Type IIs are Star cards printed on the same 100-card sheet layout as the originals, apparently from the same plates, that Star never released. The hobby treats them as counterfeits. They can be told apart from originals, though white-bordered cards take a trained eye.
What they are
Type IIs were printed off-register: the color layers don't line up the way they do on released cards. The most likely explanation is that they were press samples or rejects meant to be scrapped. Instead, they were taken out of the print shop, reportedly by print shop employees, and sold into the hobby. Whether they are rejects or an unauthorized later run can't be fully proven either way.
They began turning up in the late 1980s. Lemke and Grace's guide (1993 and 1994 editions) noted a second run that seemed to come from the same plate, and the unbagged team sets and singles that surfaced in early 1994 later became known as Type IIs. Because Star never distributed them to its dealers or authorized their release, they are not originals.
They are not the same thing as the Shop at Home cards, which were new designs printed in 1997 and backdated.
Which cards
The Type II sheet held 100 cards:
- 1985-86 Star, second series (#95-172). 78 cards, including the #117 Michael Jordan and the #166 Patrick Ewing rookie, plus the Celtics in both white and green borders.
- 1986 Star Michael Jordan. All ten cards.
- 1986 Star Best of the New. The four-card subset. Best of the Old is not affected.
How to spot one
- Gloss. Originals have a dull, matte finish. Type IIs tend to be glossier, with slightly brighter backs.
- White spilling around the border. Originals show some white spilling past the border lines, but not all the way around (on an authentic #117 it shows only on the left). On a Type II, the white tends to spill out on every side.
- Ink bleed on the back. Colored-border originals usually show a trace of border ink on one or more back edges: red on the top and right of the 1986 Jordan set, blue on the top and right of a bag-pulled #166 Ewing. Type IIs usually have none. White-bordered cards, such as the white Celtics, have no bleed either way, and some fakes have bleed added, so don't rely on this alone.
- Card-specific marks. On a real 1986 Jordan #1 Checklist, there is a small black dot above the "H" in the bottom border and a small white spot below the Bulls logo on the outside border. On Best of the New, the logo is solid yellow on originals and a dot pattern on Type IIs. Trail Blazers borders stay red on originals and turn orange on Type IIs.
- Side by side. The surest test is comparing against a known original of the same card.
Star Basketball Cards has side-by-side photo guides for the 1985-86 #117 Jordan, the 1986 Michael Jordan set and the 1985-86 Celtics.
Authentic examples
Originals from the affected runs, front and back, for comparison.
Type II examples
Type IIs from the 1986 Michael Jordan set. Compare the white spilling past the red border on every side, and the glossier look, with the authentic #9 Personal Data above.
Graded cards
A slab is not a guarantee: both PSA and Beckett have slabbed Type IIs as authentic. When PSA first graded Star cards, it encapsulated some Type IIs, then stopped grading Star and later bought some of those cards back. PSA resumed grading Star in 2022, but as of 2024 it still doesn't grade the 1985-86 base set, Best of the New or the 1986 Jordan set. A PSA slab of one of those cards dates from the early era, so treat it with suspicion.
Beckett has graded Star since December 2008, and its early slabs include some Type IIs too. For a key card from an affected run, check the card itself against the tells above, whatever the holder, and favor a recent Beckett grade.
An original sealed bag is strong evidence, because Type IIs were never sold in Star's bags. Check that the bag itself is original: every original Best of the New bag has Ewing on top, so one showing Jordan has been rebagged. See Sealed Bags.
Sources
- Basketball Gold: Glossary, Common Misconceptions, FAQs
- Star Basketball Cards: 1985-86 Jordan: Authentic vs. Type 2, 1986 Michael Jordan Set: Spotting Type IIs, 1985-86 Celtics Type IIs
- All Vintage Cards: interview with Steve Taft