ONE SHEET, ONE SET - 94/95 Premier Finest 'The Go To Guy'

I was flipping through one of my 'One Sheet, One Set' binders tonight and I came across one......... ugly.............. set.

Gotta post about it.

Let me start by saying 1994/95.  Gotcha scared?  How about Topps Premier.  Shakin' in your boots now right?  And an insert set to boot.  This could get nasty.

But the whole reason why I started this project is so I could appreciate the never-ending card design templates out there - both good and bad.  There's always something to take away from every set shown.  Sometimes it's as simple as "Here's not what to do".

1994/95 Topps/OPC Premier Finest

'The Go To Guy'

This 15 card insert set showcases the clutch players in the NHL at the time.  It's a decent checklist of players including Modano, Sakic, Hull, Roenick and......... yes......... Messier (ugh).

Back in the mid-90's these cards were considered higher-end.  Coming in one out of every 36 packs, it seems like a pretty flimsy box hit today, but back then I could see people being a little more excited to pull one of these.

Just a little...... and not for long.

I'll also say that these cards don't scan well.  But that might be a good thing because there won't be too many points scored this round.

Where to start?  Where to start?  How about the photo selection.  All the cards use a full-body shot that often show the player coasting or just looking off into the distance (perhaps admiring a nice crisp pass that they've just fired off).  There are a couple decent photos, but for the most part it's a weak grouping - especially for an insert set.

The background looks like a clear ripoff from the Saved By The Bell intro. Terrible blue colors and shapes and starbursts galore.  It's one set my sister might find appealing (and that's not a good thing).

The font styles and and effects put on the text just reek of a junior Photoshop guy who has tripped into the templates folder.  Just click away and hope for the best.  And let's look at the font styles closely.  One.... two.... three.... four different fonts used on the front of the card.  Absolutely no cohesiveness.  For shame.

The only positive quality about the card front is the foil-type effect placed on it.  It makes the cards look like there some sort of embossing to it - but there's not.  It nice and shiny.....par for the course when it comes to cards from this time period.

I flip the card over and I nearly lose my lunch.  My eyes start to jitter in my skull and the endless questions begin.

Could you use any more font styles on the back?  Twenty-three different types weren't enough?  Yikes!

Everything is just all over the place - and nothing carries over from the front of the card (not that it would have helped).  Random numbers and letters just strewn everywhere.

And so what else does this card back need?  How about a pie chart.  Yippee!  We got one.  And could it be a more vague stat?  Percentage of total teams' offense?  Really?  Do I need an abacus or something to sort this information out?  My sundial says no.

And then to slap a player photo in the mix with little to no authority just wraps this failure of a card with a nice bow.  And look at the black cones in the background.  Do they serve a purpose?  Is this another fancy Photoshop filter?

Pure nastiness.  A set that you should avoid unless you find them in a "Free" box at a garage sale, need to buy your younger sister a special birthday gift or just want a good laugh.

I'm laughing...... for real (only on the inside though).

0.5 out of 5