1991 marked Topps’s fortieth year of thrilling collectors with baseball trading cards. Topps paid homage to this rich history by releasing a set considered a classic by collectors. It served as a preview of how baseball cards would evolve into.
Many collectors remember this set for its “one of every card ever produced” event. Topps randomly inserted copies of every card they made into 1991 packs to build hype for its release.
The Topps 1991 set is an iconic set that resonates with collectors today. However, this iconic set wasn’t free of errors, something that has plaggued many sets of that era.
With over 81 different variations, this is one of the most variation-heavy sets ever created. This article shall review all 1991 Topps error cards.
Shop for 1991 Topps error cards on eBay
1991 Topps baseball was a collector’s favorite
“Finally, a Superb Topps Baseball Card Set”
John Leptich for the Chicago Tribune after the first viewings of the new 1991 Topps Sets in October 1990.
The 1991 Topps Baseball set is a popular and iconic set among baseball card collectors.
Its 792-card checklist was made up of rookies, top stars and legends lighting up Major League Baseball. This set featured an abundance of subsets with several rookies, including Chipper Jones, featured under the Draft Picks subset. Other subsets include Future Stars, All-Stars and Record Breakers.
Topps went with an utterly clean and simplistic look. There’s a grey cardboard, uniform-matching colour borders, the team’s nickname in the bottom right and a “Topps 40 Years of Baseball” logo at the top left.
A bar runs along the bottom of the card and has the player’s name and position. Card backs are red with complete career stats and player vitals.
Asides from the simplistic design, which still resonates with collectors today, one highlight of this set is its stellar photography. Topps capitalized on improvements in photography to deliver a fantastic collection of pictures that stands out even today.
Why are there so many 1991 Topps baseball card errors
The one misstep with this otherwise great set was the abnormal number of errors and variations. This set was released at the height of the junk wax era, and Topps was understandably putting out as many sets as quickly as possible.
Experts estimate Topps printed at least 5 million copies of each 1991 Topps Baseball card. It is challenging to uphold stringent quality control measures with so much volume.
Of course, as is the norm when talking about error cards from the junk wax era, most collectors believe Topps purposely created these error cards. However, the owner of the website Junk Wax Gems has put hours into researching error cards from the junk wax era and has this to say.
Shop for 1991 Topps error cards on eBay
“I do believe that Topps upped the production on this set, being a big anniversary issue with a massive promotion behind it. With that likely came mistakes. There are clearly two, distinct, packaging types for two different market destinations and with each, specific variations are found. … I think most were accidental and the result of Topps wanting to get things right as the presses continued.”
While most errors in this set are minor statistical errors, there are several major error cards, such as wrong photographs and inaccurate teams. Asides from the regular error cards, this set is variation laden. According to the Topps publicist Kenneth M. Liss many error cards were corrected:
“Because of the special nature of this set and because these errors were caught early enough in the run, Topps has decided to correct a number of the 1991 cards.”
Since Topps made efforts to stop their presses and correct large portions of error, the 1991 set has several rare variations in Topps trading card history.
Notable Topps 1991 baseball card errors
1991 Topps #588 Mark Whiten Hand Over Boarder Error
Mark Whiten card is one of this set’s most chased error cards/variations. His hands extend over the border of the card. While several cards in this set have the player’s hands, bats and other body parts extend over the border, Whiten’s card stands out from the lot.
For some reason, Topps decided to correct Whiten’s card. As a result, the value of the few Whiten Hand Over Boarder cards is quite impressive. The average value of the 1991 Topps Mark Whiten card is $80, with sales ranging from lows of $5 to highs of $400 depending on its condition.
1991 Topps Doug Drabek #685 with WHITE inset border
The Doug Drabek #685 is another notable error card from the 1991 Topps set. Topps printed the card with a white border over his picture rather than black.
Topps immediately corrected the error in subsequent runs, as with most errors that make this list. This hard-to-pull card has grown in value over the years. It’s believed only to be found in jumbo packs and costs anything between $20 to $200, depending on its condition.
1991 Topps #603 Wes Chamberlain wrong photo
While not particularly valuable monetary-wise due to the player it depicts, this is a significant error card. The photo on the card is Louie Meadows rather than Wes Chamberlain.
While Topps corrected the error and the new version of the cards has Wes Chamberlain rather than Louie (Bat on shoulder), both versions of this card aren’t scarce.
This overabundant supply of both variations has ensured this card isn’t worth much. You can buy a copy of the error and corrected cards for anything between $1 to $16 depending on its condition.
Shop for the 1991 Topps Wes Chamberlain error card on eBay
1991 Topps #42 Chris Hoiles with WHITE inset border
Some versions of this card come with a white photo frame, just like the Drabek card above. Like the Drabek card, Topps fixed the error as soon as it was spotted during the printing run.
