If you lived through the late 80s, you probably remember Pro Set. They were the "official" card of the NFL, and they felt premium at the time. Sleek. Glossy. Full of mistakes.
Honestly, the john elway pro set card is the perfect example of why this era was both a disaster and a gold mine for collectors. While Topps was playing it safe and Score was being "premium," Pro Set was basically printing cards faster than they could proofread them. Because of that, we ended up with a pile of variations that keep John Elway fans hunting through dusty binders today.
The 1989 Error Everyone Forgets
The 1989 set was the debut for Pro Set. Card #100 features Elway looking ready to launch a rocket, but the text on the back is where the drama lives.
There is a famous error version where the card states Elway was "Drafted 1st Round, '83" by the Broncos. It sounds right, doesn't it? Well, technically, it’s a mess. Elway was famously drafted by the Baltimore Colts and then acquired via trade after he threatened to play baseball for the Yankees.
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Pro Set eventually caught this. They changed the wording to "Acquired: Trade, '83." You’ve likely seen these on eBay with "RARE ERROR" in the title. Kinda funny, because "rare" is a strong word for anything printed in 1989. Pro Set’s print runs were massive. Most of these sell for about $5 to $10 raw. If you manage to find a PSA 10 of the "Drafted" version, you might see it hit $100 or so, but don't expect to retire on it.
1990 and the Blue Blur
By 1990, Pro Set was the king of the "junk wax" era. Card #88 is the standard John Elway for this year. Most of these are worth about twenty cents—basically the price of the cardboard they're printed on.
But there is a weird one: the Blue Color Progression Error.
Basically, the printing press got wonky. Some cards came out with an intense blue tint or missing other color layers entirely. There’s even a version floating around with a completely blank front and Elway on the back. These "blank fronts" are usually production scraps that somehow escaped the factory. Collectors who love "oddball" stuff will pay $15 to $20 for a funky color error, just because it looks cool in a display.
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The 1991 Logo Mystery
The 1991 Pro Set John Elway (#138) is a standard base card, but there’s a second card in that set that people get confused about. Card #326 is titled "Bills' Rally Stuns Broncos."
It’s an "NFL Newsreel" card. It shows Elway, but it’s actually about a game.
On some of these, the NFLPA logo is missing from the back. It’s a tiny detail. Most people wouldn't even notice it unless they were looking for it with a magnifying glass. Again, it’s a "correction" variation. Collectors usually buy the error and the corrected version together as a pair for a few bucks. It’s more about the "story" of the card than the actual monetary value.
Is Your John Elway Pro Set Card Worth Anything?
Sorta. But mostly no.
I’m being real with you—most John Elway cards from this era were printed by the millions. If you find a stack of them in your garage, they are probably worth more in nostalgia than in cash.
However, keep an eye out for these specific things:
- The 1991 Pro Set Spanish Version: Card #57. These were printed for the international market and are much harder to find than the English ones. They can actually fetch a small premium.
- The 1992 Power Gold: These were inserts and have a much lower print run. A clean copy can actually be worth the effort of grading.
- Autographs: Pro Set did put some certified autos in packs (like the 1991 Pro Line Portraits). If you have an Elway with a "Pro Line" COA on the back, that’s a real winner. Those can sell for $100 to $300 depending on the condition and the specific year.
What to do next
If you're sitting on a pile of these, don't just dump them at a thrift store. Sort through them for the 1989 "Drafted" error or any cards with missing logos or weird colors. Use a site like 130Point to check recent "Sold" listings on eBay rather than looking at "Asking" prices. People can ask $5,000 for a common card, but it doesn't mean anyone is buying it. Focus on high-grade copies; if the corners aren't sharp and the centering isn't perfect, just keep it as a cool piece of Broncos history.