Variations - Just Curious

[ALR-bishop]

Glyn-- I have what I think is a pattial black star, as well as a black star and one of the missing front borders. The partial black stars are what make me think of the black stars more like print defects than variations. I do believe that maybe some of the black stars and partials could be fakes due to the notoriety and value of the cards. Hope mine are not :-)

Steve-- I view DPs with differences, even cropping differences, as variations. While the manufacturers may not have intended the differences, they did intentionally double the card in the printing process, and that led to the differences... like the 63 cards Vrechek wrote about. But, that's just the way I look at it. To each their own.

[jacksoncoupage]

I will rep the unpopular camp that likes the liberal use of the term "variation."

I was raised on the old collecting definitions of what is and isn't a "true variation" and while I do like the idea (in theory) of a strict definition, the powers that be (SCD, Beckett, etc) do not adhere to their own parameters. The 1990 Topps Frank Thomas is the hobby's most famous print flaw, or RPD, but there is no catalog entry for the countless mass-produced common player Topps cards that were printed without portions of an ink color. Iconic players, set and specific cards seem to exempt from the rules.

And like Al mentioned, I understand the negative response to the liberal use of the terms if you are a master set or registry collector. But for me, someone who entered the hobby at the peak of the "error craze," I love the hunt and my favorite part of the hobby is discovering new variations. Combine that with being a player collector and a new variety for me to chase is always welcome.

[ALR-bishop]

And you are darn good at it Jackson, keep after it. I am a fan of yours

[steve B]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Glyn-- I have what I think is a pattial black star, as well as a black star and one of the missing front borders. The partial black stars are what make me think of the black stars more like print defects than variations. I do believe that maybe some of the black stars and partials could be fakes due to the notoriety and value of the cards. Hope mine are not :-)

Steve-- I view DPs with differences, even cropping differences, as variations. While the manufacturers may not have intended the differences, they did intentionally double the card in the printing process, and that led to the differences... like the 63 cards Vrechek wrote about. But, that's just the way I look at it. To each their own.

I agree the DP differences are variations.

I just have to recognize that many collectors don't - Either because they don't want to bother with small differences to have a "complete set" Or because recognition would make the master set huge, or to avoid having to spend still more on an already expensive registry set.

I collect them all in an ambivalent way. If get them I keep them. But I hardly ever deliberately try to find them. And I keep the printing problems and the ones I think are variations in different places.

Steve B

[bnorth]

Like every one else my definition of variation is different. I have a huge collection of wrong backs, blank front/back cards, missing color, miss cut, and 1989 Fleer Randy Johnson cards with print spots, yes print spots and I do not even like Randy Johnson but for some reason I collect his 89 Fleer cards with even the slightest printing error.