2007 Fleer Autographics question

[LWMM]

Jonny Gomes is listed in this set, and I have a printing plate of his card. I have never seen the actual card, however, and am not even positive that it exists. Upper Deck's checklist still includes him, but, interestingly, five of the 26 pictured cards also have the autograph stickers on them; the three autographs from the set that I found in a search of eBay are all from those five. That said, were there particular groups of cards with different odds, or were only the odds of pulling any of the 26 listed? Also, has anyone seen a card of one of the 21 players who are on the list but are pictured without an autograph?

Upper Deck's Checklist (link has pictures of each card):
If in bold, the card is pictured with an autograph. If also in italics, I found it on eBay.
Bill Hall
Bobby Keppel
Chris Burke
Dustin Pedroia
Booker
Cesar Izturis
Conor Jackson
Casey Kotchman
Dan Johnson
Edwin Jackson
Franklyn German
Felipe Lopez
Gustavo Chacin
Jonny Gomes
Hanley Ramirez
Joe Crede
Joey Devine
Jeff Francis
Jon Garland
Jorge Julio
Joel Peralta
Ken Griffey Jr.
Koyie Hill
Jason Lane
Nick Swisher
Scott Feldman

 

[LWMM]

Bump

 

[Tomlinson21RB]

I'm in the same boat. I have the Hanley plate, but haven't seen the real card. I don't think beckett lists him on their checklist either, so I'm thinking he got pulled from the set but the plates were already made and used anyway.

 

[LWMM]

I'm in the same boat. I have the Hanley plate, but haven't seen the real card. I don't think beckett lists him on their checklist either, so I'm thinking he got pulled from the set but the plates were already made and used anyway.

It looks like he is listed by Beckett, and as an SP (along with Griffey Jr., Peralta, Garland, Crede and Lopez). Nonetheless, I'm thinking the same thing as you.

Beckett's list

 

[Tomlinson21RB]

I guess I got that confused with another plate I have scanned and couldn't find listed on Beckett. I'm still in the same situation where I haven't seen the auto version. It must be really sp'ed because I haven't seen a single one.

 

[LWMM]

I guess I got that confused with another plate I have scanned and couldn't find listed on Beckett. I'm still in the same situation where I haven't seen the auto version. It must be really sp'ed because I haven't seen a single one.

That's actually a Flair Showcase plate, from, I think, 2006. Extremely similar to the 2006 Fleer Autographics cards, though, which took me forever to find a copy of. The 2007 cards are horizontal (there's a picture of the Ramirez card on Upper Deck's checklist, linked in my first post).


2006 Flair, 2006 Fleer:

 

[Tomlinson21RB]

haha, now I'm getting confused about being confused.

I think I knew that was the 2006 version because that's what it said, but then couldn't find the 2006 autographics on beckett's checklists. So same idea as my first post, but different year.

 

[LWMM]

13 years later, I still haven't seen the Gomes. I just did a search through COMC, eBay, Beckett, and TCDB, to see which of these cards I could find. Found 11 of the 26 autographs, plus printing plates of three cards which aren't on the checklist. And then there's Gomes, for which I have two printing plates, but have never seen the actual card.

On checklist:

• Bill Hall
• Bobby Keppel (auto & printing plate)
• Chris Burke
• Dustin Pedroia
• Chris Booker (auto & printing plate)
• Cesar Izturis
• Conor Jackson
• Casey Kotchman
• Dan Johnson
• Edwin Jackson
• Franklyn German
• Felipe Lopez SP
• Gustavo Chacin
• Jonny Gomes (printing plate seen)
• Hanley Ramirez SP
• Joe Crede SP
• Joey Devine
• Jeff Francis
• Jon Garland SP
• Jorge Julio
• Joel Peralta SP (printing plate seen)
• Ken Griffey, Jr. SP
• Koyie Hill
• Jason Lane (auto & printing plate)
• Nick Swisher
• Scott Feldman

Not on checklist:

• Reed Johnson (printing plate seen)
• Reggie Abercrombie (printing plate seen)
• Steve Stemle (printing plate seen)
• Lance Cormier (printing plate seen)

 

[theplasticman]

That entire era was a bit of a checklist dumpster fire. I remember a lot of oddities with Will Clark and a few other guys I collect.

