Whiteout Information:
-Card is a big mystery. Many theories. Few facts. My thoughts:
(4 graded/authenticated cards shown:) More information below.
-Some say they are all fake, others swear they pulled them from packs. PSA/BGS/SGC authenticated copies are out there. Many get rejected as 'Fake'. Easy to create and sell on eBay. I'd be careful or avoid Whiteout cards graded by 'Grading' companies other than PSA/BGS/SGC. Beware. Especially when you tend to see Whiteouts listed on eBay about 10x more frequently than White Scribbles.
-Others say that the White Scribble is the real Whiteout. Because it's one of the rarest versions, fakes began popping up. This was before the internet and pictures weren't easy to come by. This is only a theory. Most price guides list a 'Whiteout' as being up to 5X more valuable than the White Scribble. Crazy if you ask me.
-Have heard that these were created by Fleer employees (after printing) and distrubuted in packs. Time frame around the time Black Box cards arrived. Many Whiteouts have a Black Box underneath. Several graded versions of this are out there. Also, several have the 'Jagged white line' - a trademark of most Black Box cards. So if this is true, then most/all REAL Whiteout cards were created long after the FFace cards were 'corrected' with scribbles etc. Theories say that this was done to boost declining sales after the FFace craze dwindled during the spring of 1989. Maybe randomly distrubited into packs to create a buzz. My SGC graded Whiteout came to me raw back around 2005 from someone that was linked to Fleer. It clearly has a Black Box underneath and the Jagged white line. This card doesn't show any signs of surface wear or post production activity. Fuzzy / airbrushed appearance.
-Sizes of white 'blobs' vary. This fits the theory that they were created post-printing. Some authenticated versions have the bat knob completely covered with an oval fuzzy pattern. Others have the same fuzzy oval - but slightly off target - exposing the Black Box underneath. These look airbrushed. Some authenticated versions have more of a true 'whiteout' look. Signs that someone or something took out and brushed over the bat knob with a bottle of whiteout. How are these authenticated? What do grading companies look for?
-Reference my 'Whiteout' 3 card proof set on the Versions page. These are clearly not White Scribbles. They have a different identical unique whiteout pattern on the bat knob covering the F-Face version. Is this clear proof that Fleer produced actual Whiteouts?
-Many shy away from buying a non-graded Whiteout. Especially ones with a Black Box easily visible underneath. But think about it - why would someone create a 'fake' Whiteout and expose a cheap Black Box underneath? You'd think they'd cover the whole knob. Most fakes floating around appear to be 'altered' by using an eraser. This distroys the surface of the card and can be seen under proper lighting. Other fakes have a dab of whiteout plopped on the knob of the bat. They look too homemade - but with this card you never really know.
-So buyer beware. Know who your sellers are. Examine the Whiteout cards closely. Only if you pull one out of a pack will you ever really know. But even packs can be resealed. Good Luck.
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