A History of the First Pack-Pulled Autographed Cards That Changed the Hobby

A handful of early 1990s cards quietly changed the baseball card hobby forever. In 1990 and 1991, Upper Deck and Score revolutionized the hobby by introducing the first-ever "chase" autograph cards to be pulled directly from packs. These cards functioned like a hobby version of the golden ticket from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. You didn’t know if one was inside your box, but the possibility alone changed how packs were opened.

What’s most surprising in hindsight is how long it took card companies to embrace the concept. Autographs had existed for decades through mail signings and in-person autograph shows, yet it wasn’t until the early 1990s that manufacturers realized their power as pack-inserted treasures. Today, autographs have become a standard component of every modern checklist, serving as the best "chase card" in nearly every box.

Mantle Auto in 1991 Score — Some of the earliest pack-pulled auto baseball cards can still be pulled in products like 1991 Score. | Author's Photo

These early pack-pulled autographs are some of the most historically important signed cards ever produced, featuring legends like Reggie Jackson, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, Carl Yastrzemski, and Hank Aaron. Somehow, these cards have flown under the radar despite being both rare and historically significant. Below are some of the best and most important early pack-pulled autos.

1990 Upper Deck Reggie Jackson Autograph

PSA 9 Price: $1050

Hobby Impact: The hobby’s modern autograph era begins with Reggie Jackson. This card is the first authentic autograph card that collectors could pull directly from packs. The 1990 Upper Deck Heroes autographed card was limited to just 2,500 copies and each card was hand-numbered by Reggie himself.

To distinguish authentic signed cards from the unsigned Reggie Jackson inserts with a facsimile signature, the autographed versions featured a unique diamond-shaped hologram, while the unsigned versions had a circular hologram. A small number of the autographed cards included a "Mr. October" inscription, while card #714/2,500 had a unique "Babe Ruth" inscription.

"Babe Ruth" inscription Reggie Jackson auto — This card (714/2500) has the special "Babe Ruth" inscription. It sold for over $12,000 in November of 2025. | Card Ladder

At the time, the idea felt almost unreal. The hype surrounding the card exploded with a "Find the Reggie" campaign. People bought as many high series packs as they could, turning the search into a hobby phenomenon. Boxes of 1990 Upper Deck High Series are still bought and opened today by collectors with the hope of finding one of these autographs. This card redefined what a “hit” could be and established the chase model that still dominates the hobby today.

1991 Upper Deck Hank Aaron Autograph

PSA 9 Price: $1,100

Hobby Impact: After the success of the Reggie Jackson auto, Upper Deck doubled down by placing the autograph of Hank Aaron into 1991 Upper Deck High Series packs. Like Jackson, the card was limited to 2,500 copies and hand-numbered and signed in blue ink.

The blue Sharpie used for many of these signatures is known to fade. As a result, well-preserved autographs of this card command strong premiums today. Even decades later, collectors still revisit sealed wax of 1991 Upper Deck hoping to pull a Hank Aaron autograph.

1991 Score Mickey Mantle Autographs

Here are all seven cards in the Mickey Mantle Autograph Card set. | Card Ladder

Complete Set Price: $5,160 (sold May 2024 at Heritage Auctions)

Hobby Impact: Following Upper Deck's success with Reggie Jackson, Score launched its own groundbreaking "chase" in 1991 featuring New York Yankees legend Mickey Mantle. Pulling a Mantle autograph from a pack in 1991 was as close as collectors could come to striking gold.

The Mickey Mantle autograph promotion by Score was part of a seven-card subset chronicling Mantle's career. 2,500 total Mantle autograph cards were placed into packs across the 7-card set (approximately 357 of each card). To maximize the promotion, Score also released 36,000 non-signed versions of the same seven cards, which are much more common and lack the hand-numbering and signature.

The set begins with Card #1 (The Rookie), which commemorates his 1951 debut season and is unique for being the only card in the set signed on the back. Card #2 (Triple Crown) celebrates his historic 1956 season, while Card #7 (Hall of Fame), commemorates his 1974 induction into the Hall of Fame.

These Mantle autographs carried even greater mystique than Reggie's did. Since only one of these autos was pulled out of every 30,000 packs, it was considered the pull of a lifetime. It drew many Baby Boomers back into the hobby and it blurred the lines between modern and vintage cards.

1992 Score Franchise Triple Autograph Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, and Carl Yastrzemski

PSA 9 Price: $12,000

This is arguably the most prestigious card of the "Junk Wax" era and a pioneer of multi-signed cards. Multi-signed cards are common today, but it was very much unique in the early 1990s. Only 500 copies of this triple-auto were produced. In an era where base cards were printed by the millions, pulling one of these cards from a pack was statistically miraculous. Boxes today only cost between $75 because of the minuscule odds of getting an autograph.

The 1992 Score "The Franchise" autograph set featured four distinct cards. Cards #1, #2, and #3 were single-player autographs from Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle, and Carl Yastrzemski, with each having population counts of 2,000. The final card in the set, #4, was the most coveted triple autograph featuring all three legends together. This card showed how quickly manufacturers were learning that the combination of scarcity and historic greatness created extreme demand.

3 More Notable Early Pack-Pulled Autograph Cards

1. 1991 Donruss Elite Jose Canseco ($235 for a PSA 7 copy)