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Official Error and Variation Discussion/Reference Thread

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onionring9

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Aug 7, 2008
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This is a continuation of what we started on BMB (jacksoncoupage hosted the thread).

What this thread IS: A discussion and reference thread for sets that have large amounts of errors and variations in them (as well as what the variations are).

What this thread IS NOT: A list of every error in existence including blank front, blank back, players transposed on other players, etc. When in doubt, just post what you found and we'll decide together whether or not it should be on the list.

1981
Topps: several cards can be found without their top black border

1982
Topps Blackless: Missing the black ink on front
Topps Blueless: Missing the blue ink on front

1983
Topps Traded: single or double asterisk on back (* or **)

1986
Donruss Highlights: Highlights logo on front can be found in white (rare) or yellow
Topps Mini Leaders: dull or glossy finish

1987
Donruss Backs: (picture.jpg) back face either left or right, factory vs. wax/rack/cello1987
Sportflics: Copyright '86 or '87 or no copyright on back
Topps Stickers: (picture.jpg) printed in either USA or Italy

1988
Bazooka: (picture.jpg) White or Gray cardstock
Bazooka: single or double asterisk (* or **)
Donruss: Partial or missing copyright/TM on fronts
Donruss: (picture.jpg) Front pattern variation based on English or French back
Donruss: (picture.jpg) Back font size is different.
Donruss Borders: Factory borders/back text differ from wax/rack/cellos
Topps Big: (picture.jpg) Most cards can be found with multiple print desinations (ex: E* and F*). Some cards can be found where a part of the print designation has been poorly airbrushed away.

1989
Bowman Father/Sons subset: Textured TV/solid gray TV
Donruss: (picture.jpg) INC/INC. in copyright on back
Donruss: (picture.jpg) Denotes*/*Denotes* in stat box on back
Donruss Grand Slammers:(picture.jpg) 5 different colored borders, one color has black bars in back borders
Score Promos/No Copyright: Missing copyright on back-bottom
Topps All Star Commemorative: (picture.jpg) White or Gray cardstock
Topps Glossy All-Stars: single or double asterisk (* or **)
Upper Deck: (picture.jpg) Hologram with no background or baseball pattern background
Upper Deck #2-99: can be found with TM or R-symbol next to logos on front

1990
Bowman 1st printing/2nd printing: (picture.jpg) airbushed uniforms, backgrounds
Bowman Art Cards: (picture.jpg) single or double asterisk on back (* or **)
Donruss: INC/INC. in copyright on back
Donruss Splatter variations: factory and wax/rack/cello versions differ
Donruss Grand Slammers: with or without black bars in back borders
Fleer: (picture.jpg) copyright on back notes being printed in Canada on this limited release
Fleer All-Stars: text cropping variations on back
Fleer Baseball MVP's: Thick black line/bar at top of photo/border
Topps Traded: Gray backs (wax) or White box (factory)
Topps Traded: single or double asterisk on back (* or **)
Upper Deck: No Copyright cards #101-199 with or without copyright line on back

1991
Bowman E*: players with E** print designations can be found with E**, E*, E * variations.
Donruss: (picture.jpg) INC/INC. Noticeable by the lighter and darker cardstock
Donruss Border variations: (picture.jpg) Factory and wax/rack/cello versions differ
Donruss Grand Slammers: Blue and Green borders
Donruss Grand Slammers: Blue bordered cards have three different varieties
Fleer: (picture.jpg) due to use of 2 different printers, each card comes in two versions, most very minor
Fleer: (picture.jpg) Checklists come with and without positions
Topps: (picture.jpg) Border color variations
Topps A* and B*: all cards with this print designation come in either bold red 40th or dull/ghosted 40th logo on back
Topps Stadium Club: (picture.jpg) most (possibly all) cards come in 2 different print designations (ex: A* and B*)
Topps Traded: Gray backs (wax) or White backs (factory)
Topps Traded: single or double asterisk on back (* or **) (gray backs only)
Upper Deck: (picture.jpg) Holograms on back come in four different ways: 90-91-style (used for hi# 90-91 Hockey), 1990-baseball style (used for 1990 UD baseball), 1991-style (used for many 1991 UD products) and in 1992 style (used on 1992 UD, 1991-92 Hi # NBA/NFL and NHL).
US Playing Card All Stars: US copyright, International Copyright and US Copyright/Silver Edged versions exist.

