The early 1990s was an exciting time for trading cards. Card companies experimented with new designs and printing techniques, producing innovative sets that captivated collectors. While this era is known for high production volumes, it was also a period of genuine creativity in card manufacturing.
Upper Deck introduced small holographic labels as a security feature on the backs of their 1989 baseball cards to prevent counterfeiting. This pairing of holograms and trading cards quickly became standard. By the mid-1990s, holographic cards had grown so popular that entire product lines emerged, such as Upper Deck’s 1996 SPx Baseball.
Kevin Baumber, Technical Director of the firm Light Fantastic, pioneered hologram technology for several early 1990s cards. Working from original photos and artwork, he created master holograms and nickel printing plates for Impel’s iconic 1990 Marvel Universe series and Pro Set’s 1990 football and hockey inserts. He shot these from his headquarters in the UK, helping fuel the era’s chase card craze. He still occasionally shares images of original production pieces online.
Some cards from this time have become legendary among collectors. These standout pieces combine the holographic technology of the era with memorable imagery. They represent the best of what early-1990s card innovation had to offer.
Below is a selection of the most sought-after and influential hologram cards from the early 1990s, covering both sports and entertainment.
1990-91 Pro Set Hockey — The Stanley Cup
When you think about “the” hockey card of the 1990s, high-grade copies of the 1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier Jaromir Jagr rookie, the 1990-91 Upper Deck French Pavel Bure rookie, or perhaps the 1996-97 Upper Deck Black Diamond Joe Thornton rookie likely come to mind. However, when you consider all the key factors — significance, aesthetics, relative scarcity, demand, and condition sensitivity — the 1990-91 Pro Set Stanley Cup Hologram stands alone as the undisputed champion. No card from the ’90s deserves the overused moniker of “The Grail” more than this one.
With 5,000 sequentially numbered copies produced as part of the heavily printed 1990-91 Pro Set Hockey Series One set, this card is prized for its distinctive appearance and the difficulty of finding one in near-mint or better condition. Any owner will tell you the hologram effect looks far more impressive in person than it does in digital images.
Only 312 copies of this card have been graded by the four major card graders, with the highest grades being one PSA 8.5, one SGC 8, two BGS 8.5s, and two CGC 6.5s.
As luck would have it, a black border, prototype version of the card recently sold at auction.
1990 Pro Set Football — Vince Lombardi Trophy
The Pro Set Lombardi Hologram stands out as one of the premier chase football cards of the early-1990s. With only 10,000 numbered copies produced, it represents a small print run for a product known for massive overproduction. The card features a holographic image of the Lombardi Trophy set against a fireworks-style background — a cutting-edge design for football cards at the time.
Each card is hand-numbered on the back as “# of 10,000.” Finding this card in top condition is extremely difficult. The holographic front and dark back are highly susceptible to damage. Common defects include surface scratches, edge chipping, centering problems, and back-side issues such as whitening or light peeling.
The standard Lombardi hologram is called the ‘Collector Edition,’ but there’s also an ‘Owner Edition’ variation. The two versions can be distinguished by a notation on the back of the card, to the left of the hand-numbering. The Owner Editions were reportedly produced for special Wilson leather binder sets given to NFL team owners, team and league executives, and league dignitaries such as Ed Sabol of NFL Films. The numbering on the back of these cards varies — some are blank, some are hand-numbered, and others display the name of the recipient.
Only 426 copies of the Collector Edition have been graded by the four major card graders, with the highest grades being 39 PSA 9s, four SGC 9s, 11 BGS 9s, and one CGC 8.
1990 Impel Marvel Universe — Holograms #MH4 Wolverine
As the first Marvel set to include original artwork by some of the all-time great comic artists, it’s not surprising that this set continues to be a favorite with Marvel card collectors. The five-card hologram insert set continues to be among the most sought-after cards in the series. While not overly rare — unofficially, it is estimated they were inserted at a rate of one or two copies per 36-pack box — top condition copies are extremely rare. Part of the reason for this is that the holographic effect was applied as a sticker onto the blank front of the card, creating opportunities for defects. For the Wolverine hologram, Jim Lee’s artwork brings this card to life, and to date, it remains one of the toughest cards in the set to achieve a Gem Mint grade.
2,146 copies of this card have been graded by the four major card graders, with the highest grades being 10 PSA 10s, one SGC 10, five BGS 9.5s, eight CGC 10s (Gem Mint) and one CGC 10 (Pristine).
1991-92 Upper Deck — Award Winner Holograms #AW1 (Scoring) & #AW4 (MVP) Michael Jordan
The 1991-92 Upper Deck Award Winner Holograms #AW1 and #AW4 feature Michael Jordan and commemorate his NBA scoring title and MVP award. These cards are among his most iconic inserts from the early 1990s and represent his first hologram cards. Both cards are popular and highly sought after by collectors and are extremely condition-sensitive. The hologram surface scratches easily, while centering and edge wear issues make high grades difficult to achieve. As a result, high-grade examples command strong premiums despite the large number of raw copies in circulation. Card #AW1 is the most popular of the two, though both remain in high demand.
7,730 copies of the AW1 card have been graded by the four major card graders, with the highest grades being 146 PSA 10s, four SGC 10s, 88 BGS 9.5s and three BGS 10s (Pristine).
1990 Impel Marvel Universe — Holograms #MH1 Cosmic Spider-Man
As the most popular and most collected hero in the Marvel Universe, it should not be surprising that Spidey’s first hologram card cracks this list. With similar attributes to the Wolverine card from the same set, the Cosmic Spider-Man #MH1 is the most frequently graded card from the insert set. With a striking image and attractive holographic effect, it’s no surprise that the card remains so popular. Spider-Man has a second card in the hologram set, which he shares with Green Goblin on card #MH5 (it is actually the toughest to grade as Gem Mint, with only four PSA 10s graded to date). The other cards from the insert set are Silver Surfer and Magneto, which are also a tough grade and remain popular today.
