A short print (SP) is a sports card printed in smaller numbers than the other cards in its set, which makes it harder to pull from packs.
For example, if a typical base common has a print run of 20,000 cards, then any card with a print run less than 20,000 could be considered a short print. Card makers rarely say how many SPs they print, so collectors go by checklists, pack odds and how often a card shows up for sale.
By that definition, short prints include non-numbered cards that are known to have a limited print run. These include case hits, like Panini’s Kaboom and Donruss Downtown inserts, but also less flashy cards like photo variations and non-numbered retail parallels. Numbered cards are scarce too, but most collectors call them by their numbering (a /99, a /25) rather than “SP.”
Even rarer than short prints are super short prints (SSP).
Common types of short prints
- Image variations: A card that shares its card number with a base card but uses a different photo, such as a player celebrating or in a throwback uniform. They’re easy to miss if you don’t compare against the base card. In Topps flagship, these are the SPs most collectors mean.
- Unnumbered short-printed inserts: Inserts that manufacturers seed at low rates without numbering them, including many case hits.
- Serial-numbered cards: The print run is stamped right on the card, like 25/99. Most numbered cards are parallels or inserts. Some collectors count these as SPs, since they’re printed in smaller numbers than the base set.
- Vintage short prints: In older sets, some cards were printed in smaller quantities because of how print sheets were laid out or when series were released. Collectors of those sets know which numbers are scarce.
How to tell if a card is a short print
- Look for a serial number on the front or back of the card.
- Compare against the base card. If your card has the same number as the base card but a different photo, you may have an image variation.
- Check the code on the back. Modern Topps cards print a code starting with “CMP” in the small print at the bottom of the back. In Topps flagship baseball, base cards and short prints have usually had different endings, so the Topps CMP code lookup can tell you which part of the set your card is from.
- Check the set checklist. Manufacturers and checklist sites often mark short-printed cards and variations as “SP.”
- Search sold listings. If a card sells for far more than its base version, collectors are treating it as scarce. Recent sales (comps) are the best reality check on value.
FAQ
Are short print cards worth more?
Usually, but not always. Scarcity only adds value when people want the card. A short print of a star player can sell for many times the base card, while a short print of a lesser-known player may barely sell for more. Condition matters too: a short print in a high grade is scarcer still (see the PSA grading scale).
How do you know if a card is an SP or an SSP?
Unless the card says so (Topps printed “SSP” in gold foil on the back of its 2023 Golden Mirror variations), you need the checklist or the code on the back. In Topps flagship, the SP and SSP versions of a card use different photos and usually different CMP code endings.
Are numbered cards short prints?
Technically, yes: a card numbered /99 has a smaller print run than the base set. In practice, “SP” on a checklist or in a listing usually means an unnumbered card, and numbered cards are described by their numbering instead.
Not sure which version you have? Look up the CMP code on the back of your Topps card.
