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1990 Topps Frank Thomas NNOF revisited...introduction to my theory

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  • ROCKDJRWROCKDJRW Posts: 1,330 ✭✭✭


    << <i>I think if the other "blackless" variations aren't going to be listed, you might as well remove the Thomas "NNOF" as well, as it falls under the same category and reasoning for not listed the others. It seems only fair. Either list them all or list none. >>


    +1
    Collect Ozzie Guillen Cards
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  • AUPTAUPT Posts: 806 ✭✭✭
    The reason the "other" 11 won't be listed is that they, along with the Thomas RC, are simply printing errors, not variations. Pragmatically, it would take several lines of type to describe where each card is missing some of its black ink.

    The Thomas card was listed, and will remain so, because it was found when it was new, caught the hobby's fancy and soared to hundreds of dollars.

    The others involved were not found until 20 years later. There are only a few of each known, which qualifies them as anomalies of interest to specialist collectors, but the Standard Catalog has to retain its focus as a general-interest reference/price guide.

    Decisions on the focus and size of the book are made by book-marketing people, not hobbyists.
  • slantycouchslantycouch Posts: 1,704 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>

    << <i>The Hart and Morris variations are being removed from the 2012 edition. >>



    That's a shame Bob, but I have to respect your opinion.

    Good to see this thread pop back up. >>



    I would accept it as well if it made any sense at all. As big as this story was to us old school collectors(and with the NNOF Thomas being one of the few iconic modern rookie cards), acknowledging and listing the other 12 blackless errors is unquestionably in the best interest of the hobby. Wouldn't you think SCD should have some interest in that??? >>



    I would think so, and agree that it should be "all or none" but it's obviously not my call. And when it comes to matters such as this, I respect Bob's opinion.
  • saucywombatsaucywombat Posts: 1,221 ✭✭✭
    Again - I'm shocked that nothing new has turned up since the Beckett article.

    I think its a safe bet that Beckett will catalog these variations, as they slabbed RookieWax's and had the magazine article.

    Most of what Beckett has success with is "modern" cards and I think they appreciate the significance of the 1990 Topps Frank Thomas NNOF has with the collectors in their hobby niche.

    Always looking for 1993-1999 Baseball Finest Refractors and1994 Football Finest Refractors.
    saucywombat@hotmail.com
  • IMO it doesn't matter how they came into existance, rather they exist and are part of the hobby. Not recognizing them because of their pedigree is silly.
  • BunchOBullBunchOBull Posts: 6,188 ✭✭✭
    My only disappointment is that I won't be able to have my set (if I ever have a set) PSA graded. There is comfort in knowing BGS will grade them, however.
    Collector of most things Frank Thomas. www.BigHurtHOF.com
  • RookieWaxRookieWax Posts: 1,066 ✭✭✭


    << <i>.... the Standard Catalog has to retain its focus as a general-interest reference/price guide.

    Decisions on the focus and size of the book are made by book-marketing people, not hobbyists. >>



    Bob, that is all fine and good if the Standard Catalog was just one of many card reference books on the shelf. The reality is that PSA uses your book as its "Bible" of what they are willing to grade. People want their cards graded by PSA, period. The publishers need to keep focus of this fact when they make such listing decisions. They need to reconsider on this one. By the way, it would not take much more space to list the words "partial blackless" in the catalog next to these cards.
  • saucywombatsaucywombat Posts: 1,221 ✭✭✭


    << <i>My only disappointment is that I won't be able to have my set (if I ever have a set) PSA graded. There is comfort in knowing BGS will grade them, however. >>



    When I was trying to get the set checklist corrected for 1994 Finest, PSA indicated that they looked at Beckett first and then Standard Catalog. In any case better send in that John Hart while he's still in the guide.
    Always looking for 1993-1999 Baseball Finest Refractors and1994 Football Finest Refractors.
    saucywombat@hotmail.com
  • bishopbishop Posts: 2,917 ✭✭✭
    List the variations with the descriptions you would give them in a catalog, be it Becket or SCD
    Topps Baseball-1948, 1951 to 2017
    Bowman Baseball -1948-1955
    Fleer Baseball-1923, 1959-2007

    Al
  • RookieWaxRookieWax Posts: 1,066 ✭✭✭
    Here is the first PSA graded 1990 Topps Blackless error. I had to send it in a second time after they missed my submission form note about it being the variation. Now all we need is for Bob Lemke to do the right thing and get the other errors listed in the Standard Catalog along with this one.

    image
  • saucywombatsaucywombat Posts: 1,221 ✭✭✭
    Good stuff.

    Again I'm just shocked nothing has come to market on these.

