Obscenity/advertising editing on cards through the years
 

Here is another recent JunkWaxGems article I wrote (includes links to a few others who've covered the topic previously) on the topic of edited/airbrushed cards. I've long been attracted to the Fleer Randy Johnson varieties and I fondly recall sorting through tons of junk wax 20+ years ago hoping to find others. Over the years I've slowly found other examples though none to the degree of effort that Fleer made that year.

Pre-1989 Fleer Randy Johnson Marlboro Sign Coverups And A Look At Some Other Edited Cards

If you have other examples, please share, I'd love to continue building this entry with as much of them as possible (credited to you, of course). I'm currently keeping it at 1977 through 1995 but not inflexible about that.

Great article. I've always found it interesting how they went to the trouble of editing signs out of some cards, when there are literally hundreds of clearly visible alcohol/tobacco signs in other cards from the same company in the same era.

Football related - One card I have always been curious about is the 1991 Upper Deck Fred Marion. The photo used is from the play where John Taylor's belt became undone. A photo from this play (but slightly different angle) was used on his 1990 Pro Set card for which there is a belt and no belt variation. Could a belt variation also exist of the 1991 Upper Deck?

Details escape me right now, but I recall a 1973 card where a guy in the background was grabbing his crotch. Can't recall if that was ever corrected.

There was a card where the button on the players pants was edited out in later versions because it looked odd.

Also, of course there always the infamous C-3PO card. But that's a discussion for another forum.

To me, this just suggests that there was no "undone belt" but a practical joke via Pro Set. I do not see any signs of editing where the belt would be visible. Obviously cant be 100% sure but I've always struggled with the belt story. I've looked at so many John Taylor (and Rice) photos and I just havent seen anything matching that shape/size/placment on the 1990 Marion card.

They did the same thing on the 1989 Score Paul Gibson.

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/gOUAA...X/s-l1600.webp