General Forum

On the matter of listing exactly what is on the card: I would emphatically like to submit that we here at the Database endeavor to set ourselves apart concerning the listing of card variations and errors with suffixes of a, b, etc.

Don't panic! Stay with me for a sec...

As an experienced collector, I find it mostly unnecessary to identify certain cards as such, when what actually physically differentiates them is the difference in itself. When entering cards into my collection, and therefore into the Database, I strive to make the path of collecting a smoother one for the less experienced collector who comes after me.

When a newer collector, unbeknownst to him, has a card which has a variation associated with it, enters the number on the card for searching, more often than not, the search will yield no results, or at the very least, incomplete results.

I muddle through this scenario every day and it is very frustrating, although I generally know what's going on. Imagine how lost the inexperienced collector must feel.

Honestly, if we are diligent in using the VAR and ERR options and specifically describing the differences in the cards, we can eliminate the tiresome need of remembering which letter points to which card, and so forth. Simply put, anytime a search is initiated using exactly what is seen on the card, ALL of the possible variations will appear, with a scan (if added), making identification more accurate, and enjoyable.

There are a number of "guidelines" and "rules" in this hobby which have not always stood the test of time for their usefulness, and have been sidelined in favor of a more enjoyable and practical method. This is one of those!

It doesn't require a grand-scale reformation, just a simple correction of digits as we come across them in our travels here. If anyone can present an undisputable reason why this doesn't make sense for ALL collector's here, please speak out. And seriously, "Because that is the way it has always been done" or "that's what Beckett, COMC, etc...does"  don't count as good reasons. We are better than that.  ;-)

I bow to your bravery my friend!! Well said Jon and I agree 100% ....... certain things go by the way side after time and for sure the last paragraph speaks volumes for me as I have been too afraid to say certain things on here as to not "tip the cart" as my father would put it. I stress on here quite often that I respect this place as if it were a library and strive to list eveything as they would and if you have read some of my past threads you can probably figure out what it is that seems very odd to me ........ but I submit to the majority. =) Again that last paragraph says alot buddy it really does.

Where exactly does one enter a card number for searching on this site?  I'm totally confused by what Jon is suggesting.  Have I overlooked a very basic function of this site?  Have I been doing things the hard way?

I have the same question as Switzer1.   Have a been missing a search function?

The card number search is found under the listings for person or team.

I agree with Jon completely for what it's worth.

In the filters?  I know about that, but a person would easily see a card number 65a or 65b there if they were looking for card 65.

Therein lies the majority of the problem. As a random example, I just did a search for my 1990-91 Fleer Bill Cartwright card #23

In the results are: 23, 23a, and 23b.  First of all, if I didn't already know there are two versions of this card, I would likely choose #23, which I did in this example. Four cards came up, none of which were 1990-91 Fleer. Now, I don't know what to do...could my card be one of the other two 23's? (a & b)

So now, in the database, there are three listings for my Cartwright,(all pointing to different cards) that I have to figure out, where there could be one listing pointing to both versions of my Fleer card (as well as any other #23's) Simple, no guesswork.  That's where we come in, making sure to clearly describe and identify all differentiations.

For all of the talk on this site about striving for accuracy, this is a no-brainer. One of the most important by-products of accuracy is simplicity. 

I, too, am in complete agreement. I never liked the idea of 23a, 23b, etc.There are no a's and b's on these cards. Same with the current Topps baseball sets.

Jon Cantrell wrote: Therein lies the majority of the problem. As a random example, I just did a search for my 1990-91 Fleer Bill Cartwright card #23 In the results are: 23, 23a, and 23b.  First of all, if I didn't already know there are two versions of this card, I would likely choose #23, which I did in this example. Four cards came up, none of which were 1990-91 Fleer. Now, I don't know what to do...could my card be one of the other two 23's? (a & b) So now, in the database, there are three listings for my Cartwright,(all pointing to different cards) that I have to figure out, where there could be one listing pointing to both versions of my Fleer card (as well as any other #23's) Simple, no guesswork.  That's where we come in, making sure to clearly describe and identify all differentiations. For all of the talk on this site about striving for accuracy, this is a no-brainer. One of the most important by-products of accuracy is simplicity.

I agree with the idea behind this.  However, a LOT of checklists would need a massive overhaul.  So many checklists from modern Topps and Score sets with the excessive variations only designate the SP version as a variation.  If I see random Jameis Winston card for sale and want to buy it, and I check my wantlist to verify I don't already have it, without the A or B, I won't automatically know there are two versions of the card.  If the checklists had been uploaded right, I would be able to see ERR, COR, or VAR in the NOTE 1 field.  But many checklists don't have this information for each version of the card.  Just the scarcer version.  So I could end up buying a card that I already have.

So yes, I think the idea is good.  Accuracy is key.  But because our checklists are often not accurate, I see potential problems.

Well, an issue has been raised that I had trouble with since I have been on this site but accepted it because there were enough collectors who wanted every variation listed.  I like what is suggested here but I am not sure how you can have one card access showing that there are three other variants of the same card, all on the same page.  Four front and back images? Four notes?  I will be interested to see how this is solved.  But for one, I would like to see the a, b, c, etc. eliminated.