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I asked about the use of a letter after a variation before (i.e. 21, 21a, 21b, etc.), and was told that we were not supposed to use them. Quite often I will see a set that has them, then a few weeks later it doesn't, then further down the road they are back again. Now I see the new 2018 Topps set listed using them. If we are not using them, is it possible for ADMIN to make it so they cannot be added, or, if we are to use them fix the ones that don't. Thanks...dazed and confused.

Letters are used.  It is now a subnumber.  When editing a CardNum there will be two boxes for cards with the same CardNum. The letter goes in the second box.  The subnumber does not show up on the checklists.

Thanks for the clarification. I could be wrong but pretty sure the last time I checked they were not to be used, but thankfully you have set me straight. Much appreciated.

I like seeing the sub numbers in a checklist. If doing an add from here to here it would seem to be easy to unintentionally add a variation. 

The letters are NOT to be used - in the actual Number field. They ARE to be used in the sub-number field. That way the numbers show up on checklists, but when you look for Player A with card Number 345, you find it, instead of having to know that the card you have in hand shows 345 but it's listed as 345b in the database. That's where the confusion set in. It was making it difficult for people to find their cards in the database when using filters because the card shows a number only, but they had no idea we were listing it as an "a" or a "b" (or more).

The problem arises because there is no consistency even with the sub numbers.  You can find card 21 and 21b with no a. 21 and 21a combos. Number 21 listed two or more times with no sub number. That’s when mistakes get made. I don’t mind showing the numbers as they are on the card as long as all ways of adding cards show the sub numbers when applicable

Use the following terms in Note2 to activate the secondary card number field and permit the xxxa, xxxb, etc. numbering: “BASE:”, “ERR:”, “COR:”, and “VAR:”.

It's most likely the inclusion of "BASE:" that setlist creators are missing to enable that secondary card number field.  I have taken to adding that comment to Note2 in cases where sub-variants exist and assigning xxxa to that base card.  The variants after that get the "b", "c", etc.

Acceptable?

I just tested this out in a set that I'd been working in recently where card #11 has a variation.  It appears that it is not dependent on there being two of the same number in the checklist.  I edited the letters out of both cards #11, and the subnumber box only shows up on the second one, the one that has "VAR" in the Note1 field.  (I haven't tested it, butI imagine it shows up for cards with ERR/COR notes as well.)

So that leads me to reiterate Randy's question.  If the two cards are variations of each other, we have the opportunity to make one the "a" version and the other the "b" version.  However, if one card is the "base" version and the other is a variation, the base gets no subnumber.  Should the first variation be "a" or "b"? 

-Tom