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Barry Larkin Collection 455: 1996 Upper Deck SP - #MM12 - Marquee Matchups Die-Cut Insert

Barry Larkin
Year:  1996
Brand:  Upper Deck SP
Insert set:  Marquee Matchups
Parallel:  Die-Cut
Card number:  MM12

In the 1996 Upper Deck SP set, there were two different versions of the Marquee Matchups insert cards.  There is a regular version (seeded 1:5 packs) and a much rarer die-cut version (seeded 1:61 packs).  I already showed off the regular version of the insert in a previous Barry Larkin Collection post.  Today, we take a look at the rarer die-cut version.

Since I've already given my thoughts on the regular version of the card, I think it's really only necessary to compare and contrast the die-cut version to the regular version.  For starters, the obvious difference is the new shape of the card.  I must admit, often die-cutting is nothing more than a gimmick but I think the shaping works well here.  The other big difference between the two cards is the color - you'll notice the original card has a blue border while the die-cut has a red border.  Presumably this is so that dishonest people couldn't produce their own die-cuts (since both cards share the same card number, bio write-up, and other markings).

Given a choice between the two, I'd say the rarer die-cut version is far superior.  On the other hand, I definitely think having a parallel of an insert set is still one of the dumbest things out there in terms of baseball card trends.  While I'm happy to have both Barry Larkin versions for my collection, I shudder to think that I'm somehow, even in a very small way, contributing to such idiotic ideas perpetuating throughout the years (after all, this is a set from 1996 - twenty years ago)!

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