Upside-down airplanes, double dies, ghost images, spelling errors, small dates, etc.

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Posted By: Gilbert Maines

Variations, errors, and other differences among collectables are either fads which gain and lose in popularity, or they have staying power and maintain their value (and appreciate) over the long haul.

In baseball cards we have seen specific card types gain in popularity more than the general card population. These include:

1)HOFers
2)Rookies
3)Prookies
4)Error cards
5)Misprints
6)Ghosts
7)Spelling errors
8)Color variations
9)Back variations
10)Others

Of these, some I believe will continue to be popular and demand an increasing premium over their more common counterparts. Others will behave more like hula hoops, beanie babies, etc. and wane in popularity.

Although their popularity may not have yet peaked, I think that the possibility of a decrease in emphasis on numbers 2, 3, 7, and 9 is more likely than the others cited. And I do not forecast nos. 5 & 6 ever achieving much significance.

How long before any of these will see a change in popularity is certainly debatable. But that it will be anytime soon appears unlikely.

What is your take on these card types?