I remember the day I pulled my first ever printing plate. Actually, I pulled two from the same box of 2007 Finest. First, I had no idea what they were and quite honestly didn’t like them very much. A few months later I pulled another one from a box of ‘07 Allen & Ginter and I guess you could say these gimmicks had captured my interest.
After doing some research I found that Pinnacle was one of the first companies to insert printing plates in packs of baseball cards in the late-90’s. Of course, a few weeks later I found boatloads of early-90’s Classic printing plates on eBay and began to wonder where the heck those came from.
So, my educated guess is that Pinnacle Brands was the first to insert printing plates into packs and oddball sets like Classic and Conlon Collection (link) sold the printing plates when they went out of business either on eBay or in some auction. Now, as far as “vintage” printing plates, this 1989 Classic Don Mattingly is the oldest I could find. It could be had to spice up any Yankees fan’s collection for $150.00 dollars (link).
Of course, for the same price you could pick up one of Donnie Baseball’s better autograph/jersey cards. The choice is all yours. I have personally seen the old printing plates and know that they aren’t in the best condition. All that I am saying is, don’t expect something like an Allen & Ginter plate.
I want to say that Pacific started inserting the plates ‘97-’98-’99, around the same time Pinnacle did. And there are a few plates of their 1988 Baseball Legends set older than your Mattingly (like this one http://cgi.ebay.com/MEL-STOTTLEMYRE-1988-PACIFIC-PRINTING-PLATE-LOT-YANKEES_W0QQitemZ330273269084QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116 ) on the Bay right now.
I know Topps started inserting them into packs in 1998 starting with Stadium Club football and they fell 1 in every 40 jumbo packs. My friend pulled a Bobby Hoying, ~Oh, yeah!~
My first was a 1999 Topps Gallery Nomar Garciaparra. I opened the pack and this hunk of metal fell out. Ended up selling it for $250, it paid for two text books during my second semester of college. Joy.
1997 Pinnacle or New Pinnacle was the first in baseball, I believe for pack-inserted press plates. They included both the front and back in four colors, so eight press plates per card.
I want to go back in time to the person who thought of the idea of putting printing plates in packs and hit him with a lead pipe in the head. Maybe then he will forget, or at least be too concerned with finding me to care about these scrap heap pieces they call 1/1s.
Get over yourself Gellman.
Pinnicle started the printing plates in the 1996 products, stadium club 1997 odds set started for topps. I pulled a Nomar G. printing plate and a Curt Shilling plate out of the 1997 staduim. I was thrilled. I traded the nomar plate to a hobby shop for a 1976 topps set, I look back and think I did the right thing.