This is one the reasons I haven't been doing much here lately. SP = Short Print. Now, let's look at an example of a set.
Set - Cards 1-200 - printed in the 100's of thousands
Cards 201-250 - about 5,000 printed (but exact print run not announced)
Cards 251-270 - about 1,000 printed (but exact print run not announced)
Cards 271-275 - about 100 printed (but exact print run not announced)
If there were no cards 201-270, the cards 271-275 would be SPs for the set as they are printed in smaller quantities that the bulk of the set. Same holds true if the set was only 1-200 and then 251-270. Therefore, anything that is printed in a smaller quantity, no matter what that quantity is, is a "Short Print" for that set. SP should be the ONLY indicator used in the Note field to show that a card was printed in a smaller quantity than the rest of the set.
If the hobby wants, the "degree" of "Short-printedness" can be indicated in the Note2 field (e.g., "VAR: SSP: Legend variation"). That should never be used in the Note field.
Besides, what do we do when we find out that our example set continues as:
Cards 276-280 - about 50 printed (but exact print run not announced)
Cards 281-285 - about 25 printed (but exact print run not announced)
Cards 286-290 - about 15 printed (but exact print run not announced)
Now do we mark the set as such?
1-200 - no Note
201-250 - SP
251-270 - SSP
271-275 - SSSP
276-280 - SSSSP
281-285 - SSSSSP
286-290 - SSSSSSP
Ridiculous? Yes. So let's stop the ridiculousness now. Everything from 201 to 290 is a SP, and nothing else.
-- Dan --
Note: Please see my profile for more info regarding trading (section updated 3/4/2024). I have added a large portion of my inventory to the site, and currently have trading turned on (details are in my profile).