New variation discovered in 1971 Topps

[cardinalcollector]

Actually, I discovered this variation in the summer of 1976. I was a 15 year old baseball card collector and a columnist for Sports Collectors News. I had a column called "Randy's Ramblings"

Well, I was reading some of my old columns tonight and I ran across an interesting article I wrote about the sheer number of baseball card sets issued in a year. 1976. There was over 30! LOL. That was a lot back then.

I was very into errors and variations back then, always searching for them.

The variation is: #85 Billy Grabarkewitz, comes with a red sun or a yellow sun. Very distinct colors. The yellow is much harder to find. Here is a copy of my article from 1976 and links to both variations found randomly on Ebay.

Somehow this was never cataloged in Beckett, SCD, or anywhere else and I had totally forgotten about it. Have at it boys!

Red: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1971-Topps-...cAAOSwWv5aEHo3

Yellow: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1971-Topps-...19.m1438.l2649

[bobsbbcards]

[toppcat]

Interesting Randy. Not sure that's the sun though? In any event the colors certainly are distinct.

[ALR-bishop]

I do have this one Randy. It has been sold by some sellers on eBay as a variation but is usually referred to as a red dot versus white dot variant. Maybe a dwarf star ? :-) Yours does look more yellow . As I recall there may be other 71s with similar differences. Will check my set.

[cardinalcollector]

Well, maybe its not the sun, but surely a color difference that appears to have been made intentionally.

When I posted, there were more than 190 Grabarkewitz cards on Ebay and COMC, with none stating a variation, nor in the Beckett and SCD Almanacs.

I just thought it was interesting, should have known you guys knew about it.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by cardinalcollector

Well, maybe its not the sun, but surely a color difference that appears to have been made intentionally.

When I posted, there were more than 190 Grabarkewitz cards on Ebay and COMC, with none stating a variation, nor in the Beckett and SCD Almanacs.

I just thought it was interesting, should have known you guys knew about it.

These guys are collecting addicts, what did you expect?

[ALR-bishop]

One of the problems of trying to limit the definition of a "true variation" to intentional change is determining when in fact a difference in cards results from an intentional act by the printer or an unintentional temporary printing defect.

Sometimes such differences can be the result of a DP. Should such recurring differences be treated as variations and if so who decides that ?

It does not matter much to me because I collect them either way. It does matter from a value standpoint because if recognized by a major catalog or PSA master collectors who might otherwise ignore them then need them.

There is no doubt some lesser differences and recurring print defects have been recognized by the hobby in the past. A scroll through the never ending variation thread in here shows there is no shortage of additional candidates.