What is the origin of Barry Bonds Open.Day ERR?

[bobsbbcards]

Originally Posted by RiceBondsMntna2Young

Any worth sending back to PSA for a second look, I mean?

Nope.

[steve B]

I suspect the origin went a bit like this...

Guy messes up and puts the wrong rookie on Bonds card.
Presses roll, cards get printed, rookies get a few sets for themselves.

a short time later
Boss - Hey X (Inset employee name)
X - Yeah?
Boss- You got the wrong picture on one of those cards, and that Bonds kid is PISSED!
X - man, tell him I'm really sorry.
Boss- Yeah, we did. Still mad, the kids a bit of a tool. Said his godfather is Mays, and if we don't change it right away heads will roll.
X - Damn, I guess I'm staying late tonight.

Card gets fixed, Barry is calmed for a while, and collectors get a pretty tough card to chase.

[Mark17]

I was a full time dealer back then and remember breaking 600 sets of those things. I found one Bonds error in 600 sets. But here's the thing - the set also had the regular variation too, and the regular one was in the proper sequence (sorting these sets was easy - they were always in the same order.)

So, my assumption was that it was intentional, and every so often one was added to a factory set just to create hype and spur sales - which it did.

[Republicaninmass]

Very interesting, this was well before any error craze as well. Ive never heard this.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Republicaninmass

Very interesting, this was well before any error craze as well. Ive never heard this.

Errors were pretty hot in 81-82. Fleer and Donruss had ongoing problems getting things right. Then later Fleer had what I believe were shenanigans with a pressman drawing a few pointing hands mostly on the backs. Tons of variations and they were popular for a while.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by steve B

Errors were pretty hot in 81-82. Fleer and Donruss had ongoing problems getting things right. Then later Fleer had what I believe were shenanigans with a pressman drawing a few pointing hands mostly on the backs. Tons of variations and they were popular for a while.

The 82 Topps set had a ton of printing errors also. I started collecting around 85/86 and errors were pretty hot then and that lasted to around 01/02. By the end of that run there was enough error sellers on eBay that they just weren't rare and cool anymore. That was my experience anyway.

[Rich Klein]

Ben:

On the 1982 printing error increase I suspect it had to do with having to print more cards and quicker with less quality control. The hobby growth was there in 1982 and more cards were being produced each year. Plus, that was really the 1st full year of competition. I do realize there were 3 major companies in 1981 but they had limited time to produce sets; 1982 was going to be their year to really challenge Topps.

The result; and this is my opinion only

Topps still had the best set with a nice design. Other than a couple of minor errors which were corrected and those printing errors; a very solid year

Fleer: A terribly produced 2nd set. Look at the Jack Clark card for example of how not to select photos. They did reduce their errors by a ton.

Donruss: A far better card stock and photos than 1981. Again the errors were more limited compared to the rush of the previous year.

White it is possible some of the 1981 errors were "planned" it tis also possible the rushed prep of the 1981 sets caused some of those errors as well.

Regards
Rich

[HasselhoffsCheeseburger]

Originally Posted by Mark17

I was a full time dealer back then and remember breaking 600 sets of those things. I found one Bonds error in 600 sets. But here's the thing - the set also had the regular variation too, and the regular one was in the proper sequence (sorting these sets was easy - they were always in the same order.)

So, my assumption was that it was intentional, and every so often one was added to a factory set just to create hype and spur sales - which it did.

Mark, were both Bonds cards located properly or just the correct one? Bonds is the last card in one of the cello packs so I've always just opened that one pack and stored away the others. You telling me I need to go back and sort through all of them?

Arthur

[glynparson]

Originally Posted by Mark17

I was a full time dealer back then and remember breaking 600 sets of those things. I found one Bonds error in 600 sets. But here's the thing - the set also had the regular variation too, and the regular one was in the proper sequence (sorting these sets was easy - they were always in the same order.)

So, my assumption was that it was intentional, and every so often one was added to a factory set just to create hype and spur sales - which it did.

Every error I have owned about 5-6 i don't remember came from someone who pulled from a set not one person i talked to pulled both versions. Not sure how you got lucky. they were in extremely early cases this was caught almost instantly. Bonds also was nowhere near the big prospect at the time. They would have clearly picked someone else if this was intentional and done with an upcoming prospect. Ah the internet everything is a conspiracy.

