So it’s not a set full of short prints (at least none that have been verfied). It’s not a set that’s highly sought after by set builders. But, the 2003 Press Prass Bronze Auto Set turned out to be a set five years in the making for member JTorto.

Why? Mainly because of one elusive card–Larry Johnson.

Jon first started this set after he some boxes of Press Pass and landed most of the big names in the first couple boxes, players like Carson Palmer, Willis McGahee and Anquan Boldon. Loving the on-card autos, the big college logos, and the overall feel of the set, Jon decided to try to put the entire set together.

“As I began my reintroduction to the hobby, Press Pass’s ‘College Only’ theme really caught my attention,” Jon remembers. “I wasn’t aware such a product existed, and when I busted a few boxes, I was hooked.”

He embarked on the journey, having no idea just how long it would take. Ultimately, it took him a little over five years to complete the set, but half of that time was looking for the Larry Johnson auto.

“I was able to track down silver and gold parallel versions, seemingly rarer, but no luck on the bronze, until out of desperation, I e-mailed Press Pass customer service.” Jon was simply looking for verification that this card was short-printed, or whatever information they could provide that might explain the rarity that this card had become to him.

In a customer service move by Press Pass that displayed a collector friendly attitude rarely seen by any of the big companies, Joh was told that they had found the card he was looking for and would send it to him. Press Pass didn’t charge him anything, just simply helped him finish the set.

Now that he’s got the set together, Jon plans to display it somehow. Being a sixty-four card set, it’s a lot of cards to display. “For now it sits in a box in my closet,” he says. “Selling it as a whole is out of the question. And really, it’s probably not worth all that much, but it means a lot to me. Plus, it reminds me of some great collegiate players who were electric to watch but maybe just didn’t have what it took to be an everyday NFL’er.”

As Jon said, this set may not be the most valuable, but he put a lot of effort into putting the set together, and the manner in which he was able to finish it certainly makes for a great story.

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