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Last Updated On: April 14th, 2025
The trading card community is no stranger to error cards, but a few NSFW (not safe for work) cards live in infamy for all the wrong reasons. This article will dive into some of the most controversial error cards produced by companies like Topps, Fleer, and Pokémon. I will also highlight the backstory of each card’s production, current prices, and the amount of PSA graded copies in existence.
Let’s get into it!
Table of Contents
What are Error Cards?
An error card in sports collectibles is a trading card that contains an error or inaccuracy. A variety of mistakes can show up on a card for it to be categorized as an error card. This can include incorrect photos, wrong statistics, misspellings, player description errors, and many other mistakes. As a result, an error card becomes a rare variation of the originally designed card.
Some of the first error cards that baseball fans came across date back to 1909 during the tobacco card era. The most notable and coveted error card from that time is Sherry Magee’s T206 Piedmont card, which shows his last name misspelled.
As the trading card industry developed and the niche of error card collecting was formed, companies began to “mistakenly” produce error cards showing explicit words and images to grab the attention of collectors. The timing of these inappropriate misprints during the junk wax era sparked a level of error card popularity the hobby had never seen — starting with the most controversial baseball error card produced in 1989.
6 Most Controversial Error Cards
1989 Fleer #616 Billy Ripken FF Error Card
Billy Ripken’s 1989 Fleer #616 “FF” card is considered the king of error cards, thanks to the vulgar four-letter word printed on the knob of his bat and the unprecedented attention it received upon release. Fleer claimed the error card was “accidentally” placed in packs because the editors didn’t spot the mistake during manufacturing. As the hobby began to discover the notorious error card in 1989 Fleer packs, it provoked a craze of massive demand from collectors, spending hundreds of dollars to obtain it. The mainstream news coverage and outrage from parents over its production forced Fleer to quickly create numerous edited versions with the profanity covered.
Billy Ripken declared that the curse word written on the bat was not by him, but by a teammate as a prank. But in 2009, the brother of Cal Ripken Jr. eventually confessed that he was the one who wrote FF on the bat. According to Ripken, he simply wrote the phrase on the knob as a way to differentiate his batting practice from his game bats. He also stated that it’s hard to believe Fleer didn’t purposely release the error card as a publicity stunt. However, Ripken has embraced the card’s creation and its infamous legacy in the sports card hobby.
Despite the error card’s extreme popularity, it’s not necessarily considered rare. PSA has graded the iconic error card nearly 20,000 times with almost 3,000 examples having received a Gem Mint 10 grade. As of this writing, PSA 10 sales are in the $650-$700 range. Although Billy Ripken wasn’t an All-Star caliber player, the fascinating story behind his 1989 Fleer FF error card has fueled its rising demand and value over time — consider that the card was selling for around $100 back in 2019!
1990 Pacific Senior League #126 Jim Nettles A**hole Error Card
Just one year after Ripken’s FF error hit the hobby, Jim Nettles’ 1990 Pacific Senior League error card became the next infamous bat knob card with some dirty language. This time, it dialed things down from “f*ck face” to the slightly more polite “a**hole.” At the time, Nettles — a former MLB outfielder — was playing in the Senior Professional Baseball Association, a winter league for players aged 35 and up based in Florida.
The story behind the error card’s creation is similar to Ripken’s FF card. Neither Nettles, the photographer, nor the editors at Pacific noticed the candid phrase on the image or card until it was too late. About 20 years following the a-hole error card’s production, Nettles claimed in an interview that the bat wasn’t his, but a teammate’s. The photographer requested that he take a photo during a morning workout and gave him the bat to pose with. The former MLB outfielder stated he’s not a fan of the card and purposely signs over the knob when collectors ask him to autograph it.
Raw copies of the infamous butthole error card can be found on eBay for as little as $10, while PSA 10s have sold for close to $100. But keep in mind—there’s a big difference in how many are out there compared to Ripken’s card. Only 190 copies of the Nettles error card have been graded by PSA, with just 47 earning a Gem Mint 10.
