The 2006 Topps Alex Gordon rookie error card is truly special. The hobby is awash with several thousand error cards from the junk wax era. However, modern-day printing and quality control methods have eliminated major error cards that warrant a total recall.
That’s why most modern-day error cards are unique, none more so than the 2006 Topps Alex Gordon rookie error card. A card that shouldn’t have existed quickly transformed into a rare and highly sought-after card.
This article shall review the details of one of the most famous modern-day error cards. We shall cover everything from how the 2006 Topps Alex Gordon rookie error card occurred to its worth in today’s market.
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8x Gold Glover, 2x Platinum Glover, 2x World Series and 1 Ring. Legendary left fielder Alex Gordon was one of the best defensive LF of his generation.
Alex Gordon retired as the all-time leader in defensive runs saved by a left fielder with 115.
Gordon’s impressive career began and ended at Kansas City Royals.
A 2004 U.S. National Team member, Gordon was the No. 2 overall pick by the Kansas City Royals in the 2005 MLB Draft. He was named Baseball America’s 2006 Minor League Player of the Year in his first professional season.
The three-time All-Star spent all 14 years of his professional career with the Royals, playing a pivotal role in Kansas City’s run to the 2015 World Series title and cementing his status as one of the most important players in team history.
The 2006 Topps Baseball set features 659 (660) cards and features the return of an important baseball icon – Mickey Mantle. The set featured three parallel sets: Gold, limited to 2006 copies; Black, limited to 55 copies; and Platinum, a one-of-one edition.
This set has a relatively modest number of inserts compared to modern standards. The basic insert sets include Hit Parade, Hobby Masters, Opening Day, Trading Places, and Own the Game.
Shop for 2006 Topps Alex Gordon error cards on eBay
Additionally, a Mickey Mantle Collection fills in the gaps by creating cards for the years Mantle was absent from the base set. Notably, a 1996-style card is also included, paying tribute to Mantle’s appearance in the 1996 Topps Baseball set.
Unlike today’s sets, the 2006 Topps Baseball set didn’t guarantee an autograph or game-used memorabilia card in each box.
The error in the 2006 Topps Alex Gordon rookie error card is its existence. Alex Gordon’s card wasn’t supposed to be in the 2006 Topps set.
Topps had put a RC (Rookie Card) badge on the card when the player did not qualify under the MLBPA bargaining agreement. Topps had to pull the Alex Gordon, card #297, early in production.
Gordon was drafted in 2005 by the Kansas City Royals with the second pick overall after an impressive first full minor league season. Gordon hit 29 home runs and stole 22 bases with an on-base plus slugging over 1.000 in his first full season in minor league baseball. He was already receiving accolades for being one of the best-hitting prospects in baseball by midseason.
He was named the MLB.com Double-A Offensive Player of the Year and won the Topps Minor League Player of the Year Award after the season ended. Hence, Topps had him in their sights and prepared to have him in the 2006 Topps set along with the Rookie tag.
Given Gordon’s talents and the hype surrounding him, Topps began printing this card, expecting him to be on the Kansas City Royals roster for the 2006 season. According to Clay Luraschi, Topps’ brand manager at the time
“We were anticipating, because we consider him a big prospect”
However, the Major League Baseball Players Association ruled that card manufacturers could only make rookie cards of players who either made the 25-man roster or played in a major league game the previous season. Gordon didn’t qualify either way.
While he was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2005 draft, he didn’t play in a single major league game the season before. Instead, Gordon spent parts of 2005 playing for the Suprise Scorpions before spending all of 2006 with the Double-A Wichita Wranglers.
Shop for 2006 Topps Alex Gordon error cards on eBay
Once the error was spotted sometime during the printing process, Topps stopped producing the card and tried to fix the existing card in several ways. At the time, Clay Luraschi, Topps’ brand manager, said the problem had been caught on time and that all cards that made it to print were pulled and destroyed.
“At the last second, we realized we had made a mistake, so we pulled the cards, destroyed them by cutting out the photo and then destroyed the plates.”
Jim McKenna, a Topps baseball editor, then discussed Topps’s reaction to the error card.
“Everyone freaked out because it was a big mistake. It could’ve cost us our deal with Major League Baseball. The cards were printing, and we hit the panic button. So basically what they did was they took the uncut sheets, put all the sheets on top of each other and just took a hole punch and cut the card out. It was a fire drill.”
However, despite Topps’s best efforts, several versions of the error card made it out to the market. One of the first examples was found by a fan, Jeremy Troutman. He pulled five of Gordon’s cards on a shopping trip in his hometown of Wichita. According to Troutman,
“I went to Wal-Mart, bought two boxes, and got two in the same pack. So I bought seven more boxes and got another three in the same pack.”
