round at the Silverdome.
1991 Action Packed Rookie Update #67 Aeneas Williams Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $60
When Montana
1991 Action Packed #78 Barry Sanders
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $60
Entering the 1991 NFL season, Detroit Lions superstar running back Barry Sanders looked to deliver his third consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season since his rookie year in 1989.
And he delivered in a big way.
Not only did Sanders zig and zag his way through opposing defenses for a then-career-high 1,548 rushing yards on an NFL-best 103.2 yards per carry, but he also set a personal best with a league-leading 16 rushing touchdowns.
As if that wasn't enough output from the one-man wrecking crew, Sanders tacked on another 307 receiving yards and a score through the air.
The Lions legend was a no-brainer for his third-straight Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro selections.
But Sanders and Lions fans were even more ecstatic to see all that effort help the team to a 12-4 record to seal its first NFC Central title and playoff birth since 1983.
Against Dallas in the NFC Divisional Round, Sanders heckled the Cowboys as a dual threat with 69 rushing yards and a score with 30 receiving yards on five catches to boot.
When the final whistle blew, Detroit had routed Dallas 38-6 in front of thousands of adoring fans at the Silverdome.
Unfortunately, the Washington Redskins would knock them out of the playoffs the next round, and the Lions haven't won a playoff game since.
1991 Action Packed #9 Deion Sanders
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50
While Bo Jackson's career as a two-sport star came to a sad ending in January 1991, Deion Sanders' was starting to take off.
Late in the MLB season, Sanders smacked a critical three-run shot to help lift the Atlanta Braves over the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 31, 1991.
But because his contract with the Atlanta Falcons required him to show up for training camp the following day, he was forced to miss the MLB postseason.
Watching the Braves advance to the World Series without him wasn't easy on Sanders, but he made the most of the difficult situation by delivering his first Pro Bowl season on the gridiron.
In fifteen starts at right corner, Sanders picked off six passes and posted 49 combined tackles, a sack, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.
On special teams, Sanders returned 21 punts for 170 yards and 26 kickoffs for 576 yards.
His reputation as a playmaker exploded that season when he took one of his interceptions to the house and did the same with one of his kickoff returns, a highlight-reel 100-yard touchdown at San Francisco.
To avoid missing time for the Braves in the future, Sanders reworked his contract in 1992 to be able to play for the Falcons and Braves simultaneously.
1991 Action Packed Rookie Update #44 Ricky Watters Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
After starring at Notre Dame
1991 Action Packed #63 John Elway
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
Though he would eventually find Super Bowl glory (twice), John Elway entered the 1991 NFL season with a reputation for struggling in the postseason.
And that reputation only continued to grow as the Denver Broncos' season ended with yet another disappointing postseason run.
Elway was as dominant as always during the regular season, leading the Denver Broncos to a fifth AFC West title in nine years since his rookie campaign in 1983.
And not only did Elway have the Broncos' offense rolling, but Denver also sported the third-best defense in the NFL in 1991.
So, when the playoffs rolled around, it looked as good of a time as ever for Elway to lead them across the Super Bowl finish line.
Yet things didn't start so easy in the AFC Divisional Round against the Houston Oilers at Mile High Stadium.
Before they knew it, Elway and the Broncos found themselves trailing 24-23 late in the game.
But, as he'd done so many times before, the future Hall of Famer led them downfield for a come-from-behind win thanks to a David Treadwell field goal.
Unfortunately, the Buffalo Bills shut Elway and the Denver offense down in the AFC Championship Game with a 10-7 victory.
Postseason heartbreak fell on Broncos fans yet again.
1991 Action Packed #144 Dan Marino
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
Before NFL quarterbacks were putting up huge yardage totals and touchdowns with regularity like they do these days, Dan Marino was in a world of his own during the 1980s.
In 1984, he established records that would last for decades when he threw for 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns during that MVP season.
He may not have realized it then, but he had changed the game forever.
There had been many great quarterbacks before and after him, but no one put up the kind of numbers he did on a regular basis.
Relying on a quick release and incredible field vision, Marino carried the Miami Dolphins to many great seasons during his seventeen-year Hall of Fame career.
Sadly, he never got a Super Bowl ring.
Still, he was a nine-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro, the 1984 MVP, and led the NFL in passing five times.
In 1991, he didn't put up the kind of gaudy numbers he did in 1984, but his 3,970 were good for second-most in the NFL, while his 25 passing touchdowns ranked fourth.
For as good as he and the Miami offense were in 1991, the defense struggled terribly.
For the fourth time in five seasons, Miami failed to make the postseason with an 8-8 record.
1991 Action Packed Football Cards In Review
With a checklist that included 290 cards, this set was dwarfed in size by others in the hobby, such as the 1991 Topps (660 cards), Score (686), and Upper Deck (700) sets.
But it does contain several stars and Hall of Famers, including the Brett Favre and Aeneas Williams rookies.
So there's still plenty of value and nostalgia to be found in this checklist.
Regarding subsets, Action Packed didn't include nearly as many as the other manufacturers but did include an arguably more interesting one with cards #281 - 288 that featured braille print on the reverse sides.
And you must give Action Packed credit in trying to do anything they could to break into an ultra-competitive hobby, including their gold card promotion.
Yet, they'd eventually bow out of the hobby after their final release in 1997.