[Republicaninmass]

Originally Posted by glynparson

Every error I have owned about 5-6 i don't remember came from someone who pulled from a set not one person i talked to pulled both versions. Not sure how you got lucky. they were in extremely early cases this was caught almost instantly. Bonds also was nowhere near the big prospect at the time. They would have clearly picked someone else if this was intentional and done with an upcoming prospect. Ah the internet everything is a conspiracy.

Hi Glyn, simple answer. He just misremembered.

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by glynparson

Every error I have owned about 5-6 i don't remember came from someone who pulled from a set not one person i talked to pulled both versions. Not sure how you got lucky. they were in extremely early cases this was caught almost instantly. Bonds also was nowhere near the big prospect at the time. They would have clearly picked someone else if this was intentional and done with an upcoming prospect. Ah the internet everything is a conspiracy.

Not saying anything was intentional. Frankly, Bonds was a highly touted rookie, the son of a Major League player, he had speed and power, was the God-son of Willie Mays, etc. A Bonds error or variation would have been far more valuable than a Johnny Ray error which is what this card apparently is, based on my and other peoples' experiences.

I do not recall if there was a corrected Ray card in the set that included my error. I suspect not, after reading all the posts in this thread. I know there was a corrected Bonds as he was one of the cards I was pulling on that break.

It was a cheap basically garbage set when I bought my cases. I pulled the stars and rookies, like Bonds, all the Twins and Tigers because the Twins sets were sold to Shinders (a local magazine/baseball card shop chain in Mpls.) and I had a couple buyers who always wanted my Tigers team sets. But what made the break work was that I was also helping Larry Grossman (Hygrade) by putting together 25-card packs of stars (minor non-premium guys like Winfield, Molitor, Fisk, and so on.) I basically got 2 cents each on all those. Plus Larry was taking all my commons at about half a cent per card. Add to that, the fact it was a simple break with all cards in sequence so I could do them all myself fairly quickly, and it was mildly profitable; definitely worthwhile.

In the end I had exactly 600 Bonds cards (6 100-card lots.)

Sorting that way, shuffling past the commons to the next pull card, I did not notice or care if the corrected Johnny Ray card was there or not. Same with any other common. Again, based on the comments here, the error Ray was probably in place of what should've been a corrected Ray.

What always made me wonder, though, is why there was only one in 600 sets. And I was definitely looking for it. I could see having 39 cases with none and then one case with 15 errors, or something like that, but how did just one error card set end up in that case? As has been pointed out, one would think the error, once caught, would no longer be made.

One other thing I remember - that was the smelliest set I ever broke, to the point where after a few hours, I actually felt a bit ill. Whether it was the smell of fresh ink or the plastic I'm not sure, but it was really an awful smell. Always made me think my cases may have been from a recent print run.

[RiceBondsMntna2Young]

Interesting details, Mark, thanks. Do you remember how you first heard about the error? Was it Beckett, another dealer, a vendor, a customer, or somewhere/one else? Was it common knowledge by the time you found out about it or still very "inside baseball" within the hobby at that time?

Originally Posted by Mark17

Not saying anything was intentional. Frankly, Bonds was a highly touted rookie, the son of a Major League player, he had speed and power, was the God-son of Willie Mays, etc.

Your recollection was that he was highly touted out the gate? I was only a 7yo back then but I don't remember Bonds having even top 10 buzz. I was in the SF Bay Area so that certainly had some effect but he wasn't even on the radar and his dad used to be a star on the SF Giants.

Originally Posted by Mark17

A Bonds error or variation would have been far more valuable than a Johnny Ray error which is what this card apparently is, based on my and other peoples' experiences.

This seems a lot more plausible to me than any intent by Donruss to make an error, which was a theory you floated earlier. Wouldn't it be something if the two most valuable error cards of the 80s turned out to be a case of a printing defect in the case of NNOF and a card that was really a Johnny Ray error masquerading as a Bonds error in the case of Opening Day.

Originally Posted by Mark17

I do not recall if there was a corrected Ray card in the set that included my error. I suspect not, after reading all the posts in this thread. I know there was a corrected Bonds as he was one of the cards I was pulling on that break...Sorting that way, shuffling past the commons to the next pull card, I did not notice or care if the corrected Johnny Ray card was there or not. Same with any other common. Again, based on the comments here, the error Ray was probably in place of what should've been a corrected Ray.