2,383 copies of the #MH1 card have been graded by the four major card graders, with the highest grades being 12 PSA 10s, one SGC 10, two BGS 9.5s, 14 CGC 10s (Gem Mint) and two CGC 10s (Pristine).
1993 Marvel Universe Series IV (SkyBox) – 3-D Hologram #H-IV Venom vs. Spider-Man
Let’s continue our Spider-Man run. The 1993 Marvel Universe holographic cards were a breakthrough in 3-D hologram technology, with impressive visual effects and depth. This card featured two of the most popular Marvel characters, Venom and Spider-Man, which made a strong impression on collectors when the product launched. They came in three color variations: green, gold/orange, and blue. Based on market data, green is the most common, gold/orange is moderately scarce, and blue is the rarest.
Approximately 932 copies of this card have been graded by the four major card graders, with the highest grades being five PSA 10, one SGC 10, and five CGC 10 (Gem Mint).
1992 Impel DC Cosmic — Holograms #DCH8 Superman
Superman’s first hologram card appears in the 1992 DC Cosmic set as part of the special ‘Hall of Fame’ hologram insert series, illustrated by Walt Simonson. Cards were inserted at a rate of approximately 1 per 10 packs and there are 10 cards in the set (so, 1 per 100 packs odds for the Superman). Like all cards in the insert set — and most on this list — the #DCH8 Superman card is difficult to find in high grade due to chronic issues with centering and surface scratches.
Only 205 copies of this card have been graded by the four major card graders, with the highest grades being 14 PSA 9s, one SGC 9, two BGS 9s and one CGC 10 (Gem Mint).
1991 DC Comics Robin II: The Joker’s Wild Hologram Promos #2 Batman
DC Comics produced this four-card hologram promo set in 1991, featuring Batman, Robin, the Joker, and the Bat-Signal. Card #2 showcases a classic image of the Caped Crusader. These cards were distributed through comic book stores to promote the Robin II comic series and remain popular with collectors for their iconic artwork. This is Batman’s first appearance on a hologram card.
Only 26 copies of this card have been graded by the four major card graders, with the highest grades being one PSA 8, one SGC 8.5, two BGS 9s and three CGC 7.5s.
1991 Kayo — Heavyweight Holograms Muhammad Ali
The 1991 Kayo Heavyweight Holograms Muhammad Ali card showcases a striking holographic image of Ali standing over Sonny Liston — an epic moment widely regarded as one of the greatest photos in sports history. While the card is affordable and readily available in raw condition, examples graded Mint 9 or higher are quite rare and difficult to obtain.
Only 141 copies of this card have been graded by the four major card graders, with the highest grades being 12 PSA 10s, one SGC 9, and one CGC 9.
1993 Topps Star Wars Galaxy — Holograms #1 Darth Vader
Exclusive to the popular Millennium Falcon-shaped factory set, this is the first full hologram card from the Star Wars universe, featuring an artistic image of Darth Vader. While the factory set was produced in a run of 10,000 copies — a relatively high number — few copies of this card have been professionally graded, and even fewer have received high grades.
Only 15 copies of this card have been graded by the four major card graders, with the highest grades being three PSA 8s, one SGC 8, one BGS 7.5 and one CGC 8.5.
1992 Upper Deck Minor League – Top Prospect Holograms #TP3 Chipper Jones
This card is unique because it features a hologram card that is rookie-related. The 1992 Upper Deck Minor League set was an extremely popular product release. It included a deep checklist of prospects combined with a nice variety of insert chase cards. The Top Prospect Holograms insert featured nine of the top prospects in minor league baseball. Hall-of-Famer Chipper Jones is the obvious key card. The odds of pulling one of these cards was 1:18 packs, or two per box.
192 copies of this card have been graded by the four major card graders, with the highest grades being 10 PSA 10s, two SGC 9.5s, four BGS 9.5s and one CGC 9.5.
1991 Upper Deck Denny’s Grand Slam Holograms
A list about hologram cards wouldn’t be complete without mentioning one of the most successful and influential mass-market trading card promotions. The 1991 Upper Deck Denny’s Grand Slam Hologram set stands out as the most popular MLB hologram card series from the early 1990s. The set achieved widespread appeal through its massive distribution and nostalgic connection to the restaurant promotion. These cards were given away with Grand Slam breakfast purchases. They featured one star player per MLB team, totaling 26 cards. However, being that the set was grand slam themed, several key stars of the time are missing from the checklist – Ken Griffey Jr, Frank Thomas and Barry Bonds. The set represented an early ’90s trend of restaurant tie-ins that helped push trading cards into the mainstream.
These cards were highly produced and don’t hold much secondary value today when ungraded. As a result, only 149 total cards from this set have been graded by PSA.
CONCLUSION
The early 1990s hologram cards represent a unique moment in collecting history. While the era is often associated with overproduction, these inserts stood apart through fairly limited quantities and innovative designs. Their condition sensitivity has made high-grade examples increasingly scarce and valuable over time. Whether featuring sports icons, comic book characters, or entertainment legends, these cards remain highly sought after by collectors who appreciate both their visual appeal and the technical challenges of their production. For those who lived through the 1990s or collect from the era, these holograms continue to hold a special place in the hobby.
GRADEx Staff
This story is a team effort. Our writers, editors, and hobby experts worked together, researching and reporting to bring you this piece.