    There are definitely some $'s to chase.
    Always looking for 1993-1999 Baseball Finest Refractors and1994 Football Finest Refractors.
    saucywombat@hotmail.com
  • saucywombatsaucywombat Posts: 1,221 ✭✭✭
    Got the 33rd Edition 2011 Beckett Baseball Card Price guide in the mail today.

    It provides a full listing of all of the blackless cards identified in this thread.

    Cards are listed as "A" versions with no value assigned with their typical "B" versions in column in the normal listing under 1990 Topps.

    For example:

    384 Pat Combs .01 .05
    385A Fred McGriff AS ERR BL
    385B Fred McGriff AS .02 .10
    386A Julio Franco AS ERR BL
    386B Julio Franco AS .01 .05
    387 Wade Boggs AS .02 .10

    The set description has been amended and reads as follows:

    "The 1990 topps set contains 792 standard-sized cards. Cards were issued primarily in wax packs, rack packs and hobby and retail Christmas factory sets. Card fronts feature various colored borders with the player's name at the bottom and team name at the top. Subsets include All-Stars (385-407), Turn Back the Clock (661-665) and Draft Picks (scattered throughout the set). The key Rookie Cards in this set are Juan Gonzalez, Marquis Grissom, Sammy Sosa, Frank Thomas, Larry Walker and Bernie Williams. The Frank Thomas card (#414A) was printed without his name on the front, as well as portions of the black border being ommitted, creating a scarce variation. Several additional cards in the set were subsequently discovered missing portions of the black border or missing some of the black printing in the backgrounds of the photos that occurred in the same printing that created the Thomas error. These cards are rarely seen and the Thomas card, for a newer issue, has experienced unprecedented growth as far as value. Be careful when purchasing the Frank Thomas NNOF version as counterfeits have been produced. A very few cards of President George Bush made their way into packs. While these cards were supposed to have never been issued, a few collectors did receive these cards when opening packs."
    Always looking for 1993-1999 Baseball Finest Refractors and1994 Football Finest Refractors.
    saucywombat@hotmail.com
  • BunchOBullBunchOBull Posts: 6,188 ✭✭✭
    Awesome Dave! Thanks for sharing.
    Collector of most things Frank Thomas. www.BigHurtHOF.com
  • RookieWaxRookieWax Posts: 1,066 ✭✭✭
    That is great news, Dave. I was hoping they would list them within this 2011 edition. Now if what you stated about PSA using Beckett's Catalog along with The Standard Catalog holds true in this case, we should be able to get the rest of the 1990 Topps blackless errors graded by PSA. The only issue that might arise here is that there is no detail about where the blackless portions lie on each card for PSA to use on the label. For example, with my John Morris error, they used the exact wording used in The Standard Catalog - which was "No Black Top-Right Corner."
  • Can I get a woot woot! Great news!
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  • saucywombatsaucywombat Posts: 1,221 ✭✭✭
    Something of interest in that all three of these Ripken AS have the same centering characteristics of the black error all-stars I have.

    They may very well be from the same NNOF Orange 'F' Sheet as the others. (of course at a distance from "the streak")

    All 3 have a very similar tadpole in the lower right corner.

    image
    Always looking for 1993-1999 Baseball Finest Refractors and1994 Football Finest Refractors.
    saucywombat@hotmail.com
  • richtreerichtree Posts: 1,500 ✭✭✭
    very kewl find saucy !!!!


    Now if maybe I could get a group effort of everyone to check their:

    1990 Jeff King #454 (back of card) No white (supposedly Yellow)

    CAN WE HAVE EVERYONE CHECK THEIR JIFF KINGS FOR ANYTHING THAT LOOKS DIFFERENT ON THE BACK !!!

    THANKS
    Buying:
    Topps White Out (silver) letters Alex Gordon
    80 Topps Greg Pryor “No Name"
    90 ProSet Dexter Manley error
    90 Topps Jeff King Yellow back
    1958 Topps Pancho Herrera (no“a”)
    81 Topps Art Howe (black smear above hat)
    91 D A. Hawkins BC-12 “Pitcher”
  • richtreerichtree Posts: 1,500 ✭✭✭
    I sold my Mcgrane blackless because I had 3 of them ....and I can't find any of these ....


