SGC Got It Right - Ken Griffey Jr. Buyback 2/10

[ATP]

Just thought I would mention that I used to own one of these, probably eight or so years ago. I just went back and checked my records and it was numbered 9/10. Sorry I unfortunately do not have a scan of it.

[SyrNy1960]

This is definitely a mystery that I will continue to try to figure out. At this point, the facts are there were no Ken Griffey Jr. 1997 SP Autograph 1996 Upper Deck SP Buyback cards numbered to 10; only numbered to 312. I contacted Upper Deck and they could only verify the Upper Deck Hologram Number BAE12239 as a buyback card.

The reason SGC didn't authenticate the card as a 1997 SP Autograph Buyback card is because the COA card wasn't submitted with the card. Beckett does the same thing.

The 1997 SP Autograph Buyback cards came with a secondary COA card (like this Arod one). So many collectors lost or misplaced the COA card, and since Upper Deck lost their database for these cards, Upper Deck Customer Service will verify via email the cards as buyback cards, but can't be more specific. That part is definitely frustrating.

[SyrNy1960]

So, after further research, I found two 1997 SP Vintage Autograph Buyback cards that did not have handwritten serial numbers on them. One 1995 SP Ken Griffey Jr. (BAE 12394) and one 1996 SP Ken Griffey Jr. (BAE 12144). Both were most likely signed replacement cards, hence no handwritten serial numbers. I will continue my research on these cards.

[SyrNy1960]

Well, after more research, I found a 1997 SP Vintage Autograph Ken Griffey Jr. Buyback Card 5/10. Both the 2/10 and 5/10 are in the same handwriting. Although Upper Deck doesn't have record of these cards with a production run of 10, it seems at some point, they did do a run of 10.

Randall, good job on your thoughts and assessment on these cards!

Upper Deck didn't do that great of a job with quality control and documenting these cards properly.

[mrmopar]

Maybe they were special gifts to a few select people and not distributed via packouts? I have seen at least one person post something online related to Griffey that he said UD had sent him at some point. Could have been contest winners, VIPs, back-doored executive/proof type cards...really could have been anything the imagine could think up as to why or how an otherwise unknown card appears. As you said, the card makers really didn't care all that much about keeping solid records on that kind of stuff anyway, so there will likely continue to be these little mysteries that pop up now and again.

[SyrNy1960]

Originally Posted by mrmopar

Maybe they were special gifts to a few select people and not distributed via packouts? I have seen at least one person post something online related to Griffey that he said UD had sent him at some point. Could have been contest winners, VIPs, back-doored executive/proof type cards...really could have been anything the imagine could think up as to why or how an otherwise unknown card appears. As you said, the card makers really didn't care all that much about keeping solid records on that kind of stuff anyway, so there will likely continue to be these little mysteries that pop up now and again.

Thanks!