What do the 1995 NHL Cool Trade SKYBOX EMOTION redemption cards look like, AND what were specifics about promotion???

[zackmak]

Regarding the 1995-96 NHL Cool Trade cards, there was the 20-card ‘regular-issue’ set that was mailed back to you if you sent in 20 hockey pack wrappers. This was according to the Beckett online card guide summary of the set...but I realized later that was false; it was actually 26 hockey pack wrappers you had to send it, according to an Upper Deck promotional card (see attachment below).

How was this advertised for fans to even know the NHL/NHLPA/card companies were even doing this promotion? I know there was a poster

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/TOPPS-1996-...157091?hash=item3d866ae3a3:g:a34AAOSwiylXBL5r

But it doesn’t give the detail Beckett described. Did card wrappers give the specifics? If so, which ones? And what brand of wrappers did the fan need to mail in...4 of each of the five brands? All 20 could be the same or a mix?

Regarding the parallel cards (i.e. the redemption cards), I keep seeing the UD ‘winner’ insert cards and the Donruss ‘winner’ insert cards (they are on COMC.com right now), that if you got one randomly in select hockey card packs you bought, you could mail it in to get a set of 4 parallel cards from that NHL Cool Trade set (with the parallel cards being of the same brand as what was on the winning insert card).

I’ve done google searches and I can’t seem to find any images of any Skybox, winner redemption insert cards...I mean, how else would you get the parallel cards of these brands, without those ‘winner’ cards?

For Skybox Emotion, does anyone have a picture of what those parallel cards look like? I also can’t find any images online.

And lastly, I want to get some parallel cards for my album to show the difference next to my 20-card regular set. Would anyone happen to have any for sale? I’m only looking to get 1 parallel card for each brand. Therefore, 5 cards in total. But I’d buy the set, if need be.

 

[quincy]

Beckett, posters and standups in the shops.

You won't find the send-in redemption cards because, for the most part, they're about as worthless as anything gets these days. Almost no demand. Even the redeemed sets - tough as they were at the time - are fairly valueless.

 

[numbern9ne]

Base

Redemption

 

[30ranfordfan]

So, I thought I had a whole set of these (that I put together WAY after 1995). I do have the "base" set, from 1995, when I mailed in wrappers.

Your understanding of the parallels is correct. You got the instant win card in packs, and could mail it in for the four card set.

A bunch of years ago, I bought the singles on COMC for the parallel set.... though it seems I did NOT get a Brodeur (so I only have 19 of 20 parallels). I'll have to pick on up to complete it.

I also thought I had all of the exchange cards, but that too was wrong. I have four of the five, and it's the Skybox one I'm missing.

 

[zackmak]

Thanks quincy for the info on where they were advertised! Whether 'Cool Trade' had little or sufficient promoting, I really like the idea of all the companies and organizations coming together for one big 'kumbaya'. It's a shame the hype and excitement for something this unique didn't leave a nice, lasting impression across-the-board with fans, as well as give these cards a decent long-term value.

Or maybe it wouldn't have mattered if the hype and set-up for success was there or not, since they (like all hockey cards in 1995) were over-printed?? Or, collecting in 1995 was at a low point??? Just guessing.

But mathematically/theoretically, the print run of these cards should be much, much less than any other normally-distributed cards not only because the promotion was for a limited time, but the fact that you had to buy 20 packs of normally-distributed cards for every 1 set of these Cool Trade cards, meant these cards were proportionately scarce (in comparison to how many of all the other branded cards there were). Add on top that only 'X' percentage of the card-buying collectors actually took advantage of this promotion, and it's surprising to understand their current 'ho-hum' status.

That being said, why were the SkyBox Emotion winner-redemption cards harder to get than the other branded winner-redemption cards? The winning cards were found in 1995-96 Ultra Series II, but did they publicly announce that fewer winning cards were made for SkyBox = a super low insertack ratio? Or, did Ultra Series II not sell very well (or not produce as many packs as the other popular brands) to have their winning insert cards pulled often? Maybe a lot are still around...but sitting inside a mass bunch of unopened Ultra Series II packs.

