Upper Deck set a new standard for card quality after they released their first set in 1989. Collectors got a taste of what “premium” cards were like, and they weren’t about to turn back. Other card companies had to figure out ways to amp-up their cards. If not, they could’ve easily lost their fan base. Adapt or die!
Topps wasn’t completely out of the loop when it came to making “premium” cards. Long before Upper Deck arrived, Topps made Tiffany factory sets. These mimicked the overall design of that year’s Topps set, but were printed on higher quality card stock. To this day it still amazes me what some collectors are willing to spend on a Tiffany base card of a star. Even when its not a rookie. But just switching to better stock for their normal sets wouldn’t be enough to compete. It was time to bring on the foil.
1990 Topps Baseball is a poster child of the overproduction era. Unless you’re talking about it’s Tiffany counterpart, Frank Thomas no-name rookie, or George Bush card, there isn’t much value to look for. The base design is one of my all-time favorites though – lots of color! While browsing through the grocery store in 1990, I bet many of you can remember spotting those 100-card bricks known as jumbo packs. Inside each of those packs was a specially made Glossy Rookies card. The set commemorates popular rookies from the previous season. Most of the players have rookie cards in products from 1989.
In order to step-up their game, Topps tested some new printing techniques. They took tons of regular Glossy Rookies and printed a foil stripe across the front. You can find them in a variety of colors – blue, purple, green, red, silver, and gold. The stripe can be in multiple locations as well. One card may have it straight across the player’s face, while another could be near the bottom. Multiple colors for each player can be found in many different positions. Occasionally you’ll see cards with two stripes, but I’ve never seen one with two different colors. Usually if there are two, the colors match. If that isn’t enough, the asterisk variations carry over to these foil tests. Every player in the Glossy Rookies set has a card with one and two asterisks on the back. For those collectors who are obsessed with variations, this could be an endless battle. Ken Griffey, Jr. is the most popular foil test.
Looking back at what companies tested in order to stay relevant and in the game can be interesting. The lessons Topps learned from this foil test issue were implemented in their Desert Shield and Stadium Club sets.
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