Shop for 2006 Topps Alex Gordon error cards on eBay
The 2006 Topps Alex Gordon Rookie Error Card sparked a frenzy among collectors and baseball fans. As a highly touted prospect, any 2006 Gordon’s card would surely be in high demand. However, the error variant pushed this demand sky-high, sparking collectors into a frenzy. Many collectors bought hundreds of 2006 Topps Baseball boxes, hoping to pull the rare card.
Collectors were ripping through packs in their hundreds, searching for the elusive error card. Aside from having a rare card, the first recalled card in decades, there was the added motivation of quick profits. Packs were sold for $2, and the 2006 Topps Alex Gordon rookie error card had a staggering $3,000 market value.
The chaos surrounding the error card’s release added to its allure, leading to rumours that Topps had intentionally created the error to fuel the hype. However, Topps quickly shot it down, reaffirming that the 2006 Topps Alex Gordon rookie error card was an error and nothing more than that.
“It’s unfortunate it happened. It definitely has caused a lot of talk. But (the talk) is not necessarily a good thing for Topps, because now we have an incomplete set out there.”
Topps’ hurried reaction to fix the error led to several variations of the 2006 Topps Alex Gordon rookie error card. According to The Trading Card Database, the 2006 Topps Alex Gordon rookie error card has four variations.
This card shows Alex Gordon’s full photo. Several boxes had already made their way to the market before Topps spotted the error and began taking steps to fix it.
This version of the 2006 Topps Alex Gordon rookie error card has the entire card cut out with only the borders showing. Here’s a picture of how it looks.
Some sources say the real 2006 Topps Alex Gordon rookie error card cut-outs show part of Gordon’s name. However, people have reported pulling the cut-out variant from packs without showing any name.
This version of the 2006 Topps Alex Gordon rookie error card is blank with no pictures. However, it does have Royal, Gordon’s name, and his position, all in gold. Aside from those three elements, the entire card is blank.
This card closely resembles the blank gold variant but with different coloring. This version is the rarest among the 2006 Topps Alex Gordon rookie error card variations and costs a tad more than other variations.
The 2006 Topps Alex Gordon rookie error card is considered one of the most infamous modern-day error cards, which is reflected in its value.
Depending on the variation, the 2006 Topps Alex Gordon rookie error card costs anything from $200 to $2,800. The PSA has price history for only the full picture variant of the 2006 Topps Alex Gordon rookie error card. Let’s see how much the last 3 PSA 10 sales of the 2006 Topps Alex Gordon rookie error card.
| Card | Value | Sale |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 Topps Alex Gordon #297 | $2,800 | May, 2021 |
| 2006 Topps Alex Gordon #297 | $2,075 | May, 2020 |
| 2006 Topps Alex Gordon #297 | $1,275 | August, 2018 |
For the value of other variations of the 2006 Topps Alex Gordon rookie error card, we shall consider the median price compiled by The Trading Card Database. From the listed median prices for each variation according to TCDB, the Blank Gold version has a median price of $49.99.
The second variant with the lowest median price is the cut-out variant with $50. Almost tied with the Blank Gold version. The full picture variation and the Blank Silver variants have a median price of $270 and $300, respectively.
Shop for 2006 Topps Alex Gordon error cards on eBay
Beckett Media interviewed Alex Gordon for his thoughts on the 2006 Topps Alex Gordon rookie error card.
“All these people kept asking me about the card. I was playing in Wichita at the time and apparently it wasn’t supposed to come out. It got my name out there because of a baseball card.”
Being a collector himself, Gordon was shocked when he first heard about the value of his card.
“One of my buddies said he searched the card online, just as a joke to see how much I was worth, and he told me, ‘Your card is selling for hundreds and hundreds of dollars.’ I thought he was joking. It blew my mind.”
Luckily, he was gifted the card by an Arizona broadcaster who had five of the cards and offered him one of them.
“It’s something I wanted to have. I’m glad I was able to get one. I want to try to collect one of each of my cards out there when I’m done. I could make a poster out of them.”
All in all, he certainly didn’t complain about the error, even making a joke about thanking Topps for getting his name out there.
“Topps is helping to get my name out there,” Gordon said. “I should send them a thank you card or something.”
The 2006 Topps Alex Gordon Rookie error card is a fascinating one that captures the essence of the unpredictability and allure of collecting. A card that wasn’t even supposed to be in the set ended up being one of the most valuable cards from the set, even though it was pulled from production.
Alex Gordon’s career blossomed into one of loyalty and excellence with the Kansas City Royals, ensuring the error card remains an enduring symbol of his legacy. This card is a must-have for baseball collectors as it’s a piece of baseball history.
For investors, this card would also make an excellent addition to any collection as although it has dipped from its highs of $3,000 per card, the value has steadily increased over the last few years.
Whether valued for its scarcity, connection to a beloved player, or place in the annals of baseball card collecting, the 2006 Topps Alex Gordon Rookie error card is a prized and valuable addition to any baseball collection.
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