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Variations that PSA doesn't recognize that you think they should.

I'll start. 1955 Topps Jackie Robinson partial diamond. Was told because it was too easy to fake. Meanwhile "Bakep" versions in 1957 Topps are recognized. That one has me shaking my head. What other variations does PSA not officially recognize that you think they should?

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    countdouglascountdouglas Posts: 2,284 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The 1975 Robin Yount full sized card. A sizable percentage have a swath of ugly blue PD that I refer to as a "puddle" between his legs, while a majority do not. Once you see it, you can't unsee it. Cards with this PD do not seem to be docked on the grade, so it must be an acceptable variation during the grading process. It's just not designated as such.
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    bobbyw8469bobbyw8469 Posts: 7,139 ✭✭✭

    WOW!!! Never noticed it. The placement of it as well could lay way to some "Beavis and Butthead" type humor.

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    countdouglascountdouglas Posts: 2,284 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @bobbyw8469 said:
    WOW!!! Never noticed it. The placement of it as well could lay way to some "Beavis and Butthead" type humor.

    I personally feel that cards with the blue splotches are more worthy of a PD, than anything else, but you will see cards in all grades with it, including 9s and 10s, and no mention of PD on the flip, obviously. Again, it only appears on the full sized versions, not the minis. If that's not a PD, I don't know what to call it, except a variation.

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    bobbyw8469bobbyw8469 Posts: 7,139 ✭✭✭
    edited August 19, 2021 6:06AM


    That is the Robinson

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    frankhardyfrankhardy Posts: 8,046 ✭✭✭✭✭

    How about recognizing a variation that does not exist? Most 2002 Topps Albert Pujols PSA slabbed cards have a note saying "Back Photo Polanco In Cap". I have even seen one that says "Back Photo Corrected" and yet the back photo is not correct and has Polanco in cap. Regardless, it is my firm belief (as well as many others) that do not believe this card was corrected. It was only corrected on Chrome, Refractors, and Opening Day.

    Shane

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    woodstock2woodstock2 Posts: 63 ✭✭✭

    One of my most prized cards is a PSA 9 1989 Fleer Randy Johnson Marlboro Ad on Scoreboard cardcard (cert #15790561) where there is no tint at all over the Marlboro sign.  Unfortunately the PSA label description does not distinguish this version of the card from other cards labeled “Marlboro Ad on Scoreboard”.   

    Regardless of the label, the card is much different than any of my other versions of the card.   While other versions (also labeled "Marlboro Ad on Scoreboard") try to correct the "error" of the Marlboro sign in different ways and to varying degrees (e.g., with different color tints, etc.), this one has no correction applied at all.  To my knowledge there are only 2 known examples of this card out there (the one I own and one other - both of which are graded by PSA)... but I really don't know for sure and there could be more around somewhere.  I believe it would be helpful if the label on the card better reflected the version of the card. It would be great to have pop numbers to really know how many examples of this particular “no-tint” version are out there.

    Here is a picture of the no-Tint card next to what the "next clearest" copy I have in my collection.

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    bobbyw8469bobbyw8469 Posts: 7,139 ✭✭✭

    @woodstock2 said:
    One of my most prized cards is a PSA 9 1989 Fleer Randy Johnson Marlboro Ad on Scoreboard cardcard (cert #15790561) where there is no tint at all over the Marlboro sign.  Unfortunately the PSA label description does not distinguish this version of the card from other cards labeled “Marlboro Ad on Scoreboard”.   

    Regardless of the label, the card is much different than any of my other versions of the card.   While other versions (also labeled "Marlboro Ad on Scoreboard") try to correct the "error" of the Marlboro sign in different ways and to varying degrees (e.g., with different color tints, etc.), this one has no correction applied at all.  To my knowledge there are only 2 known examples of this card out there (the one I own and one other - both of which are graded by PSA)... but I really don't know for sure and there could be more around somewhere.  I believe it would be helpful if the label on the card better reflected the version of the card. It would be great to have pop numbers to really know how many examples of this particular “no-tint” version are out there.

    Here is a picture of the no-Tint card next to what the "next clearest" copy I have in my collection.

    I guess I am the worst one at detecting those. I am color blind. The varying degrees of tint would drive me batty. I like my 1955 Robinson example better. Either the diamond if complete...or it isn't. Pretty cut and dry.

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    woodstock2woodstock2 Posts: 63 ✭✭✭

    @bobbyw8469

    I guess I am the worst one at detecting those. I am color blind. The varying degrees of tint would drive me batty. I like my 1955 Robinson example better. Either the diamond if complete...or it isn't. Pretty cut and dry.

    I am all for differentiating labels on the Robinson too.

    My sight close up just isn't what it used to be and it is definitely more challenging to make out differences between some of the tint versions. I like the challenge but am fine with the current PSA labeling convention too (where any cards with lightly to moderately lightly tinted Marlboro signs where you can see the Marlboro letters relatively clearly get labeled as "Marlboro Ad on Scoreboard" regardless of the tint color). I am just arguing for PSA to add one more level "Marlboro Ad on Scoreboard - No Tint" since there is a very noticeable difference between a card with no tint whatsoever over the Marlboro sign and any of the ones with some level of tint over the sign.

