The 1991 Upper Deck baseball card set is one of the most iconic and valuable sets in the modern baseball card era. While the set is famous for its innovations in design and quality, it also contained several production errors that are highly sought after by collectors. These printing mistakes and variations make certain 1991 Upper Deck cards quite rare and valuable.
One of the most famous errors from the 1991 Upper Deck set involves the card of Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Roberto Alomar. On Alomar’s base card, the text on the back lists his position as “2B/OF”. On about one in every six packs produced, the back of Alomar’s card incorrectly lists his position simply as “OF”. This minor error creates a significant jump in the card’s value, with graded PSA 10 or BGS 9.5 versions selling for thousands of dollars due to the card’s rarity.
Another key Roberto Alomar error card involves an omission of information rather than incorrect data. On this rare variation, Alomar’s card is missing the paragraph of career highlights text found on the standard issue version. Only a small number of these “missing text” Alomar rookie cards are believed to exist in collectors’ hands today, making them exceptionally scarce and valuable.
Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett also has errors that appear on his 1991 Upper Deck rookie card. In one variation, Puckett is listed as playing for the “Minessota Twins” rather than the Minnesota Twins due to a minor typo. Less commonly, his rookie card can be found with either his first name or last name completely missing from the front of the card. These Puckett name errors have sold for over $10,000 when graded and preserved in pristine condition.
In addition to errors involving player names and stats, the 1991 Upper Deck set contained variations in image positioning as well. For example, rookie cards of Alex Rodriguez and David Justice were produced with the player’s photograph appearing either higher or lower than usual within the borders of the card front. The image positioning mistakes create noticeable differences that collectors seek out.
Perhaps the most dramatic printing error from 1991 Upper Deck involves Nolan Ryan’s record-breaking 300th career victory card. In the highly unusual error version, Ryan is shown celebrating his achievement while wearing the jersey of the California Angels even though he pitched the landmark win as a member of the Texas Rangers in 1990. This one-of-a-kind error card recently sold at auction for over $31,000.
Errors in photography and graphical elements occurred as well. The Mike Greenwell and Tom Candiotti rookie cards exist with image glare defects caused by printer problems that create distinctive hologram-like textures on some versions. Meanwhile, the back of Jeff Reardon’s card shows the save leaders list misprinted directly on top of his career stats, cramming the data together illegibly.
Even manufacturing defects not directly related to card content can make certain 1991 Upper Deck cards very collectible. Examples include miscuts where the image or text extend beyond the normal borders, popped bubbles with indentations, off-centered packaging, and missing or multiple foil logos. One of the scarcest variations has the fronts and backs of cards printed on different stock or shades of cardboard altogether.
While errors usually decrease card values for most sets, the rarities and variations in the 1991 Upper Deck release have captivated collectors and drove prices higher. The stringent quality control during production also make errors quite uncommon, further increasing demand. For some like the Alomar missing text card, flawless examples have reached the six-figure price range. Overall, 1991 Upper Deck error cards represent some of the most extraordinary and valuable finds for enthusiasts of the pioneering baseball card issue.
