Score turns 20; goes old school

I don't know of too many serious collectors who get excited when Score football comes out each year, but this year many young football collectors will get plenty of enjoyment from the product. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of Score football cards, but there doesn't appear to be any special sets to commemorate the anniversary.

At just $0.99 per seven card pack, collectors are assured one Glossy parallel, one rookie and at least one other insert/parallel on average as well as Team Decal Tattoos falling 1:4 and Player Decal Stickers falling 1:6.

This isn't the first time this decade that companies have tried to use stickers or other kid-related items in their products to gear their selling. Topps used stickers in its baseball (2003-2006) and football (2004-2005) Bazooka releases and also included stickers in their Topps and Topps Opening Day baseball sets in 2001. Upper Deck also utilized stickers in Upper Deck Power Up! baseball and football. According to Beckett's new search, Donruss has never produced football sticker cards.

However, this is the first attempt at stickers in mainstream products since 2006 Bazooka baseball and 2006-07 Panini Stickers hockey.

Tattoos have also been seen in recent years but not nearly as often as stickers have. In 2000, Fleer/SkyBox produced a team tattoos set in Impact football and Topps produced tattoos for all its 2004 Bazooka brands and 2005 Bazooka baseball. Topps again is trying tattoos this year with a small selection in its 2008 Topps Opening Day baseball set. Otherwise, tattoos have been fairly uncommon with just 347 of them produced over the years.

For those who collect "real" inserts, this might also be the product you've been waiting for. At an inexpensive price, you will get all of this:

36 Glossy
2 Scorecard
1 Gold Zone
4 Hot Rookies
4 The Franchise
4 Future Franchise
4 Young Stars
6 Donruss Decals
9 Donruss Tattoos
4 Other inserts/parallels

Basically, you get one Glossy parallel and at least one other insert or parallel in every pack. Not only that, you have the chance to hit an autograph. I don't know about this year, but I did pull a redemption from a 2007 box so you may have to wait for the autograph. But, the pictures provided by Donruss show sticker autographs so there is a good chance they have some of these ready to go.

So while this product isn't for everyone, if it is for you, you should get plenty of what you bought it for. At around $30 for a box, I may just have to pick one up for myself and see what I can find.