The trading card industry experienced a lull in popularity from roughly 1992 through the early 2000s. The economy tightened, several trading cards lines were halted and card shops across the country closed their doors for good. Not surprisingly, this was also a period of very little lacrosse card production. However, four sets issued during that period have emerged to become some of the most important releases in nearly 150 years of lacrosse card manufacturing. Lacrosse Card Landscape articles for the month of July 2024 will focus on these sets: 1993 STX MILL, 1999 Choice NLL All-Stars, 2000 NLL Championship Game and 2001 MLL.
There is an old saying that dynamite comes in small packages. That is certainly the case with the 1999 CHOICE NLL All-Star set, which contains only a dozen cards but is unmatched in the lacrosse card world in terms of notable rookie cards and density of stars.
The 1999 NLL All-Star Game is considered one for the ages. Two teams were assembled by nationality, and resulted in the Canadians playing the Americans at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, NY, on February 20, 1999. A group of 8,979 fans watched Team Canada defeat Team USA by a score of 25-24.
Perhaps the most lasting souvenir produced for the game was a set of 12 trading cards. The set was sponsored by Chase-Pitkin (a chain of home-and-garden stores in the Rochester area) and produced by CHOICE SportsCards of Aston, Pennsylvania. It was distributed to fans attending the game.
The cards feature 12 different players, with no title or sponsor card. The cards are numbered by uniform number and issued as complete sets in clear team bags sealed simply by a gold Choice SportsCards sticker. The cards have full-bleed imagery clear to the cards’ edges. It is a beautiful design, but any aftermarket flaws are greatly amplified by the lack of white borders.
As for the checklist… It’s a whopper. Any set of All-Star players is bound to be impressive, but this lineup is one for the ages… Jake Bergey, Cory Bomberry, Chris Driscoll, Dallas Eliuk, Kevin Finneran, Gary Gait, Paul Gait, Sal LoCascio, Tom Marechek, Mark Millon, Casey Powell and John Tavares.
Consider the following:
- Dallas Eliuk – NLL Hall of Fame, Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame
- Kevin Finneran – NLL Hall of Fame
- Gary Gait – NLL Hall of Fame, Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame, Pro Lacrosse Hall of Fame, U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame
- Paul Gait – NLL Hall of Fame, Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame, U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame
- Sal LoCascio – NLL Hall of Fame
- Tom Marechek – NLL Hall of Fame, Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame, U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame
- Mark Millon – Pro Lacrosse Hall of Fame, U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame
- Casey Powell – NLL Hall of Fame, Pro Lacrosse Hall of Fame, U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame
- John Tavares – NLL Hall of Fame
Adding to the set’s importance is the fact that half of the players in the checklist made their trading card debuts in this release. The Bergey, Bomberry, Driscoll, Marechek, Millon and Powell cards are all considered rookie issues. For collectors speculating that lacrosse cards will increase in value, this set should draw serious attention.
As with most lacrosse cards, this set received very little attention for decades on the secondary market. But collectors have begun showing greater interest recently, a fact that has been revealed in increased sales on eBay.
Collectors have also begun submitting these cards to PSA, the hobby’s best-known third-party authenticator and grading company. Population reports show nearly 150 individual cards submitted thus far with 99 of them receiving a grade of PSA 10. Still, only single-digits of the Gary Gait and Casey Powell cards exist in Gem Mint 10 condition. That presents a considerable challenge to collectors hoping to add pristine examples to their collections.
By all standard hobby measures, the 1999 CHOICE NLL All-Star set is one to draw collector attention. It has star power, rookies, condition sensitivity and was produced in limited quantities, many of which have likely been lost over the years. That’s a great thing for hobbyists who already have these cards in their collections. For those who don’t… good luck!
Check out the rest of the series here!