Classifying factory sets and factory set exclusives

[Hollywood42]

Would love to get some thoughts on any like minded collectors hyper-fixated on proper/logical classification of cards

Background: Working on my ultimate Twins inventorying project of putting together a master checklist of all Twins cards ever created. I am trying to be very specific with how I categorize each card (i.e. this card belongs to this subset, from this set, from this year). But cards that were released in both pack form as well as via factory sets are causing some back and forth in my mind that I'm not sure which way I want to go with yet.

I see 3 main use cases that I'm trying to determine:

1. Pack versions and factory set versions have no distinction. Example: any Topps flagship card from the past several years. For these, I don't see a reason (or ability) to consider the pack version vs factory set version as distinct cards from each other, and only 1 card needs to be logged. No problem here

2. Pack versions and factory set versions are different. Example: some 80s/90s Donruss cards have distinctions between their pack form and factory set form, such as card orientation, or slight differences in the border pattern. I know I want to classify these as two distinct cards, but should they both be considered to belong to, for example, "1990 Donruss" ("base" and "factory set" subsets), or should the pack version belong to "1990 Donruss" and the factory set version to "1990 Donruss Factory Set"?

3. Factory set exclusives. Example: Flagship foilboard parallels from the past several years. Or, factory set releases that parallel another release, i.e. Topps Tiffany. These types of cards are certainly distinct and should be listed as unique cards. This topic likely is determined by the answer to #2. But same question there, should these factory set exclusives belong to the main parent release, i.e. "2022 Topps" (foilboard subset), or to a unique factory set release, i.e. "2022 Topps Factory Set" (foilboard subset)?

So far, my thinking has been to classify them as different sets entirely (i.e. "2022 Topps" and "2022 Topps Factory Set" rather than one set and distinct subsets, i.e. "2022 Topps - Factory Set"). Since they are different cards and released in different formats (and sometimes at completely different times), that makes sense to me. And that's pretty easy for something like Topps Tiffany sets that were not available in packs, were not inserts to factory sets, and are clear, distinct cards from the pack versions. However it gets blurrier when considering the 80s/90s Donruss factory set versions that may not have been clear intentionally distinct cards. And part of me wants to classify them all under the same set and just consider them to be sibling subsets so like cards get grouped together. Although there are some modern examples that turn even this into a slippery slope, such as Home Run Challenge Winners...

Definitely minor nuances, but it's something I'd like to be able to settle on an answer for, and so far haven't been able to make up my mind. Curious for any thoughts anyone may have!

[G1911]

1 I would not categorize at all. I use a card based standard - is the card discernibly different from other cards? Whether it came from a hobby pack, a blaster box, a gravity feed pack, a retail box, a hangar box or a jumbo hobby pack or a factory set is irrelevant. If the card is not discernibly different, it is the same card.

2 I categorize as the same set, just a variation of the card. Donruss base - card #1A and 1B.

3. Genuinely different cards.

[Zach Wheat]

Are you considering regional, candy or promo sets i.e 1971 Milk Duds or '75 Twinkies?

[darkhorse9]

I'll add a question to you. Do you consider the different 1977 Hostess Twinkies cards as different cards or one card.
One is from single serve Ho-Ho, one from Suzy Q and one from Snoballs.
Same card but different distribution from the same company.

[Hollywood42]

For #3, by genuinely different cards do you mean also as genuinely different sets? That's the main question I'm really trying to dig into here, i.e. "Donruss - Factory Set" vs "Donruss Factory Set"

Originally Posted by G1911

1 I would not categorize at all. I use a card based standard - is the card discernibly different from other cards? Whether it came from a hobby pack, a blaster box, a gravity feed pack, a retail box, a hangar box or a jumbo hobby pack or a factory set is irrelevant. If the card is not discernibly different, it is the same card.

2 I categorize as the same set, just a variation of the card. Donruss base - card #1A and 1B.

3. Genuinely different cards.

Yep, definitely counting those in my project. Those are pretty clearly distinct releases though, so no issues on this topic there

Originally Posted by Zach Wheat

Are you considering regional, candy or promo sets i.e 1971 Milk Duds or '75 Twinkies?

[Hollywood42]

Good question. I'm trying to capture every distinct card as best as I can. This is a good example of getting into that sort of gray area with how specific you want to be. For me, since the actual card is the same, I don't feel I need to make a distinction between the various snack packages

The exception would be the small text variations (shoutout to your post from a few years ago that was extremely helpful IDing these. Since this is an actual variation, I'd consider that to be a unique card. But if (I don't know, just for example) the Twinkies card was the same was the Ho-Ho version (even if the packaging is different), I can consider both of those the same

Originally Posted by darkhorse9

I'll add a question to you. Do you consider the different 1977 Hostess Twinkies cards as different cards or one card.
One is from single serve Ho-Ho, one from Suzy Q and one from Snoballs.
Same card but different distribution from the same company.