As a result, the Hoiles variety with the White borders is especially rare, hence valuable. Ungraded copies sell for around $37, while a PSA 10 would cost over $189.
Shop for 1991 Topps Chris Hoiles error card on eBay
1991 Topps #459 Tom Trebelhorn MG UER/Pitching and batting/columns switched
While the error on this card is minor, a variation of this card is highly sought after by set collectors. The 1991 Topps #459 Tom Trebelhorn with “A*” in copyright on back. Most Topps cards from the 80s have a printer’s designation mark on the back before their copyright line. This lets the printers know which sheet is which and is usually a letter, an asterisk or a double asterisk.
Only 792 cards appeared on 6 different sheets in the 20+ years Topps cards had printers’ designation. This card is one of the relatively few cards in 1991 set with more than one sheet code. The A* sheet code is scarce and hence fetches a fair price on the market.
1991 Topps #687 John Cerutti 4.46 ERA in 1990
This card has a common error in the stat column on the reverse side. His 1990 ERA is recorded as 4.46, while it was 4.76. Topps corrected the mistake, making versions with the 4.46 stat scarce and thus valuable.
The average value of this card is $9.84, with prices ranging from $4 to $191.
Shop for 1991 Topps John Cerutti error card on eBay
1991 Topps #279 Jose Gonzalez wrong photo
Topps initially used Billy Bean’s photo in place of Gonzalez’s picture. Topps corrected the error as soon as they spotted it, which makes the error cards with Billy’s photo quite rare. However, the value of this card has remained modest at $1 to $10, depending on the condition.
Shop for 1991 Topps Jose Gonzalez error cards on eBay
A list of notable 1991 Topps error cards
1991 Topps #337 Keith ComstockWrong team logo. A Mariners logo replaced the Cubs logo.1991 Topps #48 Dennis “Oil Can” BoydThe black border of the end of the anniversary banner is missing. Wrist covers Topps Logo. 1991 Topps #49 Pat Borders40 stolen bases in 1986 changed to 01991 Topps #97 Brady AndersonMonthly Scoreboard for September indicating 2 RBI changed to 3, 3 hits changed to 141991 Topps #100 Don Mattingly10 hits in 1990 changed to 101, 1,310 career hits changed to 1,401; .487 career slugging average changed to .504, .297 career batting average changed to .3171991 Topps #306 Lonnie Smith136 games in 1990 changed to 135, 1,270 career games changed to 1,2691991 Topps #526 Moises Alou37 runs in 1990 changed to 0, 41 career runs changed to 41991 Topps #706 Brad Arnsberg68.2 innings pitched in 1990 changed to 62.2, 144 career innings changed to 138, 3.25 career ERA changed to 3.391991 Topps #780 Randy Myers2 losses in 1990 changed to 6, 15 career losses changed to 191991 Topps #167 Randy Tomlin“Harriburg” in 1989 and 1990 changed to Harrisburg1991 Topps #378 Wilson AlvarezAdds two statistical lines, 89 Port Charlotte and 90 Birmingham1991 Topps #454 Kevin AppierAdds statistical line, 90 Omaha1991 Topps #593 Mike WalkerAdds statistical line, 90 Canton-Akron1991 Topps #692 Efrain ValdezThe birth date of 6-11-66 was changed to 7-11-66, adds two lines of copy1991 Topps #674 Kevin Gross89 BB in 1988 tied for the league lead1991 Topps #692 Efrain Valdez RCNo lines of text under the stats1991 Topps #2 George BrettIncomplete circle around the registration symbol on the back1991 Topps #3 Carlton FiskIncomplete circle around the registration symbol on the back1991 Topps #9 Darrin FletcherMissing print code on the back1991 Topps #119 Carl NicholsCopyright printed high1991 Topps #228 Rex HudlerA black line in the lower right of the photo1991 Topps #277 Scott CoolbaughFeather in cap1991 Topps #278 Alex FernandezNo 40th logo on the back RPD1991 Topps #333 Chipper Jones Pink blotch on cap1991 Topps #533 Oddibe McDowellPeriod after name on front1991 Topps #545 Dale MurphyPhoto frame is concave where the bat touches it1991 Topps #573 Rich RodriguezMark on the shoulder, blue glove laces
Since this set marked Topps’s fortieth year of creating trading cards, Topps tried to correct all errors as they were spotted.
As a result, this set has tons of variations – from different border colors to statistical information. For example, there are over ten variations of the 1991 Topps Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd card.
1991 Topps black light test
Another rare variation of the 1991 Topps set is the “Dark Topps Logo or Black Light Test Variation”. Some cards from the 1991 Topps set appear darker to the eyes and glow to reveal a bold Topps logo when viewed under a black or UV light.
