1982 Topps #342 George Foster AS Error
 

Hello all.. new to the forums here. Looking for some clarification on this card if someone can help.

In many places on the net and within the Standard Catalog I see this card listed as the following:
#342a - George Foster AS ERR (No Auto on front)
#342b - George Foster AS (Auto on front)

All cards in the set have autos EXCEPT the All-Star cards. My question is why would the version WITHOUT the auto be listed as the ERR and the card with the auto be the seemingly correct version when all other AS cards don't include the auto on front?

This is confusing me a bit. Any ideas? Appreciate the help!

-Rob

Not sure why it would be listed that way. The non auto version was always tough back in the day.

It's probably based on the scarcity of it all. The incorrect version with the autograph on it was printed first and is 1,000 times more easier to find than the version with the signature removed. So the rarer card without the autograph on it became the de facto 'error' version.

Topps 1982 Foster card
 

Actually, in the 2012 SCD Standard catalog, the last year it included post 1980 listings, it does not list the Foster AS card as an error, but rather a variation. It is a little complicated because the Foster card is also in the 1982 Topps Blackless error/variation set ( black ink ran out in printing press). Many of these card were distributed in packs and the set is listed separately in SCD. So there is a 3d version of the Foster card

Here are the three versions of this card. I pulled the auto and non-auto versions from packs in 1982. The blackless version came from ebay.

the 3 Fosters
 

You are a good man, Doug, no matter what the others may say

Thank you kindly gents. I guess i'm getting hung up on the Standard Catalog's numbering system. In my mind the B version would be the Corrected version which in this case would be the non-Auto. Perhaps the Standard Catalog is not really listing them in a particular order.

I appreciate your input. Thank you all!