1993 Topps Finest Question??

Stingray

I have been wanting to ask this for a while, but kept forgetting to post about. Does anyone know why on some refractors there are some that have a noticeable line that goes across the card and you can see that the the card had has a darker tint to it from that Pinot to the top of the card. This darker area is not always in the same spot on any particular card, just seems random?? Just wondered if it was something in the printing process??

BLUEJAYWAY

Not sure this helps. My 1996 Topps Mantle 1952 reprint chrome refractor has that line going through the middle from side to side,horizontal. I returned it to Topps back then after a phone call to QC. They denied an exchange stating it was part of the normal process. BGS disagreed that it was "normal" and gave me a 6.5 on the card.

maddux69

The refractor lines are just part of the sheet when they are produced and there is no rhyme or reason to their placement. According to PSA it does affect the grade and you will see some 9's with refractor lines. Another issue with the 93 finest refractors are the small bubbles which seem to plague the surface.

saucywombat

The refractor coating is basically the same stuff that makes stop signs shiny at night. Literally was sourced from a company that made road signs.

Topps doesn't make this stuff themselves and was produced for Topps by that manufacturer. The material being supplied to Topps was in rolls to be applied to the cards, and the material coming off those rolls was in a grid. Apparently something inherit in that process made it not possible (or more likely not affordable?) to produce large clear sheets without these grid lines.

So when Topps applied the material to the sheets of Finest to make the Refractors, the gridlines from the manufacturer show up on the cards. This is why there is random and inconsistent location (and sometimes absence) of "refractor lines".