The spread for this variation is entirely random and restricted only to the 1991 Topps regular sets. They’ve been no Dark Logo Tiffany or Traded cards. Topps never addressed the reasons for the Dark Logo parallel; however, it’s a fun variation with ample demand.
Some collectors have found a way to spot the Dark Logo cards without using a black light. The non-glow cards have a dark red border and a logo on the back. The glow cards have a more orange-colored border and a fainter logo which glows under the black light.
1991 Topps Desert Shield
Perhaps the most sought-after 1991 Topps variation is the Desert Shield version. The 1991 Topps Desert Shield set was produced by Topps exclusively for military personnel deployed to fight the Gulf War in the Middle East. The set was Topps’ way of honoring troops and giving them a tiny piece of home.
The 1991 Topps Desert Shield baseball set was identical to the 1991 Topps baseball but for the gold foil Desert Shield emblem (a palm tree and shield) on the front player section of the cards. With a print run of 5,000 per card, they are significantly rarer than the regular Topps cards and hence more valuable.
We covered everything about this truly valuable variation in this article on the 1991 Topps Desert Shield cards.
Shop for 1991 Topps Desert Shield cards on eBay
1991 Topps A*B* sheet code variations
Most Topps cards from the 80s have a printer’s designation mark on the back before their copyright line. This lets the printers know which sheet is which and is usually a letter, an asterisk or a double asterisk.
Only 792 cards appeared on 6 different sheets in the 20+ years Topps cards had printers’ designation. Most 1991 cards from the A* sheet were discovered with an A*B* print designation at the bottom right of the reverse of the card.
This variation has only been spotted on cards with the “bold 40th Anniversary” on its reverse side, and they are incredibly rare. They sell for anywhere between $5 to $300, depending on the player depicted and the card’s condition.
Shop for 1991 Topps Bold variation cards on eBay
The following cards have been found with the A* B* designation.
13 – Mariano Duncan
54 – Gary Mielke
63 – Milt Thompson
72 – Junior Ortiz
76 – Jerry Browne
83 – Daryl Boston
120 – Joe Carter
123 – Greg Harris
153 – Bryan Harvey
155 – Dwight Evans (error version only)
170 – Carlton Fisk
177 – Reggie Harris
178 – Dave Valle
190 – Matt Williams
192 – Rob Deer
193 – Felix Fermin
213 – Frank Wills
216 – Greg Gagne
223 – Allan Anderson
237 – Rick Cerone
242 – Mike LaCoss
248 – Tom Gordon
250 – Dennis Eckersley
265 – Mark Gubicza
270 – Mark McGwire (correct version only)
272 – Jeff King
284 – Billy Spiers
290 – Steve Sax
297 – Manny Lee
312 – Charlie Hayes
314 – Gary Pettis
317 – Mike Fitzgerald
345 – Len Dykstra
382 – Mackey Sasser
384 – Gerald Perry
422 – Rick Reuschel
440 – George Bell
453 – Bill Schroeder
454 – Kevin Appier (error version only)
463 – Dwight Smith
475 – Teddy Higuera
478 – Kurt Stillwell
480 – Dave Magadan
481 – Eddie Whitson
509 – Glenallen Hill
532 – Kirk McCaskill
538 – Bip Roberts
584 – Kevin Brown
595 – Bill Landrum
610 – Andres Galarraga
622 – Jack Daugherty
642 – Hal Morris
644 – Chuck Crim
650 – Jack Clark
664 – John Farrell
667 – Kent Anderson
677 – Bill Ripken
716 – Bob Geren
718 – Steve Crawford
756 – Jeff Huson
781 – Daryl Hamilton
783 – Joel Skinner
785 – Scott Fletcher
Value of 1991 Topps error cards
As with most cards from the junk wax era, the insane number of cards printed has placed a firm ceiling on how valuable these cards can get. Experts estimate that Topps printed over 4 – 5 million copies of each card.
However, despite such numbers, a few 1991 Topps error cards are quite valuable. With an average price of $5 to $8 for commons and more for Hall of Famers and other big names, wise collectors can find monetary value in collecting this set.
Collectors looking for the most ROI can chase cards from the Desert Shield variation, as they’re especially valuable.
Shop for 1991 Topps error cards on eBay
Bottomline on the 1991 Topps error cards
The Topps commemoration of its fortieth anniversary made this set an important part of Topps history and an essential component of any baseball collection. The set’s assortment of impressive photography and tons of variation has cemented its place in the heart of collectors.
Topps issued several variations of the 1991 sets, and its popularity resides in this variety. The 1991 Topps series has something for every collector. While you might not make a four-figure sale by collecting these cards (unless you have some Desert Shield), this set is an essential part of Topps’s rich history.
Shop for 1991 Topps error cards on eBay
Prev post
All posts
