Questions about rare cards

[MrBlackisBack]

I come to the wide collector base here to try and find some information.

First is a card I am looking to bid on.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180465198113&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
Now I have the actual Hawaii card already. The question I have is, has anyone who has players in this set seen any of them numbered? The regular cards are pretty prevalent and this kind of looks like a homemade job, but I want to know for sure.

The second is a card I recently purchased. It is a 98 Select prototype card. The question is which one?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290396790804&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
I checked the Frank Thomas site to see if I could identify what I had but I am still confused.

Any help on either one is appreciated.

 

[Myerburg311]

I'd say #178..

The Select Numbers Prototype should have numbers all behind it.. This is what beckett says for the 1998 Select Prototypes

These rare cards were never intended for public release but got into the market after Pinnacle's bankruptcy. It's estimated that only 10-20 of each card exist. Complete pricing is unavailable due to scarcity. It is possible the whole set exists in this form; however, we are only listing those cards and numbers whose existence have been verified. Any additions to this checklist are obviously appreciated.

 

[Meliah]

The Playball one seems off to me. The few #'d cards I've seen from this set were all stamped on the front, though all of those were gu or autos. Also, most times when they stamp on the back of the card they do it in an open space and not over writing. This one looks to me like they lined it up near the center regardless of the fact that the Playball name was already there.

Wish I had more to go on for you, those are just my opinions and the card could be real.

 

[mlbme22]

Nice pickup on the pinnacle card- those are really rare-
The playball looks like a fake, I have never seen a serial #'d card with the number over writing

 

[mintman2]

I agree with meliah on the first one. Numbering looks fishy to me too.

And Frank Thomas ? The link you provided is for Nomar. My scd guide shows it as card #103 and Thomas as #110.

 

[JamesNevans]

What year is the Play Ball? It was not uncommon for the companies to have a wrapper promotion where you openned a product in front of them at a show and you could pick one card out for them to stamp. This would explain the centering.

 

[MrBlackisBack]

I agree with meliah on the first one. Numbering looks fishy to me too.

And Frank Thomas ? The link you provided is for Nomar. My scd guide shows it as card #103 and Thomas as #110.

I was referring to the Frank Thomas site that I believe is listed in the player collector website thread. He has very good information on some of these issues. I have it bookmarked on my computer just for reference.

What year is the Play Ball? It was not uncommon for the companies to have a wrapper promotion where you openned a product in front of them at a show and you could pick one card out for them to stamp. This would explain the centering.

It is a 2003 Playball. It is a trade show card so it is possible. I was just wondering if any of the devoted player collectors who had players featured in the Hawaii set had ever seen this before.

 

[onionring9]

Never seen one of the 1/1's before. Never heard of them either. Here's a list of all the variations of play ball I know of from 2003. I'll ask the other McGwire collectors again, but I'm 90% sure nobody has ever seen one of those before. As was said earlier, the numbering is extremely suspect because all numbering on these cards was done on the front. (click an individual card for a larger image)

http://www.joering.com/mcgwire/index.php?searchCollection=onionring9&keywordSearch=play+ball+2003


The second card is a '98 Score Select Quasar System Test Protoype. Unsure of the quantity produced. I bought mine from a guy who claimed to have 47 copies of McGwire so I'm assuming there are a bunch of them.

http://www.joering.com/mcgwire/index.php?searchCollection=onionring9&keywordSearch=quasar

 

[jaderock]

The Play Ball is an "aftermarket" home job...UD nor other companies would stamp over wording.

 

[bdmac1]

From Beckett:

This 10-card set was distributed in complete form within a sealed cello packet to attendees of the February, 2003 Kit Young Hawaii Trade Show in Honolulu. The cards can be readily distinguished from basic 2003 Play Ball as follows: a) each card features a tropical background with palm trees, b) the card numbers on back each carry a "KY" prefix and most obviously c) the large "Hawaii Trade Conference" logo on the bottom right corner of each card front.

Based on the copy of the Griffey, that is on Beckett. It appears the card looks legit from the front. It doesn't say anything about a serial #. BV is $20.00.