Before the 2011 Reveal: A Visual History of Playoff Contenders Football Rookie Tickets

It’s no secret that the landmark 1998 Playoff Contenders Football product altered forever the way Rookie Cards were made, marketed and collected. The revolutionary union that year of Rookie Cards and autographs birthed the blissful Rookie Ticket — and signaled a monumental shift in the industry that still resonates loudly today with virtually every product made in every sport.

Based largely on the strength of that watershed 1998 edition, Playoff Contenders has become one of the most prestigious, anticipated and coveted brands on the entire sports card landscape.

Later today, we’ll provide the world premiere look at the 2011 Playoff Contenders Football Rookie Ticket design. But before we do, we figured now would be a good time to highlight every Contenders design in the Rookie Ticket era.

We hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane. And stay tuned in the coming hours for what we have in store for this season.