1990 Topps Partial Blackless
It was completely unexpected but on May 18, 2021, my Partial Blackless collection was featured on The Card Life. The producer did me the honor of checking out my collection and introducing me to Matt Strahm. Needless to say, that was the highlight of my collecting years.
The producer of the show, Brandon, had us look through a box of 1990 Topps he purchased out of a vending machine several years ago. Out of those packs, he pulled the legendary 1990 Topps Frank Thomas NNOF. Matt and I were able to go through the “commons” left over from the packs and discovered several more PB cards. The condition of the cards are outstanding and all of them will grade well. On top of that, several F-Sheet print error indicator cards were in the box.
What an amazing time that I’ll remember it forever. Thank you to Matt and Brandon for letting me be a part of your show.
The Card Life
Episode 1
This is the complete F sheet error. Read more about this unique error and the legendary 1990 Topps Frank Thomas NNOF by clicking the image above.
1990 Topps #414 Frank Thomas Error Partial Blackless PSA 9: This card appears to be the start of the NNOF error. I purchased this particular card on Ebay in a lot of Frank Thomas rookie cards. I was after the 1990 Leaf but this was a nice surprise. This card sold in Goldin's 2021 Holiday Auction for a final hammer price of $9,301.00.
The lucky lot where I found the PB Frank Thomas.
1990 Topps Confirmed Partial Blackless Sealed Pack (signed by Matt Strahm and featured on The Card Life)
1990 Topps #277 Kevin Tapani BGS 8: This is one of the first cards to be pulled from my recycling bin once I realized what these cards were. The partial blackless spot is on the top right corner and affected the Topps logo. Click the photo to learn more about Kevin Tapani.
1990 Topps #302 Marcus Lawton BGS 8: This is the first card I noticed to be missing portions of the black ink. I didn't realize it at the time but this card would be my gateway back into the hobby. Click the photo to learn more about Marcus Lawton. Fun fact: This is the second most valuable rookie card released in 1990. The most valuable card is the 1990 Topps Frank Thomas NNOF. The 1990 print year included numerous star rookie cards with values less than a few dollars.
1990 Topps All-Star #385 Fred McGriff BGS 8.5: I actually found 2 of these cards. Both of them were located away from the rest of my Partial Blacless card in my sleeved boxes. As a kid, McGriff was one of my favorite players so I must have separated them from the rest. Click the photo to learn more about Fred McGriff.
1990 Topps #524 Darrin Jackson BGS 8.5: This is the most subtle of the Partial Blackless cards. The only portion affected is the tip of the top right corner. I won't be surprised if this card has the fewest future discoveries. Click the photo to learn more about Darrin Jackson.
1990 Topps All-Star #385 Julio Franco BGS 8.5: This was the first card pulled back out of the recycle bin. One of the more obvious Partial Blackless cards, I'll probably hang on to this one for quite some time. Click the photo to learn more about Julio Franco.
1990 Topps All-Star #395 All Star Jeff Russell BGS 8.5: Russell's card was the heart of the black ink anomaly. I fully expect this to become one of the more valuable cards from the set. Click the photo to learn more about Jeff Russell.
1990 Topps All-Star #392 All Star Carlton Fisk BGS 8.5: By far, this was the most popular card from my find. I've lost count the number off offers I've received for it. This is another that will remain in my PC for the long term although it's nice to know I have an offer "I won't be able to refuse." out there. Click the photo to learn more about Carlton Fisk.
1990 Topps #383 John Morris BGS 8.5: This is another card that I was fortunate enough to find two. The error is subtle and on the upper right hand corner. Click the photo to learn more about John Morris.
1990 Topps #141 John Hart BGS 8.5: This card has a shot to be the most valuable manager's card printed. I'm sure he'd be surprised to know he has a card worth 4 figures. Click the photo to learn more about John Hart.
1990 Topps #644 Paul Assenmacher (Partial Blackless indicator card)
This card is right next to the other PB cards but has yet to be recognized as part of the group. If you look at the bottom of the "R", there is spot of missing black ink. Hopefully this card will be included someday. I plan to take up that battle when grading wait times get more reasonable.