95 Marvel Metal Silver Flasher Checklist- does it exist?

[DynaEtch]

This is an age old, oft revisited question from 90s marvel cards. Does the 1995 Marvel Metal silver flasher checklist #138 exist? A recent Reddit post on the topic has made me want to take yet another look at this problem. It was inspired by this listing that claims to have a 95 Marvel Metal silver flasher checklist (for $25k no less!).

https://ebay.com/itm/134534039780

Although the psa label says just base checklist #138 (psa doesn’t recognize a silver flasher checklist), the seller goes on in detail why they think it’s a silver flasher. I’m skeptical and don’t think it is. But I welcome the seller to join in here and argue their case.

Here is some background:

The main reason people think the silver flasher checklist exists is because nslists, which is usually VERY accurate, says it does exist, and is scarce: https://nslists.com/mrvmet.htm

….with no justification, description of what it looks like, or anything.

No one has ever produced a definitive example of a checklist card where you go “That’s a silver flasher”- say, one saying silver flasher on back or front. Sure, some purported different minor color foil variants have been claimed/shown- if it’s not just a trick of the light on the foil. I went on in that reddit thread to say I personally believe the existence of the 1995 Marvel Metal silver flasher checklist is actually unprovable in the positive- it can never be proven. Here is why: barring a ridiculous thing like a different back existing that says Silver Flasher (never ever has been seen, simply not gonna happen), the only way to think you have one will be a different shade of foil on parts of the front. But there is no way to know that’s not just an error/misprint, or even printing variation. In other words, a different foil variation, even if it does exist, does not have to imply Silver Flasher. Also foil color variants were known to happen with Fleer cards- see the 94MM powerblast examples I gave in the MM thread.

Ironically a silver flasher checklist does exist for 1995 Batman Forever Metal. The front has a lighter silver border and back specifically says Silver Flasher in the logo. This is precisely the thing I do not think can happen with the Marvel, as a different back or text has never ever surfaced.


1995 Fleer Metal Batman Forever - [Base] - Silver Flasher #_CHEC - Checklist
Courtesy of COMC.com

Now here’s where it gets interesting. In the Reddit thread, and elsewhere, I claimed since the packaging itself on 95 Marvel Metal boxes says only 137 silver flashers, we can be almost certain a #138 flasher checklist does not exist. Here is the side of a hobby box:



Cased closed, right, direct from the manufacturer. This is what I thought…but some new info came to light as I was ripping a 94 Marvel Masterpieces box the other day.



Hmmm! The packaging on 94MM products says 139 Gold Foil Signatures, which of course we know is false since the gold foil signature checklist #140 obviously exists. Therefore: I will now no longer use the 95 Metal packaging language of 137 silver flashers as evidence against its existence.

So whereas before I was 99.9997% sure the silver flasher checklist doesnt exist, I’m now maybe at like 95% sure it doesn’t exist. However, I still am of the opinion that the existence cannot be definitely proven in the positive even if it does exist- since I don’t think any copy will ever blatantly ever have “Silver Flasher” on it. At best, a different foil variant could be demonstrated- but what does that mean?

The fact nslists says the checklist is scarce (an SP) doesn’t make much sense. Why would one parallel be different than the rest (the 94MM gold foil checklist isn’t). It also doesn’t make much sense from an uncut sheet consideration (which btw would be hugely helpful if one could ever surface). If the silver flasher checklist was seeded like any old silver flasher, we would expect one every 4 boxes or so. There should be a lot out there. I don’t see this obvious type of variant out there.

So my stance continues to be the silver flasher checklist probably does not exist, and even if it does it cant be definitely proven. What do you think? Does it exist?

[BobCollects]

It does not exist.

Several years ago, someone on eBay sold a 1995 Marvel Metal dealer press kit that had promotional material straight from Fleer all about the set. It clearly specified only 137 Silver Flashers. Unfortunately, I didn't save the listing or the images and the only entry I can find on Worthpoint only shows the front of the folder: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthoped...onal-287102328

Luckily, another one of these folders is currently listed on eBay (not by me) but doesn't have the pages individually scanned: https://www.ebay.com/itm/176181005304

However, on the page that breaks down the chase sets you can see that it says "137 characters" under Silver Flashers.




Contemporary magazine ads for 1995 Marvel Metal also clearly stated only 137 Silver Flashers were in the set:




Source: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthoped...omo-4703520177

So we have the packaging that says 137 Silver Flashers, we have promotional material direct from Fleer that says 137 Silver Flashers, and we have a contemporary magazine advertisement that says 137 Silver Flashers. The exact wording: "137 characters silhouetted against a silver etched foil background." Not to mention nobody has shown evidence of a Silver Flasher checklist card #138 existing and that includes the eBay listing mentioned in Dyna's post.