Thanks numbern9ne for the pics, and for putting both of each version up for comparison! I can imagine if someone was to see each card by themselves via an online photo, it would be hard to tell because a camera flash/room-light can easily darken/lighten the look of these foil cards, in addition to how you angle the card before taking a shot.

30ranfordfan, I hope you find your last card(s). I'm envious. It would be cool to have them side-by-side in a 9-card page binder so you can see the differences. I would even include the regularly-distributed cards of those 5 brands too, because three of the five base cards are extremely different designs from the Cool Trade card designs, which I think is neat! Question: Since you actually mailed in the wrappers, I'm still curious about what brand of wrappers the fan needed to mail in...4 of each of the five brands? All 26 of the same? Any mix? ANSWER: found in photo attachment in first post above.

 

[30ranfordfan]

30ranfordfan, I hope you find your last card(s). I'm envious. It would be cool to have them side-by-side in a 9-card page binder so you can see the differences. I would even include the regularly-distributed cards of those 5 brands too, because three of the five base cards are extremely different designs from the Cool Trade card designs, which I think is neat! Question: Since you actually mailed in the wrappers, I'm still curious about what brand of wrappers the fan needed to mail in...4 of each of the five brands? All 20 of the same? Any mix?

I'm going to keep an eye out, for sure. I forgot that I was missing the Brodeur, and I have not searched for the Skybox (Fleer) redemption card in years. I went on a bit of kick trying to complete from 90s insert sets.... uhhhh, 5 years ago... this was one of them. I'm sure the singles all came from COMC. I'm guessing there was either no Brodeaur parallel available, or there was a single copy for $20+

I'm fairly certain there was a list of products from all companies that were eligible (i.e. there was one or two releases from each brand) and you simply needed 20 packs from those brands. I think 20 packs from the same product was okay (most likely what I did). I'm not sure about though. It was 25 years ago... so I might not be remembering well.

This "worthless" unused redemption cards are funny though. If there is someone who wants them (you, me, etc) they are incredibly tough to find. I'm still trying to track down one from 1994-95 Score. They did "Top Rookie" redemptions. 10 cards. The redemption card just had a #, and you mailed it in... they sent you a nice foil card of whichever rookie ended up being that number.

I'm trying to put together a master set of 94-95 Score. I have all the foil cards (they're EASY to find). The redemptions? They're boring looking cards (just text on the front) and I'm missing #7 (which could have been traded in for a Brian Rolston card). I don't search every day... but I've been hunting for years, and can't track one down.

 

[quincy]

The Skybox card was in Fleer Ultra series 2 - TERRIBLE set mind - at a rate of 1/case.

 

[zackmak]

I'm going to keep an eye out, for sure. I forgot that I was missing the Brodeur, and I have not searched for the Skybox (Fleer) redemption card in years. I went on a bit of kick trying to complete from 90s insert sets.... uhhhh, 5 years ago... this was one of them. I'm sure the singles all came from COMC. I'm guessing there was either no Brodeaur parallel available, or there was a single copy for $20+

I'm fairly certain there was a list of products from all companies that were eligible (i.e. there was one or two releases from each brand) and you simply needed 20 packs from those brands. I think 20 packs from the same product was okay (most likely what I did). I'm not sure about though. It was 25 years ago... so I might not be remembering well.

This "worthless" unused redemption cards are funny though. If there is someone who wants them (you, me, etc) they are incredibly tough to find. I'm still trying to track down one from 1994-95 Score. They did "Top Rookie" redemptions. 10 cards. The redemption card just had a #, and you mailed it in... they sent you a nice foil card of whichever rookie ended up being that number.

I'm trying to put together a master set of 94-95 Score. I have all the foil cards (they're EASY to find). The redemptions? They're boring looking cards (just text on the front) and I'm missing #7 (which could have been traded in for a Brian Rolston card). I don't search every day... but I've been hunting for years, and can't track one down.

Good luck with filling in the blanks! If there were no tough missing pieces to regularly chase down for our collections, our hobby wouldn't be as satisfying.

If you have a chance, I'd love for you to post pics of the 4 redemption 'winner' cards you have. UD and Donruss I've seen, but not the others.