BLACK FRIDAY COMC PICKUPS - PART 46: GOOF

WE GOT A WEIRD ONE TODAY. AS STATED PREVIOUSLY, I AM TRYING TO WORK MY WAY UP THE TCDB MARK LEMKE RANKINGS. I DIDN'T FIND A WHOLE LOT ON COMC THIS GO AROUND BECAUSE THE COMMON CARDS I CAN USUALLY FIND AT THE LCS FOR CHEAP (AND SOMETIMES HANGING OUT IN AN OLD NEGLECTED BOX OF JUNK) AND THE ACTUALLY RARE ONES CAN BE PRICEY ON COMC. I FOUND A SNEAKY GOOD ONE THAT NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THOUGH! CHECK THIS ODDBALL OUT

1995 DONRUSS MARK LEMKE

1995 IS A GREAT YEAR FOR BASEBALL CARDS, DESPITE THE STRIKE CAUSING MANUFACTURERS TO CUT WAAAAY BACK ON SETS EARLY IN THE YEAR. THE TOPPS DESIGN MAY NOT HAVE A LOT OF FANS AND THE FLEER DESIGN(S) HAVE BECOME A MEME, BUT THERE ARE A TON OF GREAT LOOKING SETS FROM THAT YEAR. UPPER DECK AND COLLECTOR'S CHOICE HAVE CLEAN LOOKING SETS. STADIUM CLUB AND ULTRA ARE VERY ELEGANT. LEAF, UPPER DECK SP AND PINNACLE GO HARD WITH THE FOIL STAMPING. FLAIR AND SELECT ARE TWO OF THE BEST LOOKING HORIZONTAL SETS EVER MADE. BOWMAN'S BEST, LEAF LIMITED, SKYBOX E-MOTION AND ZENITH ARE AMAZING EARLY HIGH-END SETS. MY PICK FOR THE BEST SET IS DONRUSS

THE DESIGN IS FANTASTIC, A FULL BLEED CARD WITH A SECOND IMAGE INSERTED INSIDE A HOME PLATE FRAME. THE BACK HAS ANOTHER LARGE PHOTO WITH A LOGO BACKGROUND. THERE'S A PILE OF COOL INSERTS THAT MOSTLY AREN'T IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND. I LOVE THE WAY IT LOOKS ALTHOUGH I ADMIT THE LACK OF FULL CAREER STATS WILL ANNOY PEOPLE AND THE NAME AND TEAM ON FOIL STAMPING IS A LITTLE HARD TO READ. THE FOIL STAMPING IS IMPORTANT FOR THIS ONE ACTUALLY, LET'S LOOK AT THE BACK

SEE THAT LITTLE BANNER AT THE TOP? 1ST 2,000 PRINTED? THAT'S SUPPOSED TO ONLY BE ON PRESS PROOF CARDS. BUT PRESS PROOFS HAVE GOLD FOIL ON THE FRONT AND A GIGANTIC PRESS PROOF STAMPED ON THE TOP. SO ONE OF TWO THINGS HAPPENED HERE: DONRUSS FORGOT TO PUT THE FOIL STAMPING ON SOME PRESS PROOF CARDS OR THEY ACCIDENTALLY PRINTED UP A BUNCH OF EXTRA CARDS WITH THE WRONG BACK. THE PRESS PROOF CARDS AREN'T SERIAL NUMBERED* SO IT'S NOT REALLY POSSIBLE TO FIGURE OUT WHICH HAPPENED HERE. I SPOTTED THIS IMMEDIATELY WHILE SCROLLING THROUGH THE LEMKE LISTINGS BECAUSE I ACTUALLY PULLED A FEW OF THESE CARDS FROM PACKS BACK IN 1995. I'D SHOW THEM OFF, BUT MY BOX OF DONRUSS/LEAF INSERTS HAS DECIDED TO HIDE FROM ME AND WILL LIKELY SHOW UP A COUPLE DAYS AFTER THIS POSTS. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW RARE THESE THINGS ARE BUT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SEEN THEM AND I'VE SEEN THEM FOR SALE HERE AND THERE BUT I CAN'T SEEM TO FIND ANY SOLID INFORMATION ON WHICH CARDS HAVE THIS VARIATION. THE IRONY IS THAT I BOUGHT A NEW LEMKE CARD TO UP MY COUNT IN TCDB, BUT THE VARIATION IS NOT ACTUALLY LISTED ON THE SITE. IT'S STILL A COOL LEMMER CARD SO NO RAGRETS

*ALTHOUGH SERIAL NUMBERS DON'T COMPLETELY PREVENT SHENANIGANS, IT'S A LITTLE EASIER TO CATCH THAN THE ALTERNATIVE