Some of the rarest and most coveted cards among collectors are printing or manufacturing errors on baseball cards. Errors can occur during the printing process and include things like missing text or photos, miscuts, double prints, off-center prints, and more. When errors happen, they result in cards that are one-of-a-kind and hold tremendous value simply due to their scarcity and error status. While errors aren’t meant to happen, when they do they can create some truly unique and valuable pieces of sports card history.
One of the holy grails of error cards is the 1915 Billy Mitchell model car error card from the E134 series. Only one of these is known to exist and it displays a model car instead of a baseball player photo on the front of the card. It is believed that during the printing process, the photo plate for the model car was accidentally used instead of the photo of pitcher Billy Mitchell. The find of this one-of-a-kind card in the 1980s created a huge sensation in the hobby. In 2013, it set the record as the highest price ever paid for a single baseball card when it sold at auction for $2.8 million, secured by collector Derek Jeter.
Another extremely rare error is the 1909-1911 T206 Jimmy Sheckard card that has “Sheckard” misspelled as “Shekard” on the front of the card. The typo occurred during the printing of the nameplate under the photo. Only a small handful are known to exist with this error. One in near mint condition sold at auction in 2016 for $96,000, showing just how much demand there is for flawless examples of significant errors like this iconic typo.
A beautiful and popular error is known as the 1967 Topps N.L. Champions Orioles card. It features an aerial photo of Memorial Stadium but mistakenly refers to the Orioles as N.L. Champions when they were actually champions of the American League that year. Approximately 10 are known to exist with this American/National League misprint. High grade specimens in the PSA 8-10 range regularly sell for $3,000-$5,000 each online.
Perhaps the most famous modern error card is the iconic 1992 Bowman Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card where the photo is noticeably off-center to the left side. When packs were initially released containing these off-center Griffey rookies, collectors started pulling them out to admire Junior’s stellar rookie season stats. Only then did they notice the blatant off-center photo. Though an error, demand for these became insane due to the rarity and mystique surrounding the phenom’s rookie card. Pristine PSA 10 graded examples have sold for over $20,000.
Another significant off-center error from the early ’90s is the 1990 Fleer Cris Carpenter rookie card, where the photo is dramatically shifted towards the left side of the card. It’s believed fewer than 10 perfectly cut and centered specimens exist. In 2017, one gem mint PSA 10 example sold for $12,500 given Carpenter’s notoriety and the extreme scarcity and eye-catching nature of the manufacturing flaw on his debut issue.
Rarer still is the 1939 Play Ball Dizzy Dean card that features an inverted image, with Dean appearing in a left-handed stance even though he was a right-handed pitcher. Only a handful are known to exist with this unusual backwards photo. One copy that earned a PSA 4 grade (due to edge wear and staining) still sold for $6,630 at auction in recent years, a true testament to the interest in vintage errors despite condition issues.
Some more notable modern miscuts that intrigue collectors include the 2003 Topps Jose Reyes rookie card missing the team logo along the left edge, the 2007 Topps David Wright card missing the player’s name, and the 2015 Topps Update Kris Bryant shortprint missing “Kris” from his first name. All command premiums in the $100s to low $1,000s range depending on centering and condition rarity.
There are always new errors being discovered too, like the 2020 Topps Update Luis Robert card that exists with his photo mysteriously missing, leaving just a blank white space. Only a small quantity are known with this truly unique photo absence. Specimens still in their original sealed pack command well over $1,000 on the secondary market.
As cards continue being produced each year in the billions, occasional blunders will likely occur. While frustrating for manufacturers, printing mistakes end up creating some of the most eye-catching and valuable collectibles over time for those who recognize errors for the true anomalies and historical oddities that they are. Condition census rarity alone often isn’t enough to propel certain cards into the stratosphere – a fantastic error can catapult even a mediocre player’s issue into the six or even seven-figure range depending on the significance and uniqueness of the flaw. Errors remind us that not all that is rare is beautiful, but beauty and significance are nonetheless in the eyes of the discerning collector.
