General Forum

Okay, it's probably not considered a proper variant, but it's a cardstock variation similar to the "Dark Logo" variants. 

Here's a regular 1991 Cal RIpken card back: 

And here's my 1991 Cal Ripken card back: 

Instead of the standard red and gray back, it has the managers-style gray rectangles (showing the team's batting and pitching leaders) on a red background.

(If you look closely under the number 150, you can see a white outline of 351, the number for Joe Torre's card.)

So... actual variant or weird anomaly? 

Not a listable variation (for TCDB, and doubt Beckett or COMC would list it either), but a rather cool card, nonetheless.

In my mind this would be a wrong back card. It might have some interest to a Cal Ripken collector.

Very cool find!  Makes me feel like I need to look through all my 91 cards.  I am sure Pete is keeping that as an Orioles collector (it would have only been better if the background manager was Frank Robinson instead of Torre).

I did notice a slight difference. UGH. The top image looks typical with the Topps Logo as a "ghost" shade image. The bottom image the "red" ink has a graph, spreadsheet shaded "design"?

These are known print flaws and have been found by a significant number of 1991 Topps collectors. They are the result of the blue plate for the D* sheet (Ripken) being printed on the C* sheet (Torre) after it had received the red ink.

A very odd mishap but they do turn up now and then on ebay and various error and 1991 Topps facebook groups.

Wow, good to know! I'd wondered if this was an isolated incident or not. 

Very cool card too, nice find!

Haha, you know me, Tim! Funny enough, while I have tons of 1991 doubles, this is my only version of this Ripken. I guess I need to find the conventional version now...

Worst case scenario I’ll add one into our next trade. But I just looked and over 250 members are offering this card for trade, so I think you’ll be able to obtain it fairly easily.