Griffey Collector's Thread - Part Two..

[BMaggs]

From my experience, the Tiffany version is the same size as the standard Bowman and has a similar card stock. The only difference being the Tiffany version has a Glossy finish which in turn can affect the hue/color, which can give it a cream/yellowish finish. I scanned an image of all three versions together; the BGS 9.5 in question, the Tiffany version, and the Base version. The BGS 9.5 in question looks like paper rather than the traditional cardboard card stock.

This BGS 9.5 is something very different.

 

[chadgwynn]

Ok then no help by me if you had the three pictures not two I wouldn’t of said that I thought you were fairly new to hobby and giving you a place to start. I’m not an expert but I have seen a ton of those that size but sorry couldn’t help you more.


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[BMaggs]

Thanks for the help Chad, I do appreciate it. I do not post much, but I do lurk often

Speaking of 89 Bowman Griffey's, I did recently pick up his Final Color Photo Negative:

 

[crbatt]

Thanks for the help Chad, I do appreciate it. I do not post much, but I do lurk often
Speaking of 89 Bowman Griffey's, I did recently pick up his Final Color Photo Negative:

That looks like a positive, but is awesome! Where's it from?

 

[BMaggs]

I received it from Topps Vault. Their auction listed it as Final Color Negative but it does look a bit different than other Color Negatives I have.

 

[crbatt]

I received it from Topps Vault. Their auction listed it as Final Color Negative but it does look a bit different than other Color Negatives I have.

Interesting. I'm not a photography expert but it seems like Topps is mixing their lingo here. They call it a full color "negative" and then a "transparency", which are two different things. If it were a negative, I believe it would look much different, as you noted.

Not taking away from the item -- it's killer. Just trying to understand what it actually is.

 

[crbatt]

I think this [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reversal_film] describes what we're looking at -- a 'color transparency' seems more accurate (?).

Topps probably used the term "negative" because most people understand what that is and aren't OCD about crap like I am.

 

[BMaggs]

That is really interesting, now I am super curious about the hell it actually is. When I get home I will post a scan of my other Photo Negative for comparison. I am curious on your thoughts Crbatt.

 

[crbatt]

Please do post a photo or scan -- it would be interesting to see.

I read a little more about it and I'm nearly positive that the term "transparency" (which is just an unmounted slide) is what you have. Topps did say transparency several times so that seems right. Here's the description from the auciton, for reference:

1989 Bowman Baseball Card Final Original Published Negative! Ken Griffey Jr. In the coming months, The Topps Vault will be offering a random selection of vintage color negatives hand-picked from the legendary Topps photo archives. Official Topps photographers shot all of these classic images. This is the actual color transparency used to create the image on this player's Topps-produced sports card. The transparency offered here was trimmed-down in the production process, measures approx. 1 1/2" X 2" and is in excellent condition. The original Topps file envelope is included. In order to convey the true colors and crisp clarity of this one-of-a-kind transparency; it was scanned and then processed in Photoshop. For authenticity, the official Topps serial numbered hologram is affixed onto the reverse side backing board (see sample photo). Each vintage negative is encased in a clear lucite cardholder and comes with an official Topps Vault certificate of authenticity.

The thread in this forum was really helpful. Some highlights:

Negatives:
* Black & White and colour print films produce "negatives"
* If you hold a negative up to the light what would be light in a print is dark on the negative, and vice versa
* Colour print negatives also have the "wrong" colours and usually an orange cast
* When negatives are printed everything "goes back to normal" when the light from the enlarger reacts with the printing paper
* In a negative (the half way stage after the film is developed but before a print is made) everything looks "the wrong way round"

Slide Film or Transparencies:
* With a slide film (by far the most common name) everything comes out the correct colour and tone when it is first processed
* If you shine a light through a slide it looks like a finished print - which is where the term transparency comes in
* You can also project a slide onto a large screen to get a large picture, in much the same way as a roll of film (with lots of individual slides) is projected onto a cinema screen to create "movies"

So again, I think Topps uses the term "negative" just because it is what we common folk know and understand. But technically the Griffey is a transparency, which looks like a finished print (or card, in this case) with correct colors. General consensus (at least from what I gleaned from those photo forums) is that reversal film or transparency film may be easier to check for quality and turn into prints/cards. So that makes sense why Topps photographers would shoot in reversal film rather than the negative film you and I (assuming you're old like I am) used to use in our 35mm cameras.

 

[BMaggs]

Crbatt, I think you are correct, color transparency makes more sense in this case. Well done on parsing the auction description and forum link for info. I love this aspect of the hobby of trying to figure out what is what. Here is another example of what I thought was Final Color Negative of Griffey's 1989 Topps Traded Rookie. I got this a few years ago from a Griffey collector who got it authenticated from BGS. The original origin being from Topps Vault. In hand it does look very different than the Bowman version, could this also be a color transparency?

 

[crbatt]

Looks like it to me. Tough to say without seeing it in hand but that looks like the same type of transparency. Fascinating to me that BGS authenticated it with the language Topps used, even though that really doesn't seem correct. They're probably just repeating what was on Topps' COA, right?

BTW, these are awesome! You must have an amazing collection.

 

[BMaggs]

I may try to reach out to Topps and see if I can get more clarity. I have a sneaky feeling you are correct.

Thanks for the compliments on the collection. It pales in comparison to most folks on here but I am happy with it, keeps me busy. What is your collecting focus?

 

[BMaggs]

I stumbled upon something a bit interesting...

In 1988, a children’s book came out titled “Something Mary Found”. It was created to be distributed to kids in the Seattle area to educate them about the dangers of drugs. The book publishers partnered with the Seattle Mariners to help get the word out. On the inside cover letter of the book you will find two Mariner players promoting the message; Harold Reynolds and a young Ken Griffey Jr. The copyright of the book is 1988, so this would mean Griffey wasn’t with the big club yet, rather San Bernardino and Vermont. It has the official license / stamp of the Mariners on the cover letter which to me makes this a bit more than just an odd-ball/Broder type item. I have found two versions of the book; a regular and an auto version.

But the really exciting thing is there appears to be “Friendship Cards” / trading cards with similar messaging as the book. These cards use the same photos as the book, just less cropped. There is an autographed version and the cards are blanked backed. I stumbled upon this auction and won the two cards of Harold and Griffey. The auction was poorly worded and had no details, nor year of creation. My guess is that these “Friendship ship Cards” are the same year as the book, in 1988, and are apart of the same program with the Seattle schools? Is so, that would mean these could be another Griffey “Rookie” that nobody has heard of? Pretty neat stuff. Images below are from Worthpoint, I haven’t had time to scan mine yet.

If anyone has information about these, please let me know. Thanks

Brandon

 

[michaelstepper]

Been on a griffey kick again lately. picked up a few items. let's see those 90s inserts!

recent purchases

have more inbound

 

[chris19978]

I don’t own the Bronze anymore but here are a few. The Marble is for trade for Jeter cards I am missing.

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[magicpapa]

 

[michaelstepper]

View attachment 113725

what's the horizontal one next to the photo?

 

[Pinbreaker]

what's the horizontal one next to the photo?

1998 Quantum Leap into $$$$$$

 

[michaelstepper]

1998 Quantum Leap into $$$$$$

its magics cabinet.. it's all $$$$$$

 

[michaelstepper]

couple new ones in the mail today