The 1990 Topps baseball card set had its fair share of error cards that have become highly sought after by collectors. Produced during the height of the baseball card boom of the late 1980s and early 1990s, Topps printed millions of packs yet some mistakes slipped through that have incredible collector value today for the rarest finds. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of the most noteworthy error cards from the 1990 Topps flagship baseball card release.
Perhaps the most famous error from the set is the Andy Van Slyke card with no photo (#390). Van Slyke’s player information is on the front but no image of the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder is present. Only a handful are believed to exist in collectors’ hands making it amongst the most valuable 1990 Topps cards one can acquire. Another spectacular error missing the player photo is the Jim Deshaies (#531) card for the Houston Astros pitcher. Even rarer is the Andy McGaffigan (#394) error which has a backwards image of McGaffigan in a San Diego Padres uniform despite being traded mid-season to the Oakland Athletics.
Printing anomalies created variations in card design that are also eagerly collected. The Ken Oberkfell (#223) error has a blank white box where the team logo usually appears. The Randy Ready (#384) error shows him as a Pittsburgh Pirates player but the small team logo at the bottom correctly indicates he was dealt to the New York Mets during the 1990 season. Meanwhile, the Dennis Lamp (#388) error identifies him as a Detroit Tiger but depicts him in a Montreal Expos uniform pointing out the mixed messaging.
Color variations among error cards demonstrate issues during the printing run as well. The Gregg Jefferies (#333) card exhibits a dramatically darker blue colored border compared to the standard issue. Another memorable color error is the Orel Hershiser (#81) card where the blue tint is much paler. The Scott Bankhead (#234) card stands out for having an off-white border rather than the customary white. Topps also made mistakes in the placement of embedded logos. The Luis Quinones (#592) error presents the Pittsburgh Pirates logo dramatically higher than usual.
Numbering irregularities distinguish other noteworthy 1990 Topps mistakes. The John Cummings (#555) card was mistakenly labeled #555 despite the fact John Cummings actual printed number was #175. Meanwhile, the Tom Herr (#592) card was incorrectly numbered #592 when his assigned number was #535, showing two players received each other’s numbers by accident. Perhaps the most bizarre numbering mismatch is seen on the John Henry Johnson (#579) error which has Johnson’s correct picture and information yet the number #1 was oddly added to the front of his printed #579 designation.
Rare find errors like sticker auto substitutions are especially prized. The Mel Hall (#293) error has future Hall of Famer Eddie Murray’s autographed sticker affixed instead of Mel Hall’s. Meanwhile, the Pat Tabler (#583) error displays Dale Murphy’s autographed sticker by mistake. The Jeff Treadway (#569) error features an extraneous black ink scribble running through the middle of the card front not found on the standard issue.
One of the most amusing 1990 Topps blunders shows up on the Curt Young (#473) error card. Due to an apparent printing plate misalignment, part of the back of the next card titled “What’s in a Name” is visible through the front of Young’s card providing a comical two-for-one experience. Another humorous gaffe is found on the Jeff Reardon (#212) error which identifies him as playing for the “Mets” despite his actual team being the Boston Red Sox in 1990 under the misprint.
As the flagship nostalgia product for the baseball card market during its heyday, errors and variations within the 1990 Topps set hold immense allure for collectors today. Finding these rare miscut, misprinted, wrong number, missing image and material substitution mistakes in mint condition is the Holy Grail for completionists. With the original 660 card base set including over a dozen well-documented errors dispersed across low production print runs, these specialized 1990 Topps anomalies continue to escalate greatly in secondary market value. For aficionados of the era and detail-oriented fans of the hobby, 1990 Topps error cards represent the most elusive chase in the entire set.
