The 2012 Topps Gypsy Queen Baseball SP Photo Variation Complete Visual Checklist

If you are looking for the Mini set SP Photo Variations Visual Checklist, use this link to get to it.

2012 Topps Gypsy Queen Baseball is live.  There is a significant change in the checklist involving the short prints.  Last year the short prints were sequentially numbered after the 300 card base set, cards 301 through 350.  These short prints were just like the high numbered short prints found in Topps Heritage.  All of the SPs were of players that were not included in the base set.  So in order to complete the set you had to collect all the short prints.  This year all of the SPs except one are photo variations of the same player sharing the same card number.  I actually like this configuration better because it provides different levels for set builders.  You can chose to just build the regular 300 card base set or go for the base set plus photo variations.

I mentioned there was one exception with the SPs and that is card number 288.

On the left is card #288 from the regular base set, C.J Wilson.  On the right is the SP of card #288 , Yu Darvish.  This is the only SP that is of a different player.  All other short prints are photo variations of the same player, like card number 100.

On the left is card #100 from the regular base set, Derek Jeter.  On the right is the SP photo variation of Derek Jeter, still card #100.  As you can see, the differences in the photos are obvious and for most of the SPs, this is the case too.  There are a few cards that you might overlook at first.

On the left is card #150 from the regular base set, CC Sabathia.  On the right is the SP photo variation.  Side by side it is easy to see the differences.  The base card has Sabathia in his road jersey and the SP version has him in his home jersey.  I pointed this one out because the photo angles and sizing are so similar and close enough in his pitching motion that you could easily pass over this SP without the other card there as reference.  There is another case of different uniforms being the majority of the variation and that is with card number 294.

On the left is card #294 from the regular base set, Reggie Jackson.  On the right is the SP.   The backgrounds are different but the sizing, where he is in his swing and the graphics on his uniform are so similar, this is another one that might slip past you.  The regular version has Reggie in his yellow A's uniform with green batting helmet.  The SP has him in his white A's uniform with yellow batting helmet.

But there are three other cards that you might have trouble spotting as different even when you put them side by side.

On the left is card #232 from the regular base set, Joe DiMaggio.  On the right is the SP.  Here the photos are identical but the SP is a looser cropping of the picture.  This allows you to see a good portion of the catcher in the SP while you only get the catcher's glove in the regular base set card.

Similar to the DiMaggio cards, on the left is card #248 from the regular base set, Wade Boggs.  On the right is the looser cropped SP version.  Here the sizing difference is even smaller, but not nearly as difficult to spot as with card number 252.

On the left is card #252 from the regular base set, Tony Gwynn.  On the right is the SP.  This one requires some close inspection. You can see the sizing of the pictures are the same but the SP places Gwynn further towards the left of the card, revealing what might be a second water cooler in the dugout.  This is a card that collectors will have to be careful with to determine whether they have the SP version or not.

All the other SP Photo variations have greater differences so just like with our Complete Visual Checklist of 2012 Topps Heritage Baseball Color Swap cards I will only post the SP Photo variations for the rest of the short prints.  So if a card you have matches one you find here, you are the lucky owner of a short print variation.

  #1 Jesus Montero,  #6 Matt Moore

 #10 Roy Halladay, #16 Eric Hosmer, #22 Kevin Youkilis

#40 Ichiro, #44 Matt Kemp, #50 Miguel Cabrera

#54 Mariano Rivera, #60 Jacoby Ellsbury, #67 Josh Hamilton

#71 Ian Kennedy, #76 Mike Napoli, #80 Ryan Braun

 Card #83 Ryan Howard, #84 Freddie Freeman, #110 Jose Bautista

#120 Mickey Mantle, #135 Clayton Kershaw, #141 Roy Oswalt

#142 Carlos Gonzalez, #143 Dustin Pedroia, #145 Ian Kinsler

#147 Mike Stanton, #149 Ryan Zimmerman, #157 Nelson Cruz

#170 Cliff Lee, #184 Stephen Strasburg, #190 Robinson Cano

#197 David Freese, #200 Felix Hernandez, #210 Justin Upton

#220 Joey Votto, #226 Johnny Bench, #229 Ty Cobb

#230 Evan Longoria, #236 Lou Gehrig, #240 Tim Lincecum

#250 Ken Griffey, Jr., #258 Mike Schmidt, #260 Curtis Granderson

#270 Roberto Clemente, #271 Jered Weaver, #296 Tom Seaver