1992
Bowman E*: E* sheet players can be found in an E variation (no asterisk).
Bowman Foil: All the non-"SP" foils come in two different photo croppings.
Donruss: (picture.jpg) INC/INC.
Investors Journals: Blue, Gold, Purple borders
Leaf: INC/INC.
Leaf Black Gold: Some, possibly all can be found in INC and INC. versions
Score Dream Team: Backs face left or right
Score #736-776: Come with or without the "rookie prospect" banner on front
Topps Stadium Club: (picture.jpg) most (possibly all) cards come in 2 different print designations (ex: A* and B*)

1993
Classic: (picture.jpg) Grey and Blue backs
Upper Deck: (picture.jpg) Two styles of hologram
Topps McDonalds: (picture.jpg) single or double asterisk (* or **)

1994
Topps: (picture.jpg) Some variations have a sheet letter copyright like the A* B* of other Topps products
Topps Kids: (picture.jpg) single asterisk or double asterisk (* or **)
Upper Deck: (picture.jpg) Printed with 1993 style hologram.
Upper Deck Collector's Choice Future Foundation: (picture.jpg) Silver Sig cards can be found with base-white lettering on front or with appropriate silver lettering on front.
Upper Deck Collector's Choice Future Foundation: first letter in text on back can be found in white or gray color.
Upper Deck SP: (Image) Holograms are horizontal or vertical
SP Foils: come in either white names on back or gold/bronze names on back
Upper Deck Electric Diamond: some, possibly all series 1 cards come in a "silver" version where the stat heading bar on back is silver instead or bronze

1995
Pinnacle Summit: (picture.jpg) Different Pinnacle Brand logos
Stadium Club Foil Subsets (Transactions/Extreme Corps): Minimum of 4 different color varieties.

1997
Donruss: (picture.jpg) Stats in regular print vs bold print
Donruss Limited Exposure: (picture.jpg) Comes in refractive (correct) and non-refractive (error) form
Score Hobby Reserve: (picture.jpg) HR prefix to number and no prefix types exist.
Upper Deck Capture the Flag: some, possibly all cards in this subset come in either white or gold backs

1998
Topps Finest Mystery Finest: Base, refractor number identified with 'R', Refractor number identified with 'Refractor', Refractor identified with 'R' with no refraction
Upper Deck Collectors Choice: (picture.jpg) Hologram either a diamond or a base.

1999
Upper Deck Legends: (picture.jpg) Team Logo either has transparent or brown background.

2004
Topps Series 2: Some cards can be found with "53 Years of Collecting" stamped on front under name.
 
Last edited:

Bob Loblaw

Active member
Aug 21, 2008
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Bright House Field
Re: Error and Variation Discussion/Reference Thread

Perusing your list briefly, it looks like you missed a majority of the 1990 Donruss errors Smoltz/Glavine, Ryan, Juan Gone, All Stars) and 1990 Fleer errors (misspellings).
 

onionring9

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Aug 7, 2008
3,490
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Re: Error and Variation Discussion/Reference Thread

Jeff N. said:
Perusing your list briefly, it looks like you missed a majority of the 1990 Donruss errors Smoltz/Glavine, Ryan, Juan Gone, All Stars) and 1990 Fleer errors (misspellings).

You should see the backlog of changes that wasn't on this original list.

This starting list was just cut and copy from where we left off on page probably 8 or 9 of our 30+ page thread. I'm going to be adding pics of everything I can as well as all the updates I have.

I just wanted to post this so people can start adding. I've got a long list of errors and variations to add myself, but that will happen over the next few days.
 

onionring9

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Aug 7, 2008
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Also, for those of you that post pictures we use for this, I'm going to save them to my own URL so we always have it. I'll watermark the pictures with your name so we know who they came from.