1977 Topps Stars Wars #207 C-3PO D*ck Error Card
I’m not sure if d*ck pics existed in the 1970s, but Star Wars character C-3PO is shown packing a huge boner in this obscene card featured in the movie franchise’s 1977 Topps set. The origins of the error card’s image and how Topps could pull this off visually have been questioned for years — with multiple claims made by Star Wars, Topps, and even the actor who played the character (Anthony Daniels).
The Star Wars official website in 2007 stated the “extra appendage” was not edited into the card and the photo’s existence is a combination of timing and lighting. An employee for Topps who managed the selection of card images at the time expressed that the X-rated image was caused by prankster prop masters messing around while working on the film. Anthony Daniels deemed that both theories were false and the exposed photo was a result of a costume malfunction during a scene where C-3PO was dropped into an oil bath. The actor also stated that he believes Topps enlarged and detailed the crotch area of the image.
Regardless of which story is declared the truth, Topps had to quickly reissue the card with the shaft airbrushed out of the photo.
The C-3PO error card’s low quantity in raw and PSA graded copies cannot be understated and is another major selling point to collectors. PSA has graded approximately 850 copies with only 12 examples receiving the highest grade. The last PSA 10 sale dates back to 2020, selling on eBay for $4,999. The boner error card of the franchise’s beloved robot is the holy grail of non-sports error cards and the second most notorious error card in the entire hobby.
2013 Topps #71 Kyle Kendrick Crotch Shot Error Card
Continuing with the theme of pelvic-related error cards, Topps mistakenly produced another one in 2013 featuring Phillies player Kyle Kendrick. The image captures an extreme close-up of the pitcher from his chest to his knees and presents an epic crotch shot at the center of the card. Technically, there isn’t anything lewd or inappropriate in the photo selected for the card, but an image formatting mishap from a Topps Designer was the main reason for its conception.
Topps luckily discovered the screw-up early in the production process and prevented any from entering packs, but a small number of them were found in 2013 Topps sealed factory sets. As a result, Kendrick’s SSP Topps #71 is challenging to obtain and is arguably the rarest error card on our list. From a sales volume standpoint, the card generates only a couple of eBay transactions per month. There are less than 15 PSA graded copies and 10 copies in gem mint condition, with the most recent raw sales between $50-$70.
1997 Pokémon Japanese Team Rocket #88 Grimer Banned Card
I’d consider sports cards to be the most popular genre of disputable error cards to collect, but TCGs like Pokémon have also produced trading cards with questionable photography and imagery. The 1997 Pokémon Japanese Team Rocket #88 Grimer card shows the character creeping up a sewer looking under a woman’s skirt. But did the creator of the Grimer image purposely have its eyes peeking up at her goodies? The designer has repeatedly denied that the art was created with any intention of depicting degrading behavior.
After Pokémon producers realized the card’s perverted “peeping tom” vibes, it was banned, and designers altered Grimer’s eyes to look straight ahead for the English version set release. Raw versions of the common Pokémon banned card are selling for around $10 with multiple eBay transactions per week. PSA 10 copies of the card (pop 688) are fetching north of $200.
2014 Topps UFC Ronda Rousey 1st in her Class Patch
I wouldn’t necessarily categorize Ronda Rousey’s 2014 Topps UFC Knockouts 1st In Her Class Patch Auto as an error card, but I highly doubt Topps intended for such a naughty phrase within the lettering of the name to be the main takeaway by collectors. Not to get anal about things, but on the right side of the card where the letters are placed on top of one another, it reads the words “IN HER A**”. The tantalizing Rousey Patch Auto card has sales eclipsing $1,000, although the set offers a more affordable variation with a patch relic and no signature. Recent sales of the non-autographed version can go for $500.
Summary
Error cards have been part of the trading card hobby since the beginning. Over the past 50 years, the buzz, controversy, and rarity around NSFW error cards have given collectors a unique — and quirky — lane to chase.
However, as the hobby has evolved, more trading cards are being produced than ever before and collectors have become accustomed to error cards. Because of this, the trend of collecting newly released error cards and their values isn’t what it used to be.
As someone who appreciates the history of the hobby and collects memorable cards that stand the test of time, I crown Billy Ripken’s 1989 Fleer FF as the ultimate NSFW error card.
Have you considered adding any of the cards on this list to your collection? Are there any notable NFSW error cards that didn’t make the list? Let us know in the comments below!