    I would like to buy any of these 90 Blackless cards., if anyone still has some for sale


    thanks

    rich
    richtree@gmail.com
    Buying:
    Topps White Out (silver) letters Alex Gordon
    80 Topps Greg Pryor “No Name"
    90 ProSet Dexter Manley error
    90 Topps Jeff King Yellow back
    1958 Topps Pancho Herrera (no“a”)
    81 Topps Art Howe (black smear above hat)
    91 D A. Hawkins BC-12 “Pitcher”
  • BunchOBullBunchOBull Posts: 6,188 ✭✭✭
    Yeah Rich, I'm at a standstill too. I just want one of each and I'll be done.
    Collector of most things Frank Thomas. www.BigHurtHOF.com
  • richtreerichtree Posts: 1,500 ✭✭✭
    maybe we should all get cases from BBCE or something and rip...


    90 topps cases have dates on them ?

    Buying:
    Topps White Out (silver) letters Alex Gordon
    80 Topps Greg Pryor “No Name"
    90 ProSet Dexter Manley error
    90 Topps Jeff King Yellow back
    1958 Topps Pancho Herrera (no“a”)
    81 Topps Art Howe (black smear above hat)
    91 D A. Hawkins BC-12 “Pitcher”
  • bishopbishop Posts: 2,917 ✭✭✭
    Rich---I can send you a color copy of my 90 King variation--name in yellow on back
    Topps Baseball-1948, 1951 to 2017
    Bowman Baseball -1948-1955
    Fleer Baseball-1923, 1959-2007

    Al
  • richtreerichtree Posts: 1,500 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Rich---I can send you a color copy of my 90 King variation--name in yellow on back >>




    thanks that would be great......I PMed ya


    but I appreciate it Al !!!!


    thank you !!!!!!!!
    Buying:
    Topps White Out (silver) letters Alex Gordon
    80 Topps Greg Pryor “No Name"
    90 ProSet Dexter Manley error
    90 Topps Jeff King Yellow back
    1958 Topps Pancho Herrera (no“a”)
    81 Topps Art Howe (black smear above hat)
    91 D A. Hawkins BC-12 “Pitcher”
  • richtreerichtree Posts: 1,500 ✭✭✭
    Firstly, I would like to thank Al for going out of his way to help us finally see real scan of insanely tough to find variations.

    I just ask if you have any, please sell them to me first.

    ENJOY!!!

    image
    Buying:
    Topps White Out (silver) letters Alex Gordon
    80 Topps Greg Pryor “No Name"
    90 ProSet Dexter Manley error
    90 Topps Jeff King Yellow back
    1958 Topps Pancho Herrera (no“a”)
    81 Topps Art Howe (black smear above hat)
    91 D A. Hawkins BC-12 “Pitcher”
  • RookieWaxRookieWax Posts: 1,066 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>My only disappointment is that I won't be able to have my set (if I ever have a set) PSA graded. There is comfort in knowing BGS will grade them, however. >>



    When I was trying to get the set checklist corrected for 1994 Finest, PSA indicated that they looked at Beckett first and then Standard Catalog. In any case better send in that John Hart while he's still in the guide. >>




    You are absolutely correct Dave! Just got this back from PSA! Great news!


    image
  • BunchOBullBunchOBull Posts: 6,188 ✭✭✭
    Awesome to see...just noticed his "half-stache." Classic.
    Collector of most things Frank Thomas. www.BigHurtHOF.com
  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,912 ✭✭✭✭✭
    WOW there is a BGS 8.5 on EBAY at $1,600. I did not realize how expensive this card is.

    Your PSA 9 must be worth some serious cash!

    What do you expect this one to go for?

  • BunchOBullBunchOBull Posts: 6,188 ✭✭✭


    << <i>WOW there is a BGS 8.5 on EBAY at $1,600. I did not realize how expensive this card is.

    Your PSA 9 must be worth some serious cash!

    What do you expect this one to go for? >>



    This is a fluke; the Thomas market is nuts right now. PSA 10 Tiffany rookies moving for $250 a pop. A PSA 8 NNOF selling for $1500ish. That BGS 8.5 is tearing it up obviously.

    The only thing I can think is that he's had renewed interest since his statue was unveiled a few weeks back. Also, the recent SMR article could have brought some attention from a registry crowd. I really wasn't expecting this kind of boom until a few months before his first shot at the HOF.

    I paid $875 for my PSA 9 NNOF 18 months ago; it's the lowest recorded price for a PSA 9, but I also purchased at the peak of the market, when the information that was uncovered from this thread went completely mainstream. There was a flood of NNOFs for about a year from the events here, and that 9 I purchased came towards the end of that. For the last 12 months, they've been trading hands a lot less often, but one is listed every 2 months I'd guess...well, that was until this boom. I'm not sure what's going to happen.

    Shooting myself in the foot for not picking up a stash of PSA 7s and 8s for $350 to $500 a piece awhile back.