In the end we'll hopefully have listings as follows:

YEAR
Card: (click here) Description goes here

(click here) will be a link to a watermarked image showing the error/variation
 

bouwob

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Aug 7, 2008
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1987 Topps sticker 27 Printed in Italy
1987 Topps Stickers 27 Printed in the USA

Not entirely sure they should be considered variations, but maybe 2 completely different sets. The USA version is cardboard, whereas the Italy is more like paper.

scan0001-8.jpg
 

highphat

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Aug 18, 2008
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1990 Score 3B Variation
90scoreSandbergERROR.jpg
 

bouwob

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1989 topps Sticker Backs I am sure there are more. The sticker sets are littered with variations.

scan0003.jpg
 

bouwob

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1990 bowman * and **
scan0008.jpg


1990 UD variation (just nolan ryan, not sure this gains inclusion)
scan0009-2.jpg
 

bouwob

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1992 classic suns and sunrays. Not sure how common this is this is throughout the rest of the set.

scan0013-3.jpg
 

bouwob

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ok thats all for tonight, may add a few tomarrow

1983 fleer stickers

scan0014-3.jpg
 

TNP777

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Aug 7, 2008
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the 209
I posted this to the other thread last night - these are some of my Butler variations:

1987 Donruss
1987 Donruss reverse back
1988 Donruss 279
1988 Donruss 279 factory variation - bolder typeface on back results in bio having different layout
1989 Donruss 217 INC
1989 Donruss 217 INC.
1989 Donruss 217 variation back *denotes* instead of *denotes - INC. (not sure if a *denotes*/INC variation exists)
1990 Donruss 249 INC
1990 Donruss 249 INC.
1990 Donruss 249 border variation
1991 Donruss 143 INC
1991 Donruss 143 INC.
1991 Donruss 143 border variation
1992 Donruss 369 INC
1992 Donruss 369 INC.

1992 Leaf © 1992 LEAF, INC PRINTED IN U.S.A. on back
1992 Leaf © 1992 LEAF, INC. PRINTED IN U.S.A. on back
1992 Leaf Gold Inserts © 1992 LEAF, INC PRINTED IN U.S.A. on back
1992 Leaf Gold Inserts © 1992 LEAF, INC. PRINTED IN U.S.A. on back (still looking for one of these)

1991 U.S. Playing Cards All-Stars
1991 U.S. Playing Cards All-Stars silver edge
1991 U.S. Playing Cards All-Stars oversize proof
1991 International Playing Cards (Canadian) All-Stars

1988 O-Pee-Chee Stickers - different back player combinations
1989 O-Pee-Chee Stickers - different back player combinations

1987 Sportflics 1986 copyright
1987 Sportflics 1987 copyright
1987 Sportflics no copyright (unverified)

1992 Stadium Club - different print letters (my two Butlers are A*/B*)

1988 Topps Big - different print letters (my two Butlers are C*/D*)
1990 Topps Big - different print letters (my two Butlers are E*/F*)
1992 Topps Kids * in copyright line
1992 Topps Kids ** in copyright line
1992 Topps 655 Gold Winners - different print letters (my two Butlers are B*/F* - in addition, the B* has the Topps Gold logo upside down on the back)

1988 Topps Stickers - different back player combinations
1989 Topps Stickers - different back player combinations

1990 Upper Deck with copyright line
1990 Upper Deck without copyright line
1991 Upper Deck 1991 hologram on back
1991 Upper Deck 1992 hologram on back
1994 Upper Deck Electric Diamond Bronze back
1994 Upper Deck Electric Diamond Silver back (unverified)
 

sevencostanza

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Dec 9, 2008
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onionring9 said:
Upper Deck Collector's Choice Future Foundation: first letter in text on back can be found in white or gray color.

Don't know if you need this or not, but I hope this will somehow contribute to this thread.

arodvariations.jpg


1994 Collector's Choice 647 Alex Rodriguez RC
1994 Collector's Choice White Letter Variation 647 Alex Rodriguez
 

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