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Pacific: Aurora

My Pacific: Aurora Collection (Updated December 23rd, 2021)

I put the "Pacific: Aurora" title on its own page because it did have a 3-year life span and I liked it enough to actually collect it. Which I really can't say for the "Pacific: Prisms" title. In 1998 Pacific released the "Pacific: Aurora" brand. The Aurora initial release was an under-whelming 200-card set with 5 insert sets. The base set was a very nice set and left a positive first impression, even though, I always thought the border was too fat, (See the 1998 Pacific Aurora: “Derrick Brooks” #181 left). The insert sets Pacific included were solid, if not memorable, (See the 1998 Pacific Aurora: “Carl Pickens” Championship Fever #8 right). In actuality, the "Pacific: Aurora" release did have one odd if not, memorable insert set and that was the "Cubes" set. The cards could be folded up into a cube of your favorite player. That was Pacific; always thinking outside the cube. Yep, I said it.

In 1999, Pacific's 2nd Aurora release, I have no idea what happened.  The card set dropped in size to 150 and they weren't a good 150 either, (See the 1999 Pacific Aurora: "Larry Centers" #2 below left).  The '99 set looks like an atomic bomb went off up in Lynnwood, WA. In my opinion, this set was bad. I'm not a fan of player's images plastered onto silly backgrounds and this set certainly fits the bill.  The Pacific brass kept the same # of insert sets at a solid 5, keeping the same # as the year before.  

1998 Pacific Aurora: “Derrick Brooks” #181

1998 Pacific Aurora: “Carl Pickens” Championship Fever #8

1999 Pacific Aurora: “Larry Centers” #2

I've barely touched the 2000 Pacific Aurora release myself, so I don't have too much to add regarding it. I will say that it was a much better improvement over the '99 set, although that isn't really saying much. The 2000 release had the same # of cards as the year before; 150. So that didn't improve, but what did improve was the card design and layout. The # of insert sets increased slightly from 5 in previous years to 6 in 2000. And for the first time, the Aurora title had their very own autograph and jersey card sets. I thought Pacific got a little lazy on their first jump into the autograph market, (See the 2000 Pacific Aurora: “Jimmy Smith” Autograph #63 left). The cards were nothing more than one of the "Pinstripe" parallel cards with a Pacific "Authentic Autograph" stamp in the corner. But the most disappointing thing was, the fact that the cards were signed in a gold ink that, in most cases was so difficult to see. I would have to

And the inserts weren't a waste of card stock either. I actually thought the insert sets saved this release from being a complete disaster, (See the 1999 Pacific Aurora: "Jamal Anderson" #185 right).  There was also an insert set called "Canvas Creations", which the cards were printed on canvas-type card stock. Now that was pretty unique, even if they weren't the first to do it.

1999 Pacific Aurora: “Jamal Anderson” Leather Bound #2

2000 Pacific Aurora: “Jimmy Smith” Autograph #63

honestly say that they were some of the worst autograph cards to date. I gave the "Pacific: Aurora" team an A for effort, but an F in execution. I also mentioned on the "Fleer: E-X" page that at some point everyone was designing and releasing their very own helmet cards. Well, shown below was Pacific's try at it, (See the 2000 Pacific Aurora: “Shaun King” Helmet Styrotech #19 below). I actually thought that the "Pacific: Aurora" release was better than most. The card-stock was a firm plastic stock that was durable and held up well when being handled. So Pacific may have swung and missed badly on the autograph cards, but the "Helmet" cards saved face.

In closing, the "Pacific: Aurora" did not leave a lasting impression on me nor on the hobby. That's probably because A) They simply weren't around long enough and/or B) had any real stand-out releases. Another on-line blogger by the name of Mario Alejandro, who has a blog site called Wax Heaven, felt the same way I did.  There was something about Pacific that I just didn't like and I just couldn't put my finger on it, but maybe Mario put it best when he wrote, "The problem I had with Pacific was that anytime I would buy one of their products I always felt like I could do so much better." And that just might be the best way to put it.

2000 Pacific Aurora: “Shaun King” Helmet Styrotechs #19

I have complete sets:
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Pacific Aurora Series:

1) 1998 Aurora Set

    A) Cubes Insert

    B) Laser Cuts Insert

    C) NFL Command Insert

    D) Championship Fever Insert

2) 1999 Aurora Set

    A) Styrotechs Insert

    B) Leatherbound Insert

    C) Canvas Creations Insert

    D) Championship Fever Insert

3) 2000 Aurora set - Do Not Have

    A) Helmet Styrotechs Insert

    B) Autographs Insert - Incomplete ( 1 / 22 )

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