    Anyway, I've sold a lot of PSA 10 Thomas material at cost in recent years just to help out fellow Thomas collectors--I thought I'd have plenty of time to regrow my stash--not so sure now. However, I have very few gem mint copies of Frank's rookies and pre-rookies left, so it's time to do some grading.
    Collector of most things Frank Thomas. www.BigHurtHOF.com
  • RookieWaxRookieWax Posts: 1,066 ✭✭✭
    I always knew the NNOF Thomas rookies were rare, but I never realized just how rare until I pulled mine. At that point I started to follow the population reports of the 3 major TPG companies more regularly, along with those that showed up at auction. The ungraded copies have completely dried up on ebay over the past year or so. Only a few have been added to the population reports over that time period, and the total combined on the population reports of Beckett, PSA, and SGC currently stands at 199. Knowing first-hand how strict the companies are in grading this card, several of these are likely cards that people have cracked out and resubmitted.

    Like Ross, I also felt the cards were very undervalued when they were selling in the $300 to $500 range a while back. When you combine the fact that this card was unintentionally produced at such a low level (unlike for example an intentionally short-printed autographed or refractor Pujols or Strasburg rookie), along with the fact that Thomas' career numbers are pretty much identical to Mickey Mantle's, you are looking at a card that should someday reach near the status of a Mantle rookie and perhaps could receive the attention that the most famous and also mysteriously low-printed T206 Honus Wagner receives now.
  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,912 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Thanks for the informtion.

    I am not so sure a Frank Thomas Rookie will ever be in as much demand as a Mickey Mantle and I highly doubt it will ever mimick it in price.

    That being said this one particular card could be one of the most expensive modern day cards for sure. I think your point about man made rarities is spot on and this is a truelly rare issue.

    Either way this thing is clearly on fire and hopefully for you guys the blaze continues. Good luck.

  • frankhardyfrankhardy Posts: 8,097 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>The Hart and Morris variations are being removed from the 2012 edition. >>



    Just chiming in here - could this be because the 2012 SCD will only have vintage up to 1980?

    Shane

  • RookieWaxRookieWax Posts: 1,066 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>The Hart and Morris variations are being removed from the 2012 edition. >>



    Just chiming in here - could this be because the 2012 SCD will only have vintage up to 1980? >>



    It doesn't matter what Bob Lemke does with the 2012 Standard Catalog. We learned that PSA uses Beckett's annual catalog, which does list all 12 of the other 1990 Topps blackless errors related to the NNOF Thomas.
  • frankhardyfrankhardy Posts: 8,097 ✭✭✭✭✭
    So, PSA uses Beckett and not SCD? Or do they use both? I actually thought they used SCD.

    Shane

  • AUPTAUPT Posts: 806 ✭✭✭
    It is correct that the 2012 Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards will be vintage (pre-1981) only. And considering that the publisher no longer has a modern card cataloger/price guide guy on staff, it is unlikely that the company will ever produce another post-1980 catalog.
  • richtreerichtree Posts: 1,500 ✭✭✭


    << <i>It is correct that the 2012 Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards will be vintage (pre-1981) only. And considering that the publisher no longer has a modern card cataloger/price guide guy on staff, it is unlikely that the company will ever produce another post-1980 catalog. >>




    This is a bad move if they are trying to sell books.....the only reason I ( and many) by this year after year is for:

    1. the updated variations and errors

    2. the modern additons i.e. ginter and heritage.

    3. finding the sets and vaule of the "new" yearly cards that I may have missed -- new knowledge per say......


    w/o this I probably won't ever buy another SCD catalog ---- I already have all the knowledge I know and need of vintage product in the last 5 editions......

    Buying:
    Topps White Out (silver) letters Alex Gordon
    80 Topps Greg Pryor “No Name"
    90 ProSet Dexter Manley error
    90 Topps Jeff King Yellow back
    1958 Topps Pancho Herrera (no“a”)
    81 Topps Art Howe (black smear above hat)
    91 D A. Hawkins BC-12 “Pitcher”
  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,912 ✭✭✭✭✭
    This bad boy on EBAY is up to $1,700!

