Buzz Break: 1992 Pro Line football cards (autograph box)

From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and post the results here. Like this and want to see more? Or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.

The box: 1992 Pro Line football cards (autograph box)
Where to buy: Will take some hunting ... get new football boxes here

Keep reading for a full breakdown of what was in this one along with a gallery of images.

Packs per box: 36
Cards per pack: 12
Cards in this box: 432
Proline Portraits set completion: 
A lot of 169 (not sorting this one this time)
Duplicates: Yes
Proline Profiles set completion: 
A lot of 504 (not sorting this one this time)
Duplicates: Yes

Notables on Profiles/Portraits cards – Bill Cowher, Brian Jordan, Ronnie Lott, Thurman Thomas, Roger Staubach, Jerry Rice, Sterling Sharpe, Anthony Munoz, Art Shell, Don Shula, Joe Gibbs, Junior Seau, Jack Kemp, Troy Aikman, John Elway, Boomer Esiason, Michael Irvin, Steve Largent, Bruce Smith, Derrick Thomas, Eric Dickerson, Howie Long, Mike Singletary, Jim Kelly, Warren Moon, Deion Sanders, Lawrence Taylor, Randall Cunningham, Mike Ditka, Art Monk, Mike Holmgren, Fred Biletnikoff, Otto Graham, Tony Dorsett, Sonny Jurgensen, Jay Novacek, Al Davis, Frank Gifford, Ken Stabler

Inserts: 22 (all in gallery below with a ton of base cards ... see who you recognize from back in the day)
Quarterback Gold (3) – Jim Kelly, Bernie Kosar, Jeff Hostetler
NFL Spirit (13) – Kathy Lee Gifford, Diana Ditka, Linda Seifert, Kaye Cowher, Ortancis Carter, Mitzi Testaverde, Cindy Noble, Dainnese Gault, Carole Hinton, Toni Doleman (2), Diane Long, Felicia Moon
Pro Line Portraits Collectible (1) – Don & Dave Shula
Team NFL (1) – Muhammad Ali
Checklists (4) 

Autographs/Memorabilia: 1
Proline Portraits Autographs (1) – Doug Smith

What's Buzz-worthy: The last time I ripped one of these, I landed ink of Dick Butkus and not long before that I had one with Roger Staubach (and a few lesser names from the 1990s in other boxes in recent years when I found somebody who had been sitting on some boxes) and that wave of successes got me to bite once again though at a higher price as these "hobby boxes" (look for the silver stripe ... gold is inkiness jumbo packs and there was no hobby-retail divide then) that include an autograph every time are getting tougher. This time? No Hall of Famer but it's still a classic release that shows players in portraits with some of their thoughts on the pack of Portraits cards (something that could be interesting in today's world) and then a set of Profiles that dedicate nine cards to telling the story of every player on the field, off the field and their pasts that led them to the NFL. This one is ultimately about the one auto per box and there's some huge potential -- but there are also plenty of dirt-cheap autos, too. Among the ink here are cards for NFL players' wives as well as certified autographs for NFL fans like Muhammad Ali, Milton Berle and Don Mattingly. Ink here was heavily faked in the years after Pro Line's creators closed things up -- sheets without autos and card numbers (that's what made autos different than base) as well as crimpers have made ink here suspect at times unless you pull them yourself. Other years of Pro Line aren't as creative and don't always pack an autograph in every box and those are reasons why these boxes aren't as easy to find. ... If you can find autos that look good or are professionally graded, the prices might be better than you think. The autos here and these cards are criminally under-rated and overlooked -- and somebody making sports cards should try this approach again.

Product Grade: A+ (don't @ me)
Box Grade: B+
Fun Grade: A-

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