SSI (Superior Sports, Inc.) was a sports collectibles company that produced some of the most innovative baseball cards from 1987 to 1994. They pioneered the use of advanced printing techniques and premium materials to create high-quality baseball card sets that were coveted by collectors.
SSI’s founders, Donald K. Ross and Charles E. Moser, tapped into growing collector interest in memorabilia and rare sports cards during the late 1980s. Their goal was to revolutionize the baseball card industry by producing beautifully designed cards made from unique substrates like acrylic, canvas, leather, wood, and metal, along with incorporating three-dimensional elements, autographs, and valuable memorabilia inserts.
In 1987, SSI released their groundbreaking debut set titled “Diamond Kings”. Printed on 1/8″ thick acrylic sheets, each card featured a full-color player photo on one side and silver signature plate with embossed team logo on the reverse. Though unconventional for the time, the acrylic cards were an instant hit with collectors thrilled by their innovative presentation of beloved baseball stars.
The success of Diamond Kings launched SSI’s ascent as the preeminent sports collecting company of the late ’80s and early ’90s. Their following Flagship set in 1988 boldly transitioned to an all-canvas format. Laser cutting allowed intricate designs to be carved through each card’s textured fabric surface. Additionally, SSI began extensively utilizing premium on-card autographs and memorabilia relics to increase rarity and collectibility.
1989 saw SSI reach new heights with their critically acclaimed “National Treasures” collection. Produced on wooden substrates with individually applied brass nameplates, each meticulously crafted card paid tribute to a particular iconic moment from a player’s career. The intricately detailed wooden portraits immediately became some of the most prized possessions of avid hobbyists.
Through the early 90s, SSI continued expanding their repertoire by incorporating additional materials like metal, faux leather, denim, and more. It was their 1991 “Artists’ Proofs” set that established the company as true innovators. Card stock was replaced entirely by uncut artist-drawn sketches on paper featuring every player, autographed by the illustrator. No cards in the industry before or since matched their unprecedented concept.
Quality control became paramount as SSI strived to justify their premium price points. Innovations like automated digital printing and holographic foil stamping were introduced to ensure consistency across massive print runs. Each year’s releases only grew more complex and collectible through intricate layering of exclusive statistics, photos, autographs, and genuine game-used memorabilia on canvas, wood, and metal substrates.
Throughout the boom of the early 90s card market, SSI easily produced the most desirable and valuable modern baseball cards available. Hobby pioneer Donruss even licensed their brand name and photography library to SSI for premium 1992 and 1993 “Donruss Studio” collections that raised the bar to new levels. By then, serious collectors eagerly anticipated each new SSI release, knowing they were witnessing the pinnacle of sports card design and production.
Sadly, the bottom fell out of the sports card industry bubble in 1994 and all major companies were hit hard. SSI was unable to survive the ensuing crash. Their final flagship set that year represented the zenith of their ingenuity, though now commands astronomical secondary market prices as one of the rarest complete released sets in existence due to their diminutive production numbers.
While short-lived, SSI left an indelible mark as the most artistically progressive and forward-thinking company baseball cards had ever seen. They redefined collecting standards through their dedication to quality materials, original concepts, and inclusion of previously unparalleled levels of player-sourced content. Even today, nearly thirty years later, their exquisite creations from the late 80s-early 90s maintain mystique as some the most desired collectibles in the history of the hobby. In many ways, SSI has yet to be topped.
