1988 Topps Mark McGwire "White Triangle" help

pengvin67

Hello All,

I recently had this card graded and when I sent it in, I didn't think about the "white triangle". On the online submission form, I think I put no white triangle. When the card came back from PSA, I noticed the label said there was a white triangle by the left foot. I'm not a baseball guy, but is this a good thing for the card? I've not collected baseball since I was a kid. I just wanted to rip some 'cheaper' years (86,87,88) for fun. I liked the look of this card so I sent it in.

Anyone know some information about this card? Which version is considered to be more desirable if either? Thanks in Advance.

daltex

Alas, you don't get to decide if your card is an error or not.

pengvin67

I didn't even notice the white triangle when I first sent it in. I just thought it was part of the shoe. Lol which one is the 'error' card?

Estil

I'm pretty sure it's the rarer and more famous version, and to get it in PSA 10 especially makes it quite a prize. Just don't expect it to pay off your mortgage. Congrats.

pengvin67

I appreciate the information Estil. I just liked the look of the card. I used to collect baseball as a kid but the late 80s was obviously a glut of overproduction. It's always nice to find a 'gem' in those years!

countdouglas

Nice looking card! That it's the error version is a bonus.

Batpig

It is rarer, but still common, although there aren’t a ton of graded examples. Its a $15-$20 card as a 10.

saucywombat

He had an awkward pigeon toed stance and they thought the photo was a cropping error (because you can't see his heel), so they airbrushed in the "white triangle" to make it look more like a shoe.

The actual photo was correct however.

So the white triangle is a misguided attempt to fix a non-error.

Both cards are rather plentiful. At least 1/3 of all of these cards (which is an enormous number) have the "white triangle".

ReggieCleveland

Love this card and the '88 set. This was my introduction to "error cards." This McGwire but also the Eddie Murray Record Breaker, Al Leiter photo swap, and the Keith Comstock color swap. Man, the Al Leiter was nothing short of a sensation back then.

Arthur

pengvin67

Thanks for the information fellas. I appreciate it. I thought it was part of the shoe! Lol I guess I really won't be paying my mortgage with this card. sigh But, again, it's more of the look of the card and McGwire was the first baseball player that I remember chasing back in the late 80s when I was just starting to collect baseball.

Estil

@pengvin67 said:
I appreciate the information Estil. I just liked the look of the card. I used to collect baseball as a kid but the late 80s was obviously a glut of overproduction. It's always nice to find a 'gem' in those years!

Well, there's also the famous Barry Bonds/Johnny Ray goof from the 1987 Donruss opening day set (I think it's about a 1%-ish chance that the error will be hiding inside a sealed set? And occasionally it's the corrected version that's the rarer/more prized one believe or not. The best example I know of off the top of my head is the 1985 Donruss Tom Seaver who originally had some other guy pictured...the corrected version was only in the factory sets and considering that 1985 Donruss is a fairly limited quanities issue (though not quite to the extent of the more famous 1984) and you figure the factory sets were even harder still to come by, well you do the math.

billwaltonsbeard

I believe there were 23,595,242,113,026 copies printed of the card without the white triangle.........and only about 12,246,957,000 copies printed with the triangle