 

[Dazed]

That entire era was a bit of a checklist dumpster fire. I remember a lot of oddities with Will Clark and a few other guys I collect.

Possibly the most accurate statement I've ever read.

 

[LWMM]

13 years later, I still haven't seen the Gomes. I just did a search through COMC, eBay, Beckett, and TCDB, to see which of these cards I could find. Found 11 of the 26 autographs, plus printing plates of three cards which aren't on the checklist. And then there's Gomes, for which I have two printing plates, but have never seen the actual card.

On checklist:

• Bill Hall
• Bobby Keppel (auto & printing plate)
• Chris Burke
• Dustin Pedroia
• Chris Booker (auto & printing plate)
• Cesar Izturis
• Conor Jackson
• Casey Kotchman
• Dan Johnson
• Edwin Jackson
• Franklyn German
• Felipe Lopez SP
• Gustavo Chacin
• Jonny Gomes (printing plate seen)
• Hanley Ramirez SP
• Joe Crede SP
• Joey Devine
• Jeff Francis
• Jon Garland SP
• Jorge Julio
• Joel Peralta SP
• Ken Griffey, Jr. SP
• Koyie Hill
• Jason Lane (printing plate seen)
• Nick Swisher
• Scott Feldman

Not on checklist:

• Reed Johnson (printing plate seen)
• Reggie Abercrombie (printing plate seen)
• Steve Stemle (printing plate seen)

Two updates. First, the Jason Lane card has been seen (picture on TCDB). Second, Lance Cormier is added to the ranks of those not on the checklist, for with a printing plate seen (on COMC).

 

[WizardofOz1982]

Two updates. First, the Jason Lane card has been seen (picture on TCDB). Second, Lance Cormier is added to the ranks of those not on the checklist, for with a printing plate seen (on COMC).

I'm sure you're already leaning this way but I bet they were never signed and Fleer just put the plates in packs or they made it out during a bankruptcy sale. Can't imagine plates would show up but not a single auto copy.

 

[LWMM]

I'm sure you're already leaning this way but I bet they were never signed and Fleer just put the plates in packs or they made it out during a bankruptcy sale. Can't imagine plates would show up but not a single auto copy.

That's indeed my guess. Gomes had a number of autos in Fleer and Upper Deck sets in 2006 and 2007 (most of which were stickers rather than on card), and he never seemed to be difficult for companies to get ahold of to sign cards. It would thus seem likely that Upper Deck (as owner of the Fleer brand) had the ability to issue these cards if they wanted. But like you say, it's hard to pair the idea that these cards were actually issued, with the facts that (a) none have been seen and (b) two printing plates have been seen. In particular, the fact that two printing plates have been seen indicates that a decent amount of the product was broken, which makes the idea that the autos were created but haven't appeared less likely.

To the extent that there is evidence for the card existing, 2006 Fleer Ultra did include an Autographics card of Gomes (essentially the 2006 version of the 2007 card, just released under the Fleer Ultra rather than Fleer name), which is quite hard to find—I've seen at least three copies, but not many more. (See post #6 above for a picture.) But the inclusion of a card in one set does not, of course, guarantee the inclusion of a card in another set.

On the bankruptcy point, I think the plates were pack issued as part of the 2007 Fleer release. That's what baseballcardpedia says, and 2007 Fleer was a post-bankruptcy release in any event (as UD acquired the Fleer name in 2005).

Separately, TCDB has a scan of a Joel Peralta plate, so he gets added to the plate-but-no-auto-seen list.