1971 Topps #512 Variation?
 

I was going through my '71 Topps inventory and noticed a color variation on card #512 - Red Sox rookies. The name blocks are usually red but I have a version that is clearly orange, similar to the color differences on the checklists. This card has probably been in my '71's since purchased from wax packs and doesn't appear to be sun bleached or otherwise artificially altered. Has anyone seen this variation before?

Color variation like that is fairly common in cards from the 50s-90s. There are people that search sites to find cards with that much difference to buy. Then they lie and call them some extremely rare color variation when they list them for sale at a crazy inflated price.

Nice thing is that there was a red color pass, because you can see it in the Boston logo and Rawlings glove.

You also have to be careful on the "color" variations to see if the variation is a printing issue or one caused by too much exposure to light. Light can be either sunlight or light in stores, etc.

That does occur and in the past 20 years has definitely affected a bunch of autographed cards.

Rich

That seems a bit harsh Ben, if PSA can recognize a small green smudge in the bottom of a baseball on the back of a 1961 card as a variation needed for a master set then who can blame sellers for trying to get ahead of the curve in recognizing future rare and valuable variations :)

Who would think today that print defects like the 58 Herrer and 57 Bakep and 52 Campos would be worth big bucks ?

I collect 1971 errors and freaks. This one is a misprint, missing some of the red. You might get a few bucks from a specialist in the set who collects print freaks, but not a big ticket item since it is a subtle error. Collectors prize the real FUBAR cards that are wrong no matter how you look at them:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...rehead%201.JPG
https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...nt%20brand.jpg
https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...ank%20back.JPG

Funny thing about the Brand card. Everything is triple registered. In addition to picture, text on border is blurred, but the signature is in tact. Wonder why.

Because the signature is just one color (black) so there is no other color pass to shift. Just my guess.

Got it in one!