Beckett Message Boards

Looking through my 1988 Topps box of stars and rookies I found several variations in various quantities, but I had several of all of these in each version:

Wade Boggs #200
In the name banner, top black triange... filled / unfilled (white dot visible)


Will Clark #350
Bottom left corner of the blue border... filled / unfilled (white dot visible)


George Brett #700
Where name banner (top black triangle) and green border meet... filled / unfilled (white dot) / unfilled (white dot) & pink line on left edge of tiangle


Barry Bonds #450
In name banner just below top black triangle... no bleed into white border / bleed into white border / bleed into white border & unfilled name banner


Don Mattingly #300
Between bottom purple border and the black outline frame... filled / white line / red line / red & white lines


Ryne Sandberg #10
Similar to the Mattingly variations... filled / yellow line / white line


The same type of variations that appear on the Mattingly and Sandberg cards also shows up on the Tom Glavine Rookie, so this might be something that is set-wide. Another way of looking for this variation is to look at where the top black triangle in the name banner and the colored border meet. The variations have a white line running along where these two edges meet.

pacebentley Wrote:Looking through my 1988 Topps box of stars and rookies I found several variations in various quantities, but I had several of all of these in each version:

Wade Boggs #200
In the name banner, top black triange... filled / unfilled (white dot visible)


Will Clark #350
Bottom left corner of the blue border... filled / unfilled (white dot visible)


George Brett #700
Where name banner (top black triangle) and green border meet... filled / unfilled (white dot) / unfilled (white dot) & pink line on left edge of tiangle


Barry Bonds #450
In name banner just below top black triangle... no bleed into white border / bleed into white border / bleed into white border & unfilled name banner


Don Mattingly #300
Between bottom purple border and the black outline frame... filled / white line / red line / red & white lines


Ryne Sandberg #10
Similar to the Mattingly variations... filled / yellow line / white line


The same type of variations that appear on the Mattingly and Sandberg cards also shows up on the Tom Glavine Rookie, so this might be something that is set-wide. Another way of looking for this variation is to look at where the top black triangle in the name banner and the colored border meet. The variations have a white line running along where these two edges meet.

The 88 Topps had a ton of errors or variations. Remeber the Al Leiter and his brother errors, and the Team name in white variations, or the Eddie Murray switch hitting Record Breaker Error. That set was full of them.

Maybe I am in the minority but I feel like printing registration problems (like with bleeds) are not a variation but simply crappy quality control.

theplasticman808 Wrote:Maybe I am in the minority but I feel like printing registration problems (like with bleeds) are not a variation but simply crappy quality control.

When isolated examples, I agree. But when you get a sampling of the same exact type of 'printing flaw' from multiple sources it ends up leaning toward a true variation. Some of the most famous errors are printing flaws (1990 Topps Frank Thomas, 1958 Topps Pancho Herrer(a), 1952 Topps Frank Campos)

jacksoncoupage Wrote:

theplasticman808 Wrote:Maybe I am in the minority but I feel like printing registration problems (like with bleeds) are not a variation but simply crappy quality control.

When isolated examples, I agree. But when you get a sampling of the same exact type of 'printing flaw' from multiple sources it ends up leaning toward a true variation. Some of the most famous errors are printing flaws (1990 Topps Frank Thomas, 1958 Topps Pancho Herrer(a), 1952 Topps Frank Campos)

Those I think are good. Simply having a 1/16inch shift in the color causing a slight white gap, is another story.

theplasticman808 Wrote:Those I think are good. Simply having a 1/16inch shift in the color causing a slight white gap, is another story.

When that 1/16th inch shift causing a slight white gap occurs 10-15 times in a sampling of 100 cards, I believe it is a more valid variation than, say, the Frank Thomas NNOF card which is basically the equivalent of foil missing on a particular card. That card probably exists at a ratio of like 1:100,000 (or more). To me thats more of a printing anomaly than a variation that makes up 5-10% of a print run, like many of the 1988 Topps variations do.

I found these today. This is out of 2001 Upper Deck. I don't think card 149 has Meluskey's picture on the back. I'm not sure who it is, maybe Wade Miller? Does anyone have any info on this. Is it an error? If so, was it corrected?

Card 350 Front


Card 350 Back


Card 149 Front


Card 149 Back


Dave

theplasticman808 Wrote:Here are the 12 variations for the 1990 Donruss Grand Slammer border variations.

NOTE: only one of them has the black line on the reverse, which is variation 6. I've got about 60 of these cards and pattern 6 was the only one with the line. All the other versions appear a bit tougher.

Can you repost those pictures? I've spent about $20 and bought around 40 of these. I have managed to find the 11 splatter variations and the cello black line as well (total of 12 different). I'd like to see if my splatter variations all match up with yours in which case all players will have the same 12 variations.

Edit: The 12 variations only apply to the Grand Slammers.

This is a minor league set variation, but there are at least a few stars in the set (McGwire, Canseco, Bernie come to mind) that might interest the player collectors here. In addition to the team sets that are fairly common, ProCards issued their 1989 AAA cards in wax packs later in the year in 1989. The cards that were issued in the packs differ from the ones that are in the team sets in that the cards from the packs have their stats from 1989 on the back of the cards. An example of the difference is below. The fronts of the cards are identical from all that I can tell. As far as I know, only the AAA (blue bordered) cards were issued in the packs. From my experience, the 1989 stat back variations are fairly hard to come by. The only actual packs I have ever seen were the ones I opened in 1989. I have picked up a few lots of the cards over the years (totaling about 300 cards), but never seen the packs themselves again.

onionring9 Wrote:

theplasticman808 Wrote:Here are the 12 variations for the 1990 Donruss Grand Slammer border variations.

NOTE: only one of them has the black line on the reverse, which is variation 6. I've got about 60 of these cards and pattern 6 was the only one with the line. All the other versions appear a bit tougher.

Can you repost those pictures? I've spent about $20 and bought around 40 of these. I have managed to find the 11 splatter variations and the cello black line as well (total of 12 different). I'd like to see if my splatter variations all match up with yours in which case all players will have the same 12 variations.

Edit: The 12 variations only apply to the Grand Slammers.

Nevermind, I found the pics on thebench. My 12 Grand Slammers have the same exact splatter variations as yours does. Now I'm curious as to why they did that!