With Rookie Cards, if the wrong guy is pictured on a card, is it considered to be his card?

digicat

Lets say that there's a wrong-picture error that never gets corrected. Would the card be considered a card of the guy pictured, or the guy who's supposed to be pictured?


A couple recent examples that I can think of are:

1995 Bowman's Best: Juan Gonzalez/Juan LeBron. This is LeBron's rookie year for cards. Instead of Lebron, they have a picture of Carlos Beltran (in Beltran's rookie year for cards). They didn't intentionally make a Beltran card for that set.

1989 Fleer Update Jeff Brantley. This would be Jeff Brantley's rookie year for cards, but Joe Kmak is pictured instead. Joe Kmak would get his first "intentional" card a few years later in 1992 Bowman.

zurbs17

They are still considered to be his rookie card. Two hockey examples are Steve Larmer RC and Joel Otto RC. Otto's is funny because he played for Calgary and the player pictured is Tony Tanti of the Vancouver Canucks

Joel Otto RC

On the Larmer they at least got a guy named Steve on the same team pictures. It's Steve Ludzik in the picture

Steve Larmer RC

Larmer is in turn pictured on the official Ludzik RC


Steve Ludzik RC

PSASAP

1959 Topps football Jim Taylor rookie card is the wrong Jim Taylor.

zurbs17

And I've heard the real Jim Taylor won't sign that card.

digicat

Which "his" do you mean the guy the card was "supposed" to be of, and not the guy pictured?

jay0791

A great example is hofer jean beliveau 1953 parkhurst.

its his rc but labeled picture of bill dineen on the flip.
and the reverse is also on dineens card

vladguerrero

If the Barry Bonds 1987 J.Ray (pictured) Error was also done with a J.Ray card with Bonds picture, I would rather have the card with Bonds pictured. Realistically, baseball cards are picture trading cards. That said I would just collect both versions if you have any hesitancy.

zurbs17

<< <i>A great example is hofer jean beliveau 1953 parkhurst.

its his rc but labeled picture of bill dineen on the flip.
and the reverse is also on dineens card >>



That's not right, this is from the PSA site write up on that set:

Several error cards can also be found in this set. The Fleming Mackell (#91) single, for example, is most often found without biographical information on the reverse. The corrected version with the bio commands a significant premium. To illustrate, a PSA 8 copy of the version with the bio sold for $611.50 on eBay in September 2007, while a PSA 8 example without the bio garnered just $95 on eBay in May 2009.

Other uncorrected errors include Jean Beliveau being pictured on the Dickie Moore card (#28) and Al Arbour being pictured on the Bill Dineen card (#37) that boasts Dineen's facsimile autograph and biographical data. Conversely, card #38 features a picture of Dineen with Arbour's autograph and bio. Also on the Johnny Peirson card (#88), his last name is misspelled "Pierson" on the card back.

shagrotn77

I think the Jim Taylor rookie card is the best example as he is a HOF'er. I do consider it his rookie as the reverse is all him, but it certainly does detract a bit from the appeal. There are some who would consider '61 Fleer/'61 Topps to be his real rookie, and I think that's perfectly fine too.

prthd

If I recall Carlos Beltran is not pictured on his rookie cards in 1995 Bowmans best and Topps Traded. I dont recall who it is but its not him.

Dboneesq

Sorry this does not answer your question, but it pertains to the subject. The picture on this card of Bob Odell is not him, but his brother. Not sure if this is well known, but I found out when I sent him a TTM and his daughter was kind enough to write a letter back to me.

Constantine

<< <i>Sorry this does not answer your question, but it pertains to the subject. The picture on this card of Bob Odell is not him, but his brother. Not sure if this is well known, but I found out when I sent him a TTM and his daughter was kind enough to write a letter back to me.



>>



That is very interesting! Thanks for posting.

digicat

<< <i>If I recall Carlos Beltran is not pictured on his rookie cards in 1995 Bowmans best and Topps Traded. I dont recall who it is but its not him. >>



Topps mixed up their Juan LeBron and Carlos Beltran pictures, so they appear on each other's cards.

So both of those guys have "wrong picture" uncorrected errors for rookie cards.

thenavarro

<< <i>And I've heard the real Jim Taylor won't sign that card. >>



He will occasionally, although he seems to prefer to sign it on the back when he does. Here's mine:

zurbs17

Just found an interesting variation on this theme. Hockey hall of famer Bernie Federko's rookie card is in the 1978-79 set

1978-79 Federko RC

But he was actually mistakenly pictured on Rick Bourbonnais' card from the previous year

Rick Bourbonnais 1977-78 card