You’ve probably seen it at the bottom of a dusty shoebox or tucked into the back of a binder you haven't opened since 1994. The 1990 NFL Pro Set Joe Montana. It isn’t exactly a "holy grail" in the sense that it’s worth a down payment on a house, but for anyone who lived through the junk wax era, this card is a total icon. Honestly, it's the perfect avatar for everything that was right—and hilariously wrong—with the hobby thirty years ago.
Pro Set was the "Official NFL Card" back then, and they acted like it. They weren't just printing cards; they were trying to create a "living set." If a player got traded or a stat was wrong, they’d fix it mid-print. It was chaos. For collectors, that meant a never-ending hunt for errors, corrections, and variations. And since Joe Montana was basically the king of the world in 1990, his cards were the primary targets.
The Jim Kelly "Typo" That Won't Die
The most famous version of the 1990 NFL Pro Set Joe Montana isn't even about Joe. It’s about Jim Kelly.
If you look at the back of card #2 (the Player of the Year card), there’s a little blurb about the 1989 passing leaders. In the first batch of cards, Pro Set credited Jim Kelly with 3,521 yards. The problem? He actually threw for 3,130 yards.
Pro Set eventually caught the mistake and changed it to 3,130. Today, people try to list the "3,521 yards error" on eBay for thousands of dollars. Kinda wild, right? Don't fall for the hype. Because Pro Set printed millions of these cards, even the "errors" are incredibly common. You can usually snag one for a buck or two at a local card show.
🔗 Read more: Who Won the Golf Tournament This Weekend: Richard T. Lee and the 2026 Season Kickoff
Which Montana Are You Looking For?
There isn't just one 1990 NFL Pro Set Joe Montana. There are several. Pro Set was obsessed with subsets. Depending on which pack you ripped, you might find:
- Card #2: The "Player of the Year" card mentioned above.
- Card #8: His standard base card where he's dropping back to pass in that classic red 49ers jersey.
- Card #293: A "Pro Bowl" subset card.
- The Super Bowl MVP Inserts: These were special inserts (numbered #16 and #24 in their respective subsets) featuring artwork by Merv Corning.
The #293 card actually has its own weird little mystery. Some collectors have found copies with a strange "wing" or "mark" near the football. It’s a printing defect, likely a piece of dust on the plate, but in the world of Pro Set completionists, it's a "scarce variation."
The Value Reality Check
Let’s be real: most of these cards are worth less than the postage it takes to mail them.
| Card Version | Raw Value (Approx) | PSA 10 Value |
|---|---|---|
| #2 (Jim Kelly Error) | $1 - $3 | $100 - $130 |
| #8 Base Card | $0.50 | $30 - $50 |
| Super Bowl MVP #24 | $1 - $2 | $50 - $60 |
Unless your card is a PSA 10, meaning it's literally flawless with perfect centering and razor-sharp corners, it's mostly a nostalgia piece. Pro Set was notorious for poor quality control—off-center cuts and "white snow" printing dots are everywhere. Finding a perfect 10 is actually harder than you’d think, which is why those specific copies carry a premium.
💡 You might also like: The Truth About the Memphis Grizzlies Record 2025: Why the Standings Don't Tell the Whole Story
The "Lud Denny" Factor and Set Chaos
To understand why the 1990 NFL Pro Set Joe Montana exists in such volume, you have to look at the guy running the company: Ludwell Denny. He wanted Pro Set to be everywhere. He produced cards for the 49ers, the Heisman trophy, and even a Santa Claus card.
The company eventually went bankrupt in 1994, largely because they were paying massive royalties to the NFL while over-saturating the market. But before they folded, they gave us some of the most memorable photography in card history. The Montana cards from this year actually look great. They have those bright, team-colored borders and action shots that actually felt "pro."
Is it worth grading?
Probably not. Honestly, unless you've pulled a 1990 NFL Pro Set Joe Montana directly from a sealed box and it looks like it was cut by a laser, the grading fees will cost more than the card is worth.
However, if you're a Montana super-fan, having a slabbed "Jim Kelly Error" is a fun conversation starter. It represents a specific moment in time when the hobby was exploding and nobody really knew what they were doing.
📖 Related: The Division 2 National Championship Game: How Ferris State Just Redrew the Record Books
How to Handle Your 1990 Montana Collection
If you're sitting on a stack of these, here’s how to actually handle them without wasting time:
- Check the Backs: Look at card #2. If it says 3,521 yards for Jim Kelly, you have the error. Keep it, but don't plan your retirement around it.
- Look for the "Peace Sign": Some sellers claim there's a "peace sign" variation on the Montana cards. Usually, this is just a trick of the light or a tiny printing hickey. Don't pay extra for it.
- Corner Inspection: Use a magnifying glass. If you see even a tiny speck of white on those colored corners, the card isn't a "Gem Mint" candidate.
- Buy the MVP Inserts: If you want a Montana card from this year that actually looks like art, track down the Merv Corning Super Bowl MVP inserts. They're cheap, beautiful, and feel much more premium than the base set.
The 1990 NFL Pro Set Joe Montana might not be a gold mine, but it’s a piece of history. It reminds us of an era when Joe was "The Comeback Kid" and we all thought our cardboard collections would make us millionaires. Sometimes, the memory is worth more than the market price anyway.
Next Steps for Collectors:
- Check your #2 Montana cards for the Jim Kelly yardage error—3,521 is the error, 3,130 is the fix.
- If you're buying, look for "Lot" deals rather than single cards to save on shipping, as these are frequently sold in bulk.
- Focus on "centering" if you are looking for a copy to grade; the 1990 Pro Set borders make it very easy to spot cards that are shifted too far to one side.