    Wow this card is on fire!
  • RookieWaxRookieWax Posts: 1,066 ✭✭✭
    Yep! $2348 is the final sale price. And this wasn't a case of 2 bidders bidding it up. There were 7 different bidders in there bidding over the $1500 mark. And I feel this card still has plenty of potential to go much higher in value. IMO, it will end up as the 3rd most famous baseball card of the past century.
  • saucywombatsaucywombat Posts: 1,221 ✭✭✭
    This is a quote from Page 13 of this thread in a post from Ross quoting Lance Tanaka

    "The original press run was probably marked by putting a sliver of paper while the new prints were being printed. You do that for a variety of reasons, but in this specific case because it would be a marker to indicate where the throwaway product was to begin. You don't 'get rid of' the production for several reasons - but for this discussion - it's likely due to the fact it's a hassle to move the beds (or their contents) in and out of the bed. Now, if that paper was dislodged or plain ignored - then that stack of newly printed cards would go off to drying and forgotten. The cutters were then ordered to do their job and... the rest is history."

    The paper he describes above that was used to separate the defective sheets from the new press run could very well be the paper scraps that RookieWax found in his packs. Lends credence to the supposed account of what may have happened by Tanaka.
    Always looking for 1993-1999 Baseball Finest Refractors and1994 Football Finest Refractors.
    saucywombat@hotmail.com
  • 08HALA2008HALA20 Posts: 3,066 ✭✭✭
    This was a super read!

    This auction just ended with NNOF and looks fake based on pics seen here.

    No other missing black just name.

    What do you think?

    Joe

    eBay link
  • DavidPuddyDavidPuddy Posts: 3,485 ✭✭✭
    Fake.
    "The Sipe market is ridiculous right now"
    CDsNuts, 1/9/15
  • bishopbishop Posts: 2,917 ✭✭✭
    It's not exactly a fake, it is one of the "real" reprints, which he admits in the Q & A
    Topps Baseball-1948, 1951 to 2017
    Bowman Baseball -1948-1955
    Fleer Baseball-1923, 1959-2007

    Al
  • 08HALA2008HALA20 Posts: 3,066 ✭✭✭


    << <i>It's not exactly a fake, it is one of the "real" reprints, which he admits in the Q & A >>



    I guess I should read the whole auction. Egg on my face. image

    Joe
  • tunahead08tunahead08 Posts: 1,063 ✭✭✭


    << <i>It's not exactly a fake, it is one of the "real" reprints, which he admits in the Q & A >>



    Someone is going to be very unhappy when they receive that...
  • WinPitcherWinPitcher Posts: 27,726 ✭✭✭
    In the details section he claims it's a Topps card.

    Pardon my ignorance, but did Topps reprint these?

    Good for you.
  • richtreerichtree Posts: 1,500 ✭✭✭


    << <i>In the details section he claims it's a Topps card.

    Pardon my ignorance, but did Topps reprint these? >>




    yeah, 2010 TOPPS Series 2 Cards Your Mom Threw Out Frank Thomas #CMT97
    Buying:
    Topps White Out (silver) letters Alex Gordon
    80 Topps Greg Pryor “No Name"
    90 ProSet Dexter Manley error
    90 Topps Jeff King Yellow back
    1958 Topps Pancho Herrera (no“a”)
    81 Topps Art Howe (black smear above hat)
    91 D A. Hawkins BC-12 “Pitcher”
  • saucywombatsaucywombat Posts: 1,221 ✭✭✭
    Up arrows for the NNOF Thomas. Sales have been strong.

    BGS 4 just went for $671


    Strong like ox
    Always looking for 1993-1999 Baseball Finest Refractors and1994 Football Finest Refractors.
    saucywombat@hotmail.com
  • RookieWaxRookieWax Posts: 1,066 ✭✭✭
    This same seller temporarily had a 7 card lot of the 1990 Thomas NNOF rookies up on ebay. He took down the auction quickly and then started listing them individually. Since the auction above ended, he listed 3 on buy-it-nows and all sold at his asking price in less than 24 hours. With only about 200 of these in existence, they are eventually going to go the route of the T206 Wagners- and by that I mean each time one sells, it will likely go for a higher price than the last one did.

    edited to add this link:

    1990 NNOF Thomas Rookies
  • gigfygigfy Posts: 35 ✭✭
    Just out of curiosity, what is the population of BGS 8.5's or better. I checked PSA today and there are still only 18 graded at PSA 9. And IIRC the PSA 10 was a blank back?

    thanks,
    gigfy
  • thenavarrothenavarro Posts: 7,497 ✭✭✭
    I had one of those and decided I wanted mine to have a name on the front image

    image
    Buying US Presidential autographs
  • MBMiller25MBMiller25 Posts: 6,057 ✭✭
    wow, super card Mike
  • PorkinsPorkins Posts: 610 ✭✭✭
    I'm sure this has been said before but this thread in a google search is what first led me to this forum about a year + ago. Always enjoy Thomas NNOF info and much belated thanks to all those that contributed to this wonderful thread (bunchobull, rookiewax, et al.)!!!
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