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    jay0791jay0791 Posts: 3,514 ✭✭✭✭

    How about the "butterfly" on the 1965 Topps Namath #122
    A very well known pattern

    Collecting PSA... FB,BK,HK,and BB HOF RC sets
    1948-76 Topps FB Sets
    FB & BB HOF Player sets
    1948-1993 NY Yankee Team Sets
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    bobbyw8469bobbyw8469 Posts: 7,139 ✭✭✭

    @jay0791 said:
    How about the "butterfly" on the 1965 Topps Namath #122
    A very well known pattern

    Yes!!!!! I had forgotten about that one!!! That one is right up there with the Robinson!

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    brad31brad31 Posts: 2,575 ✭✭✭✭✭

    How about ‘56 Ted Williams:

    Note the photo is not mine - took a screenshot from a Net54 thread on the topic.

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    maddux69maddux69 Posts: 2,130 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I was just about to bring up the 56 Ted Williams. I have a green line version on the way back to me soon.

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    blurryfaceblurryface Posts: 5,136 ✭✭✭✭✭

    ‘69 ryan. top right, inner black border gap.

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    blurryfaceblurryface Posts: 5,136 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 19, 2021 12:52PM

    a modern one. the term “smokey foil” or “smoked version” of the soto us300 rainbow foil.

    they are pretty rare. guessing only about 100ish w varying degrees of darkness. smoked version is up front, regular version in back…

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    yankeeno7yankeeno7 Posts: 9,242 ✭✭✭

    Though I have seen a couple of examples lately...not sure why or how....but I do wish PSA would be more willing to grade wrong backs, even if just labeling them as "authentic".

    But as far as a pretty well known vintage variation, the 1952 Topps #146 Frank House Yellow Tiger. Unless they have recently started to distinguish it on the label without me having seen it, I don't think PSA puts anything telling the yellow tiger vs the correct tiger with the full color.

    Pics taken from ebay...

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    gemintgemint Posts: 6,069 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I have a few 1973 Topps baseball with border gaps that aren't recognized. For example, Gates Brown. Now I will check to make sure they haven't added it since I last looked it up.

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    1963ellsworth22and101963ellsworth22and10 Posts: 153 ✭✭✭
    edited August 19, 2021 6:09PM

    @gemint said:
    I have a few 1973 Topps baseball with border gaps that aren't recognized. For example, Gates Brown. Now I will check to make sure they haven't added it since I last looked it up.

    They did recognize the 73 Earl Williams for a short time but then they stopped, which I agree with. I think they did the same thing with the 73 Buddy Bell and possibly the 73 Stan Bahnsen.

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    Or this one.

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    backbidderbackbidder Posts: 232 ✭✭✭

    1953 Topps white/black text variations:


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    Nathaniel1960Nathaniel1960 Posts: 2,313 ✭✭✭✭✭

    1968 Topps Football backs - cream and white.

    Kiss me once, shame on you.
    Kiss me twice.....let's party.
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    NGS428NGS428 Posts: 2,276 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @countdouglas said:
    The 1975 Robin Yount full sized card. A sizable percentage have a swath of ugly blue PD that I refer to as a "puddle" between his legs, while a majority do not. Once you see it, you can't unsee it. Cards with this PD do not seem to be docked on the grade, so it must be an acceptable variation during the grading process. It's just not designated as such.
    .

    .

    This is the top of the list for me too.

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    1963ellsworth22and101963ellsworth22and10 Posts: 153 ✭✭✭
    edited August 19, 2021 7:27PM

    1976 Kellogg's Pete Rose with Cincinnati misspelled in stats.

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    blurryfaceblurryface Posts: 5,136 ✭✭✭✭✭

    ^ ‘round here-ah! on the corner of normandy and weston-ah! we call this here error….a lil cinny cinn cinn!

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    DJJazzBassDJJazzBass Posts: 129 ✭✭✭

    My 1948 Leaf DeWitt Coulter "White Jersey". They used to grade these (as seen in the comparison photo, but I guess it's "too much of a variation" since they will grade "blue sock", "green sock", "bright yellow pants", "dark yellow pants", "green jersey numbers", "yellow jersey numbers", "tan helmet", "dark helmet", "yellow background", "white background", etc, all day long in the 1948 Leaf Football set. Grading this card would probably upset some high rollers in the Registry. It would most likely be a 1/1. I could be wrong though.

    The Red jersey is the normal card:

    Hey Moose! Rocco! Help the Judge find his checkbook, will ya!
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    handymanhandyman Posts: 5,245 ✭✭✭✭✭

    1979 football cream backs as well

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    1954 Bowman Carl Erskine and Preacher Roe with errant loops from the facsimile signatures of cards above them on printing sheet that were removed early in print run.

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    This one is a stretch because it's so rare but it's cool nonetheless, 1963 Topps Ken Retzer with half of photo missing in inset circle. It is recurring.

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    blurryfaceblurryface Posts: 5,136 ✭✭✭✭✭

    keep it up guys. these are cool!

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    azvikeazvike Posts: 356 ✭✭✭

    @1963ellsworth22and10 said:

    This one is a stretch because it's so rare but it's cool nonetheless, 1963 Topps Ken Retzer with half of photo missing in inset circle. It is recurring.

    This is the famous Retzer NFOF...LOL

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    saucywombatsaucywombat Posts: 1,221 ✭✭✭

    @azvike said:

    @1963ellsworth22and10 said:

    This one is a stretch because it's so rare but it's cool nonetheless, 1963 Topps Ken Retzer with half of photo missing in inset circle. It is recurring.

    This is the famous Retzer NFOF...LOL

    It is the same type of blackness variation as the NNOF

    Always looking for 1993-1999 Baseball Finest Refractors and1994 Football Finest Refractors.
    saucywombat@hotmail.com
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