General Forum

This is probably a dumb question, but what are throwbacks? I was out of the loop for awhile and just started going through my cards and listing them on the database and a couple of the Topps Heritage list throw backs. When I was heavy into collecting, way back when, they didn't have throw backs or printing plates either, whatever they are.  I kind of need to know what they are in case I get one, huh.  

Thank you,

Teresa

Throwbacks are cards which show the player wearing a "throwback" uniform on them as oppsed to their everyday modern team uniforms.

Throwbacks as Kaline said are when the players are in "retro" uniforms that are designed to look like uniforms from a team's past. Like when the Pittsburgh Steelers wear their "bee stripes" uniforms. Those ugly black and yellow striped jerseys that look like old fashioned prison uniforms.

Printing Plates are the metal plates that are supposedly used for printing the cards. The plates that the actual ink is smeared on to transfer to the card surface. There is one plate for each of the basic colors used for printing. Usually one of four: Black, Cyan (light blue), Magenta (light red or "pink"), and yellow. Depending on the type of printing process used the image may or maynot be reversed. 

Interesting, in hockey I have seen the throwback term used for RCs. I can not recall which set did (is doing?) it but it was as such. Players who never had a printed card finally have a card of them printed in the same fashion as their rookie year. I have one for sure in my oilerRCguy want list. Ex) Joe Blow played 15 games is 75-76 but never got a card, 15-16 OPC comes along and makes a card of Joe exactly as the 75-76 OPC and since he had never had a card printed it is now his true RC. Kinda neat.

Thank you for clearing that up. Do the printing plates come in the packs?

Everyone else answered your previous questions. But I can answer the newest one. Yes, printing plates (or Press Plates) are available in packs of cards. They are generally metal cards with a blank metal back but companies have done different things with them over the years. Topps is known to add a cardboard border to the front of the plate and a new cardboard back. Press Pass would just use an "address label" sticker on the back of the plate telling you what set the plate came from. I have never seen a Panini plate card, so I don't know how they do it. Printing (or Press) Plates are always metal though and are the plates used for the original print-run of cards in a set.

Panini has done a couple different things. They have affixed a padded thick card back, they have printed on the back of the plate itself, but most of them get the sticker method that Topps and Press Pass also used. 
I love to get printing plates, and will pick them up when I can. They are usually hard to figure out though, from Panini especially, because they have a tendancy to put them into sets that the cards don't come packed in. 

I've been lucky enough to pull two of them in my life:

2004-05 Topps Total #68 Black

2006 Press Pass Legends #35 Cyan

but I have not pulled any since Christmas day 2006.

Thanks guys for the info. Do you buy a lot of packs of cards? I guess what I'm trying to find out is, how hard is it to get one of those plates? And Billy, I really liked your blog about scanning better looking cards. Very informative.

Thank you Terri :) I used to buy a ton of cards. From 1999-00 through mid 2005-06 I did two boxes of almost every set. I even did the $500 for 5 cards boxes though I sort of regret that now. I missed one set each in both 2000-01 and 2001-02 that I didn't get boxes of. I can't afford to do that anymore, (medicine is expensive!) now I mostly get blasters from Target with about 4 to 5 hobby boxes throughout the year. (Usually for my Birthday, Easter and Christmas I get a box or two)

I used to buy boxes of packs very frequently (hobby and retail) and I have NEVER pulled a printing plate (or any other 1/1 card). I do own 6 printing plates that I either bought or traded for and had one that I bought but later traded. In Racing cards, the plates are usually AU'd, so I'm willing to pay for those. The only Plate I have (or had) that isn't racing and AU'd is an NFL plate. I traded for it many years ago along with a version of the AU'd card that was made from that plate. It's a Topps Finest plate and they put a cardboard border on the front and a full cardboard back on it with an authentication sticker on it. Buying retail boxes from Target, Walmart, etc. makes the odds of pulling a plate from a pack nearly impossible. Hobby boxes give a better chance of pulling one, but a case of hobby boxes is the best way to pull a plate.

Here are scans of my biggest, best and most-expensive acquisition ever:

2009 Wheels Autographs Press Plates Jimmie Johnson (Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow)

[URL=http://s550.photobucket.com/user/Spazmatastic-the1st/media/Sports%20Cards/Jimmie%20Johnson%20PC/200920JJ20AU20PP20set201.jpg.html][IMG]http://i550.photobucket.com/albums/ii408/Spazmatastic-the1st/Sports%20Cards/Jimmie%20Johnson%20PC/200920JJ20AU20PP20set201.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s550.photobucket.com/user/Spazmatastic-the1st/media/Sports%20Cards/Jimmie%20Johnson%20PC/200920JJ20AU20PP20set202.jpg.html][IMG]http://i550.photobucket.com/albums/ii408/Spazmatastic-the1st/Sports%20Cards/Jimmie%20Johnson%20PC/200920JJ20AU20PP20set202.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

These cost me $375 as a set!