Can Anyone Tell Me What THIS Is?

[Dalkowski110]

MikePiazzaWeird-1.JPG

Well, yes, it's a 2001 Upper Deck SP Game Bat Edition base card of Mike Piazza. That I know. But how exactly did it come out of the pack seven years ago with this permanent marker writing already ON the card? If you're wondering, I've actually asked two Upper Deck representatives...who were utterly clueless, or at least acted like it. I'm about to give up with regards to trying to get an official opinion out of UD (though there is one guy I haven't gone to who may know it), so I'd like to see what you guys think!

[howiek]

It appears that the marking where added before the sheet was cut. Maybe the sheet when thru the QC process and the sheet was marked to be tossed in the garbage. Someone either ignored & thought it would be funny to send them out. Or the markings went unnoticed and the sheet continued the process and you where the lucky owner.

[Dalkowski110]

I agree the writing was added before the sheet was cut. However, one of the UD reps had an interesting observation I'd totally missed. "STE NOMB" Could be "[something] Nombre," and in Spanish rather than English. But, as anyone who has even taken junior high school Spanish knows, there are more than a few words that end in "-ste."

[steve rogers]

I agree, it looks like printers markings on an uncut sheet that made it into packs.

Scott

[duckydps]

I would say its likely the set up sheet from the press run. It was prob. the last set up sheet before they started running "sellable" sheets and then they wrote job information in the sheet. It could have also been errors on the sheet that they wrote on to mark what was wrong and it accidentally got in the stack of good sheets. Its likely that the cutter forgot to remove those cards off the top before or after cutting, or he just wanted to let them go through and see what happens.

[Dalkowski110]

"Its likely that the cutter forgot to remove those cards off the top before or after cutting, or he just wanted to let them go through and see what happens."

This I gathered, although your other theories are very interesting. Most of all, though, I'm wondering what it actually said on the sheet; something which we'll unfortunately probably never know.

[Mike D.]

I don't know if it's the case here or not, but "stet" is editorial speak for "ignore". Like, if they mark an edit to be made, then change their mind, they write "stet". I have seen it shorted to "ste" from time to time.

[Dalkowski110]

Thanks for that nugget! I know about "stet," having been an editor on my high school paper's staff, but I have never seen "ste."

Unfortunately, the gap between the bottom of the card and the letter "s" is narrower than it looks. That's the result of me having a poor scanner. I still believe a letter was cut off and "ste" is some kind of suffix.

[NJMetfan4life]

The writing looks like sharpie more than a printer. Looks like it's worth big $$$$.$$

[Dalkowski110]

"The writing looks like sharpie more than a printer."

Agreed. But I think what was implied was that a printer...as in a human being responsible for cutting the sheets...applied it.

"Looks like it's worth big $$$$.$$"

I doubt it. Such a card is actually considered damaged. It's a nice curiosity, though.

[EricDavis]

The writing looks like sharpie more than a printer. Looks like it's worth big $$$$.$$

I seriously doubt it's worth anything.

[duckydps]

This I gathered, although your other theories are very interesting. Most of all, though, I'm wondering what it actually said on the sheet; something which we'll unfortunately probably never know.

Just threw out some ideas based off of experiences at printing companies I have worked for...

[Dodgerfan1]

Well, if it is something written in Spanish, it could very well be 'este nombre' or 'This number'.

[Swankee21]

I know that it would have relatively little value, and is most likely worth less than an unspoiled card, but I would LOVE to get a card like that just for my own personal collection. It's always a nice easter egg to get an error card completely unexpected, especially something like that. The exception would be if I got one of those Tony Gwynn and son auto mixups. THAT would make me angry

[Dalkowski110]

"Well, if it is something written in Spanish, it could very well be 'este nombre' or 'This number'."

Definitely could be. In fact, IMO that is the best explanation to come along so far. I just wonder what it meant pertaining to the uncut sheet.