Up in the Skybox

I'm posting today about some cards produced by Skybox, a card company that was merged with Fleer during the time that the latter was owned by the Marvel Entertainment Group. Marvel barely had any time to release anything under the Skybox brand before selling the whole Fleer/Skybox concern during a bankruptcy fire sale. The new owners decided to use the Skybox brand for a few sets each year, but a bit like the Fleer sets at the time, these ranges didn't last very long.

Skybox seem to be fairly high end cards, but they feature some odd photos and design choices, which might be why they have become cards that nobody really seems to talk, or care, about.

Card Number 382: Skybox Premium, 1999; #119

I don't have a non-premium card to compare this with, although I have blogged about a Skybox Premium card before - when Tony was having a Spring Fling.

The photo is kinda artsy, with an orange and blue squiggle across the background, and a florid TG in gold foil. 

On the back there's an interesting design lay-out.

The prominent number 19 is not to be confused with the set number - which is 119! I don't like the perpendicular stats box. What was the design team thinking with that?

Card Number 383: Skybox, 2000; #48

They added a 'zoom effect' to this photo by blurring out and recolouring half the photo.

The photo on the back is a hot mess of the PhotoShop blur feature.

That's a nice font for his name on the back. However, a truncated stats box normally sees me ding a point from any card. Eagle-eyed viewers will note that Tony is wearing a different shirt from the photo in the front because it doesn't have the white edging around the collar and down the front. He's also wearing different wrist protectors - the number 19 is really easy to see on these.

Card Number 384: Skybox Dominion, 2000; #101

"Dominion" is definitely the name given to a card set named after all the good names were taken.

The background of the photo has been recoloured black and white. This was a photo from the 1999 season, judging by the 30th anniversary patch on Tony's sleeve.

The photo on the back is very odd. That's not a game jersey, so this is probably a close cropped action shot from batting practice.

The truncated stats box leaves room for some factoids, which maybe makes it more acceptable. The reference to Lou Brock is a bit poignant, given his passing a few weeks ago. 

The odd design choices on this cardback extend to including the beginning of 'Gwynn' under the Padres logo and disappearing behind the photo of Tony. It's unnecessary and the card composition would have been fine with just the logo. 

Total: 384/394 (just 10 to go!)