[steve B]

I think how you categorize them would depend on if you're including additional info about the set or subset.

The ones where it's not really possible to tell if the card came from any particular product I don't see much benefit to listing other than the base set. But I would try to track what different products were issued.

For ones like the Donruss where the pack issued cards and the factory set issued cards are different I would track them as different sets.

Factory set exclusives I would also consider to be their own sets, just like so many other exclusives available only in a particular product, and often only from a particular retailer.

I think in some cases, it may be possible to tell factory set cards from pack issued cards, but it just isn't known because of lack of anyone keeping track or not even checking.


And, how crazy will you get tracking production diffrences.
Like the 3 different die cuts on 88 Score, Three different ways gloss was put on the backs of 93 Upper deck, other years besides 91 Topps having backs that react to UV... etc.

I don't think it matters much which method you use, as long as it stays consistent so you don't have things like "i list only these sorts of things, in this way except 91 topps which is a complete mess so I list it a different way"


I've been considering doing a catalog that covers that stuff, and the method I like is used by one of the stamp catalogs. For complex issues they show the basic set, with usually the very obvious differences. The next two or more pages are the "detailed listing" which includes differences that are far less obvious, and rarely, further info about where to find even more detailed information for specialists - One set has a book showing hundreds of plate flaws. So may they had to come up with a location coding scheme... Yeah, even I think thats crazy, but I own that book, so....

[G1911]

Originally Posted by Hollywood42

For #3, by genuinely different cards do you mean also as genuinely different sets? That's the main question I'm really trying to dig into here, i.e. "Donruss - Factory Set" vs "Donruss Factory Set"



Yep, definitely counting those in my project. Those are pretty clearly distinct releases though, so no issues on this topic there

Donruss - Factory set is how I do it. My spreadsheet categorizes our hypothetical like this:

Year Set Parallel
2023 Topps Factory Set Foilboard

There are different inserts in hobby and retail packs, but they are both 2023 Topps Base. Same with the factory set inserts, it’s the same set just one of 100 parallel variations. Same set, different card is how most treat them and it makes sense to me. There’s many methods of distribution, but it’s designed and marketed as the same set.

[Hollywood42]

Thanks for the added thoughts. For some reason, I've been kind of feeling like it gets harder for me to treat them as the same set if the factory set has multiple different variations available, i.e. 2023 Topps factory sets that have Foilboard (hobby), Foilboard (retail), Gold Star, Orange Star, etc. But thinking through it, your point that they were designed and marketed as part of the same set makes sense to me. And very good point that there are hobby only and retail only parallels out there that are accepted as belonging to the same set without question. Exactly the type of thinking I was hoping to come across

Originally Posted by G1911

Donruss - Factory set is how I do it. My spreadsheet categorizes our hypothetical like this:

Year Set Parallel
2023 Topps Factory Set Foilboard

There are different inserts in hobby and retail packs, but they are both 2023 Topps Base. Same with the factory set inserts, it’s the same set just one of 100 parallel variations. Same set, different card is how most treat them and it makes sense to me. There’s many methods of distribution, but it’s designed and marketed as the same set.

Good thoughts here too, appreciate it. My database is set up so that I can add extra information about a set, subset, card, etc if I want (i.e. production/distribution details), but I don't need to and don't by default. Agreed that ultimately so long as I come up with something that makes sense and is consistent, it works either way. So far just haven't entirely been able to make up my mind on that yet!

Originally Posted by steve B

I think how you categorize them would depend on if you're including additional info about the set or subset.

The ones where it's not really possible to tell if the card came from any particular product I don't see much benefit to listing other than the base set. But I would try to track what different products were issued.

For ones like the Donruss where the pack issued cards and the factory set issued cards are different I would track them as different sets.

Factory set exclusives I would also consider to be their own sets, just like so many other exclusives available only in a particular product, and often only from a particular retailer.

I think in some cases, it may be possible to tell factory set cards from pack issued cards, but it just isn't known because of lack of anyone keeping track or not even checking.


And, how crazy will you get tracking production diffrences.
Like the 3 different die cuts on 88 Score, Three different ways gloss was put on the backs of 93 Upper deck, other years besides 91 Topps having backs that react to UV... etc.

I don't think it matters much which method you use, as long as it stays consistent so you don't have things like "i list only these sorts of things, in this way except 91 topps which is a complete mess so I list it a different way"


I've been considering doing a catalog that covers that stuff, and the method I like is used by one of the stamp catalogs. For complex issues they show the basic set, with usually the very obvious differences. The next two or more pages are the "detailed listing" which includes differences that are far less obvious, and rarely, further info about where to find even more detailed information for specialists - One set has a book showing hundreds of plate flaws. So may they had to come up with a location coding scheme... Yeah, even I think thats crazy, but I own that book, so....