1982 Fleer Test Cards.....

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Posted By: Glen Turner

I recently saw a list of the rare sets that Bob Fisk collects and saw the 1982 Fleer Test Cards. I have a few of these cards and did some research. The SCD 2008 Catalog says the cards are blank backed. My cards have backs without the yellow & red colors.
Can anyone give me any information on these.

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Posted By: Bob

Glen,

You got me so curious, I dug out all the '82 Fleer Test cards I had and checked their backs. All of them were blank. I'm jealous.

Thanks for posting those! I've never seen them with backs. Interesting how SGC labeled them.

Bob

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Posted By: Paul

Bob, are these the same things as the 1982 Fleer unissued proofs that are listed in the Standard Catalog? Do you have any of those?

[Archive]

Posted By: Bob

Paul,

No, they're not the same as the '82 Fleer proofs. The test cards all say "Test Card" in black across the player's name. The '82 Proofs don't have the "Test Card" label.

Another difference is that on the proof cards, the player's name matches the picture. On the test cards, it's hit and miss. The only player's whose name matches the picture are Steve Stone, Tony Armas, Rick Honeycutt, and everybody on the last two rows of the sheet (or at least 18 of the 22 cards, 4 have no name).

From SCD:
1982 Fleer Test Cards
To test a proposed cardboard stock from International Paper Co., a run of 100 sheets of test cards was printed and delivered to Fleer officials. The cards on the sheet include various combinations, incorrect picture/name combinations and cards with no player identification. All cards have the words "TEST CARD" overprinted in black in the player identification area at the bottom center, along with the letters "o", "n" or both vertically at the left end of the oblong. Backs are blank (BF: at least some are). At least half of the 132-card test sheets have made their way into the hobby where they are offered both as complete sheets and as hand-cut single cards or panels. A number of the photos seen on the test cards did not appear in Fleer's 1982 card set. Each of the 66 cards is double-printed on the sheet.

Bob

[Archive]

Posted By: Paul

Thanks, Bob. I've been looking for the Seaver unissued proof since 1982 but have never found one for sale -- or any of the other unissued proofs from that set.

[Sandlingtonfoot]

I have a 1982 Fleer Cal Ripken Jr card that says Test on the front, has the O on the left hand side of the oblong and has the stats on the back, but it is white in the middle. I have known very little about this card until I have read this posting. I am reading that the test cards were blank on the back and the pictures didn't match the faces? Any more information regarding the Ripken Test card?

[bobsbbcards]

Originally Posted by Sandlingtonfoot

I have a 1982 Fleer Cal Ripken Jr card that says Test on the front, has the O on the left hand side of the oblong and has the stats on the back, but it is white in the middle. I have known very little about this card until I have read this posting. I am reading that the test cards were blank on the back and the pictures didn't match the faces? Any more information regarding the Ripken Test card?

Sounds like your card matches the SGC 40 shown in the first post. Just to clarify your "pictures don't match the faces" comment--that's true for a good portion of the cards in the set, but not all of them. For instance, Cal Ripken has a test card with the correct name (i.e., the one you have) as well as one with the incorrect name (Dave Ford). I would think they're both equally rare, but the Ripken/Ripken card sells for more.

Here's the checklist for this set (row of card on uncut sheet/column on uncut sheet/card name/player pictured):

1/1/Jon Matlack/Steve Christmas
1/2/Wayne Gross/Jose Brito
1/3/Mario Mendoza/John Lickert
1/4/Mike Heath/Daryl Sconiers
1/5/Bump Wills/Lee Mazzilli
1/6/Steve McCatty/Jose Rodriguez
1/7/Steve Stone/Steve Stone
1/8/No Name/Brian Harper
1/9/Dennis Martinez/Cubs Player
1/10/No Name/Julio Valdez
1/11/Jim Palmer/Del Unser
2/1/Billy Sample/Bill Doran
2/2/Tony Armas/Tony Armas
2/3/Rick Honeycutt/Rick Honeycutt
2/4/Cliff Jackson/Tim Ireland
2/5/John Ellis/Floyd Rayford
2/6/Dave McKay/Jim Wright
2/7/Ken Singleton/Larry Milbourne
2/8/No Name/Steve Balboni
2/9/John Lowenstein/Mickey Mahler
2/10/No Name/Ty Waller
2/11/Doug DeCinces/Mike Patterson
3/1/Mickey Rivers/Pat Putnam
3/2/Rickey Henderson/Mike Norris
3/3/Jim Sundberg/Jim Kern
3/4/Bob Owchinko/Fred Stanley
3/5/Buddy Bell/Danny Darwin
3/6/Shooty Babbitt/Rick Langford
3/7/Sammy Stewart/Tony Martinez
3/8/No Name/Juan Eichelberger
3/9/Lenn Sakata/Eddie Murray
3/10/No Name/Juan Bonilla
3/11/Benny Ayala/Terry Crowley
4/1/Al Oliver/Bill Stein
4/2/Dwayne Murphy/Matt Keough
4/3/Leon Roberts/John Grubb
4/4/Rob Picciolo/Brian Kingman
4/5/Mark Wagner/Steve Comer
4/6/Jeff Jones/Jeff Neumann
4/7/Tim Stoddard/Mike Flanagan
4/8/No Name/John Urrea
4/9/Rick Dempsey/Mark Belanger
4/10/No Name/Luis Salazar
4/11/Dave Ford/Cal Ripken
5/1/Pat Putnam/Pat Putnam
5/2/Mike Norris/Mike Norris
5/3/Jim Kern/Jim Kern
5/4/Fred Stanley/Fred Stanley
5/5/Danny Darwin/Danny Darwin
5/6/Rick Langford/Rick Langford
5/7/Tippy Martinez/Tippy Martinez
5/8/No Name/Juan Eichelberger
5/9/Eddie Murray/Eddie Murray
5/10/No Name/Juan Bonilla
5/11/Terry Crowley/Terry Crowley
6/1/Bill Stein/Bill Stein
6/2/Matt Keough/Matt Keough
6/3/John Grubb/John Grubb
6/4/Brian Kingman/Brian Kingman
6/5/Steve Comer/Steve Comer
6/6/Jeff Neumann/Jeff Neumann
6/7/Mike Flanagan/Mike Flanagan
6/8/No Name/John Urrea
6/9/Mark Belanger/Mark Belanger
6/10/No Name/Luis Salazar
6/11/Cal Ripken/Cal Ripken

Many of the cards in the last two rows (5/1 through 6/11) have minor cropping variations compared to the same cards in the previous two rows (3/1 through 4/11).

The first two rows (1/1 through 2/11) have a single "n" at the left of the oblong. The next two rows (3/1 through 4/11) have "o" and "n" at the left of the oblong. The last two rows (5/1 through 6/11) have a single "o" at the left of the oblong.

[Sandlingtonfoot]

Yes, the card looks like the 40 listed above on the front and has his matching name on the back. The middle is white instead of the traditional yellow from the 82 Fleer. Do you know how many of these exist and roughly a value?