1988 Donruss Baseball Forum

I did the following:

1. Opened a Factory Set. Pulled a sampling of cards.

2. Pulled the numbered box from inventory [at least 100 cards/player sampling]. Pulled a sampling of those cards, mostly all the same.

3. I was comparing the upper black corners. Most did not match. Factory left or right, Packs visa versa. I said most, some black corners did match however. 

4. I then checked the backs, most did not match.

5. So, I guess, if not already concluded, 2 variant sets.

I'm certainly not prepared to do it but scans of both sets would be needed. There appears to be very little scans of the factory, but we would need to check very closely on HC pack scans already entered that may have been from Factory sets unknowly [As I have already broken a Factory set, I might start some of that, can't promise]. A lot of work ahead.

Some scans from the base set have already been identified as factory set cards, and those images have been transferred over. Since I also have a Factory Set and enough extras of the cards from packs sitting here, I have been pretty vigilant about replacing the empty slots in the base set with actual packed-out card images. However, this has only occurred for relatively few cards in the base set.

I don't know how many of the base set actually belong in the factory set. Having someone with both sets in hand would be the ideal person to go through these and report any inadvertant factory set scans in the base set. Honestly, this is why I have held off adding Factory Set scans. I didn't want to have to remove any scans, only move them. Bob, if you could take on this I can be the second set of eyes (3rd and 4th sets as well - I wear bifocals! LOL) to ensure that we've gotten the right ones in the right spot. Together, we can tame this beast. :) Thanks!

Well, I took a very small sampling of cards from my inventory mostly the same, I suspect Pack Cards, I'm talking 100 cards same player all the same.. Matched them with Factory Set Cards. As reported earlier: Black Upper corners some the same, some different. When the same then some backs were different.

Then, compared my pack cards with what the site has scans of. A nightmare!!!! Fronts don't match, Backs, don't match, very few matches, maybe 1/20 cards matched. Needless to say...a big mess. I'm sorry to say the project could be too big for me right now. I have the capability, just not the time.

And 1 more observation, and I may be way off, but there may very well be players with 3+ different cards, variations from Factory and Packs with different corners and different backs? Just a possibility.

I understand how busy we all are. This will be my next priority. I think a large portion of what was scanned was a factory set.

From what I'm seeing, there are only 2 versions, and the worst case will be that a card actually did not vary from the packed-out (PO) version and the factory set (FS) version. So far, I've been very careful when comparing the two cards side by side, of ensuring that the FS one stays in one hand and the PO one stays in the other. It will be a slow go because of that. If it takes a minute per card, it will only take 11 hours to sort it all out. :)

Yes, I believe the approach, FS one side of table & PO other side. 1. check black corners 2. then check backs. Since you have done some work, I guess the gallery set on the monitor doesn't help you, but I sure needed it for comparison. I will check in occasionally on the progress. 11hrs...Good luck!

A request, Bob, when addressing this type of issue with a set would you use the Forum link for the set so that we don't have to go searching for a discussion on this set? I'd appreciate it. It'll save tiime, too.

Thanks for that reminder, Joshua. I have moved the thread in to the 1988 Donruss Forum now due to your reminder.

Thanks! Now I'll still have to remember that it was '88 Donruss and not '89 Donruss, but it should be easier to track.

Ok, but really don't know how.