I've seen nothing yet outside of your very vivid recollection to suggest that that's what happened since @dariushou appeared to be 50/50 as to whether it was mean to be a Ray or Bonds card. That you ended up with an even 600 of correct Bonds cards definitely nudges us in the other direction, but is it possible you counted the error as one of the 600?

Originally Posted by Mark17

What always made me wonder, though, is why there was only one in 600 sets. And I was definitely looking for it. I could see having 39 cases with none and then one case with 15 errors, or something like that, but how did just one error card set end up in that case? As has been pointed out, one would think the error, once caught, would no longer be made.

We don't really know how Donruss collated their sets as they were placed into cases, nor do we know how they collated their cards as they were put into sets. I have wondered if we're going to hear about hot cases the way there appeared to be for the NNOF.

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by RiceBondsMntna2Young

Interesting details, Mark, thanks. Do you remember how you first heard about the error? Was it Beckett, another dealer, a vendor, a customer, or somewhere/one else? Was it common knowledge by the time you found out about it or still very "inside baseball" within the hobby at that time?

I was a full time card dealer from the early 1980s through about 1991 (when I started working with/for Brent Lee... and then the 1994 strike killed my business dead and made virtually worthless my remaining inventory.) Carson Ritchey was my partner from 1981-1988 and he was very well connected in southern California, and I was personal friends with the Barnings who published Baseball Hobby News. Any news of a scarcity travelled like lightning. But I don't recall because it wasn't huge news at the time - just something to be aware of.

Originally Posted by RiceBondsMntna2Young

Your recollection was that he was highly touted out the gate? I was only a 7yo back then but I don't remember Bonds having even top 10 buzz. I was in the SF Bay Area so that certainly had some effect but he wasn't even on the radar and his dad used to be a star on the SF Giants.

Each year from 1985-1990 I made an initial order with Topps, usually 300 vending cases, and then I pre-sold cards beginning in November, with the understanding cards would be shipped in April or May after being sorted. We didn't know for sure which rookies would be in the set so sometimes we had to issue refunds. I recall setting the pre-buy price on Bonds somewhere between 40 and 75 cents. Bo Jackson was 1.50, Joyner and Canseco 2.00 each, McGwire 15 cents (that was the bargain as it turned out, though not a true rookie card) and so on. Point is, Bonds was a well above average prospect in November, 1986.

Originally Posted by RiceBondsMntna2Young

This seems a lot more plausible to me than any intent by Donruss to make an error, which was a theory you floated earlier. Wouldn't it be something if the two most valuable error cards of the 80s turned out to be a case of a printing defect in the case of NNOF and a card that was really a Johnny Ray error masquerading as a Bonds error in the case of Opening Day.

Yes I was wrong to say it was likely intentional. Until this conversation started I had always thought of the error as a Bonds card and couldn't explain how they could put 2 Bonds cards - the correct one and the error - in the same set. I figured they just tossed the second, error, one in there as a bonus. Now I believe it was likely an honest mistake and it was there in place of a correct Ray card. Why I only found one though, from 40 factory sealed set cases, still seems odd.

[Kzoo]

Originally Posted by Mark17

I was a full time dealer back then and remember breaking 600 sets of those things. I found one Bonds error in 600 sets. But here's the thing - the set also had the regular variation too, and the regular one was in the proper sequence (sorting these sets was easy - they were always in the same order.)

So, my assumption was that it was intentional, and every so often one was added to a factory set just to create hype and spur sales - which it did.

John...........According to Mark in a post above, just because the first box of the case didn't have the error, that didn't mean the next 14 boxes were going to be the same way. I went off his experience and gave it a shot.

[callou2131]

I remember 1989 with the Upper deck Murphy Error and riken FF error being on absolute fire. The next year 1990, and you cant convince me otherwise, Donruss and fleer intentionally made as many errors as possible to boost their wax sales. 1 remember donruss had The nolan Ryan errors, every all star card had at least 1 error, Juan Gonzalez reverse neg (ala Murphy) they had line throughs etc. it was nuts. Score had the bill spiers error of his birth year being 66 instead of 1966, the sandberg error, fleer had a bunch most notability the ripken 332 error, Upper deck had the Big rookie that year Ben Mcdonald. Cant convince me that they werent intentional.

[hockeyhockey]

new to the forum, just wanted to confirm - this bonds error card is only found in opening day sets? don't want to waste some $ on a wax box assuming that's true. thanks!

[swarmee]

It's a Donruss Opening Day card; both the Error and Corrected versions can only be found in the boxed set.