The 1997 Topps baseball card set featured several interesting error cards that are highly sought after by collectors. As with any mainstream baseball card release, a handful of production mistakes and variations manage to slip through quality control each year. The ’97 Topps errors stand out though as some of the more significant and valuable errors produced in the modern era.
The first and arguably most famous error from the 1997 Topps set involves Yankees star shortstop Derek Jeter’s rookie card. On some printings of card #250, Derek Jeter’s name was misspelled as “Derek Jeters.” It is estimated that roughly one in every 10,000 packs contained the misspelled variation. Given Topps printed over 720 million cards that year, it is believed somewhere around 72 of the misprint rookie cards exist. In near mint condition, examples of the “Derek Jeters” card regularly fetch over $10,000 at auction.
Another significant name error occurred on Reds pitcher Jeff Shaw’s card. On a small number of #634 cards, Shaw’s last name was printed incorrectly as “Shsww.” The misspelling is very subtle and is a true ‘typo’ error that wasn’t noticed until years later. Graded examples of the rare “Shsww” card have sold for $2,000-$4,000 depending on condition. The scarcity and subtlety of this error make it highly coveted.
One of the most remarkable 1997 Topps errors has to do with a missing photo entirely. Future Hall of Famer Mike Piazza’s card #99 was mistakenly printed with a blank white space where his image should be. Only a handful are believed to exist with the factory mistake. In the years since, graded Piazza “Blank Face” errors have sold for over $6,000 each. Finding an ungraded example in a pack would be considered the error card find of a lifetime.
Some 1997 Topps errors involve mistakes with player photos being switched. Cardinals ace Matt Morris’ image was replaced with that of Reds reliever Jeff Shaw on card #148. Similarly, Reds outfielder Kevin Barker’s photo replaced Morris on Shaw’s actual card #634. These swapped photo variations are relatively common errors seen throughout the decades of Topps production runs. Still, graded examples regularly sell for $300-$600 given the nostalgia associated with 1990s baseball cards.
One of the funniest 1997 Topps errors occurred with Astros pitcher Billy Wagner’s card. On some printings of #321, Wagner’s face was replaced by an image of former NFL quarterback Joe Montana. No explanation exists for how Montana ended up on a baseball card instead of Wagner. The rarity, humor, and nostalgia factor associated with the “Joe Montana Billy Wagner” error result in strong collector demand. Pristine specimens have reached $1,500 at auction.
Beyond name and photo mix-ups, another type of 1997 Topps error involved missing or incorrect statistics on the back of certain cards. The back of Astros slugger Jeff Bagwell’s card #239 was missing his career stats entirely on some printings. Similarly, rookie Diamondbacks pitcher Brian Anderson’s card #600 had his stats swapped with that of White Sox pitcher Jason Bere. Errors involving missing or wrong stats tend to be some of the harder production mistakes for collectors to identify.
The notoriety of the 1997 Topps errors can be attributed to multiple factors. The mainstream popularity of 1990s baseball cards at the time means more collectors were actively opening and preserving packs compared to past decades. Key rookie cards like Derek Jeter’s also drive additional scrutiny from card historians. Perhaps most importantly, the advent of the internet allowed error discoveries and distributions to be efficiently shared among the tight-knit hobby community. All of this has cemented several 1997 Topps misprints as truly iconic and investment-worthy pieces for dedicated collectors.
The combination of mainstream 1990s hobby boom, high-profile rookie cards, and communication online has made the 1997 Topps errors legendary. Even two decades later, ungraded examples still fetch hundreds while the rarest PSA/BGS qualified specimens can sell for thousands due to scarcity and nostalgia. For those collecting mistakes and variations, the ’97 Topps errors rank among the most historically significant and widely desired in the modern era.
