1980-87 SSPC HOF Baseball Forum

I've been doing some research on this set. It is quite complicated. Here's what I've got.

1980 Base Set: Cards #1-173

1984 Update: Cards #174-189

1986 Update: Cards #190-196

1987 Update: Cards #197-199

The variations are based on the presence (or non-presence) of "1st Printing" and the MLB Logo, which means there are four different ways to find the cards (Both, 1st Printing only, Logo only, neither).

I found 3 of the 4 variations in abundance in the 1980 Base Set except for the "Logo only" which had zero examples.

I found 2 of the 4 variations in abundance in the 1984 Update except for the "Logo only" and "neither" both of which had zero examples.

I found an abundance of "Logo only" in the 1986 Update with a couple examples of "neither" and no exmaples with "1st Printing only" and "Both".

In the 1987 Update, the only examples were "Logo only"

I looked at the images on TCDb, COMC, and eBay.

If anyone has any of these in your collection, can you let the community know if your variations are consistent with my findings?

Thanks!

Did some more internet research on the images for the cards in this set and here's what I found:

1980 Base Set (#1-173): 1st Printing only (100% of cards seen this way), 1st Printing with MLB Logo (64%), Neither 1st Printing nor MLB Logo (89%), MLB Logo only (0%).  I conclude that all cards were made the first 3 ways (except maybe the Boudreau error variant) and not the 4th way.

1984 Update (#174-189): 1st Printing only (100%), 1st Printing with MLB Logo (88%), Neither 1st Printing nor MLB Logo (0%), MLB Logo only (0%).  I conclude that all cards were made the first 2 ways and not the 3rd and 4th way.

1986 Update (#190-196): 1st Printing only (0%), 1st Printing with MLB Logo (0%), Neither 1st Printing nor MLB Logo (88%), MLB Logo only (75%).  I conclude that all cards were made the 3rd and 4th ways (except maybe the McCovey variants) and not the 1st or 2nd way.

1987 Update (#197-199): 1st Printing only (0%), 1st Printing with MLB Logo (0%), Neither 1st Printing nor MLB Logo (0%), MLB Logo only (100%).  I conclude that all cards were made the 4th way and not the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd way.

What is the best way to get this updated on our site? 

Hello and thanks for the awesome information! If anyone needs pics of any cards I can contribute and search through what cards I have. 

I appreciate this info. I have a Chick Hafey card that had two of the variations and probably would not have noticed it without this Forum.

   The 1987 Update (cards #197-199) exist with both, MLB Logo only & neither MLB Logo, nor 1st Printing. This is confirmed in the Sold Out listings on COMC here:

   https://www.comc.com/Cards,sc,=1980-87+SSPC+Baseball+Immortals+-+~5bBase~5d,oo

Use this same link to verify my next post about the 1986 Update (cards #190-196)

   Color & Logo variations exist for cards #190-196, the standard cards have both MLB Logo, & neither MLB Logo, nor 1st Printing, just like the 1987 Update. The Color Variation only exists in neither MLB Logo, nor 1st Printing (I do not own and cannot find any examples of any other version for this Color Variation).
190 - Willie McCovey: Top-Green/ Bottom-Yellow
         Variation - Top-Yellow/Bottom-Green   (Already listed in Database)
191 - Ernie Lombardi: Top-Blue/ Botton-Orangish Yellow
         Variation - Top-Green/ Bottom Yellow
192 -  Bobby Doerr: Top-Red/ Bottom Blue
          Variation - Top-Yellow/ Bottom-Green

The next 2 cards (#193-194) are tricky:

193 - Arky Vaughn: Top-Green/ Bottom-Orangish Yellow
         Variation - Top-Green/ Bottom Yellow
194 - Enos Slaughter: Top-Orangish Yellow/ Bottom-Green
         Variation - Top-Yellow/ Bottom-Green

The variation green on these 2 cards is slightly lighter than the green on the standard cards.

195 - Lou Brock: Top-Blue/ Bottom-Red
          Variation - Top-Green/ Bottom Yellow
196 - Hoyt Wilhelm: Top-Orangish Yellow/ Bottom-Orange
          Variation - Top-Yellow/ Bottom-Green     
 
 

The 190 - McCovey is Top-Green/ Bottom- Blue (not Yellow) for the standard card, I don't know how I screwed it up as I was looking at the card while I was posting.

Your assessment of the 1980 & 1984 versions look spot on and card# 115 Lou "Lord" Boudreau has only been found with 1st Printing only.

Now I'm kind of surprised that he didn't get that as a nickname during his player-manager days! ;)

LOL!!!