[DynaEtch]

I really appreciate the informative post. First, just want say those dealer kits are some of the coolest items to come out of the 90s. Along with uncut sheets and ads they really can be treasure troves of info.

I’m on your side of this. I do want to play devils advocate. When we saw that 94MM packs all say “139 gold foil sigs” direct from Fleer, which is false, I suppose it does demonstrate what they state can be wrong. Actually it’s weird because on the outer box it does say 140 gold sigs in the checklist, contradicting what the packs inside say-



So I decided to check the actual 94MM dealer sell sheet kit to see what it says.



One sheet, this sheet, says only 139 gold signature checklists (false)



And another sheet, which admittedly looks more finished, says 140 gold sig cards including checklist (true).



So in this dealer kit it offer conflicting things. I guess the point here is what the manufacturer says can be wrong, since a lot is still preliminary. Now will it be wrong in every case like your Metal checklist examples? I dunno. It does seem telling that in *no* case does any 95 Metal promotional material say 138 silver flashers.

I won’t use the above as 100% definitive proof it doesn’t exist, although I’m skeptical it exists when you put all the evidence together. The eBay listing purports to have a different shade of foil, for example under Spider-Man’s arm it’s not purplish, but straight silver. I cannot confirm it without the card in front of me, as foil can reflect light in various ways depending on how pics are taken. I still say even *if* that is a bona fide different shade of foil, then that itself does not prove it is a silver flasher, it could just be a printing variant unrelated to silver flashers.

Would be interesting if the seller or anyone else who thinks they have a silver flasher checklist would want to chime in and defend their stance.

I agree with you and think it’s unlikely to exist, but say a different color foil front does present itself (at least parts of the front)…what to make of that then…just a variant? It’s true even that wouldn’t have to be a flasher.

[BipolarBear]

I have a hard time believing it exists, based on the thorough analysis above plus the fact that, in nearly 30 years of collecting, I have encountered maybe 2-3 cards that people claim are Silver Flasher Checklists. Even if the card were SSP, Marvel in those days would still have produced more than that.

I think the linked eBay listings are most likely error cards or warped coloring.

[exotechktx]

Very much firmly on the NO side.

That eBay listing just reeks of swindler language LOL

[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by exotechktx

Very much firmly on the NO side.

That eBay listing just reeks of swindler language LOL

My thoughts too regarding the eBay listing. In either case no one’s gonna pay $25k for a card with a slightly different shade of foil even if there is a different shade. (In fairness seller does say it’s a placeholder price, not meant to sell).

But yea, all this talk of ‘Pop 0’, whatever that means, and sounding certain it exists when all we have is (maybe) a different shade of foil….nah. I’m not buying it.

At the end of the day here we have a checklist in a psa slab that says base checklist.

[IamGroot]

I remember opening a box of Metal about 10 years ago. I clearly recall feeling ripped off that one pack did not have a silver flasher, but had a checklist in its exact place in the pack. I don't recall it looking any different, but may of been so minor I just put in the regular card pile. Later on I thought back that it could of been a silver flasher checklist, but was too late as had traded and sold base sets away. Isn't a 100% yes it exists, but I can for certain say I pulled one in the silver flasher spot and didn't click in time what I might have...

[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by IamGroot

I remember opening a box of Metal about 10 years ago. I clearly recall feeling ripped off that one pack did not have a silver flasher, but had a checklist in its exact place in the pack. I don't recall it looking any different, but may of been so minor I just put in the regular card pile. Later on I thought back that it could of been a silver flasher checklist, but was too late as had traded and sold base sets away. Isn't a 100% yes it exists, but I can for certain say I pulled one in the silver flasher spot and didn't click in time what I might have...

Man you gotta throw this tantalizing story into the mix

It’s an interesting story. Not much can be done with it I guess since the card is long gone/no way to confirm. *But* you are giving me the idea to scour for 95 Marvel Metal break vids to see if I can find any examples of this. If the flasher does somehow exist, you’d think it’d be about 1 in 4 boxes. So a given box break vid should have about a 1/4 chance of it.

I’m still pretty doubtful about a flasher checklist. Even if a checklist was in the place of a flasher (briefly checking some breaks, looks like 4th card into a hobby pack), Id have an easier time believing the pack contents were in error- although awfully coincidental for it to be the checklist- vs a silver flasher checklist existing.

[IamGroot]

Originally Posted by DynaEtch

Man you gotta throw this tantalizing story into the mix

It’s an interesting story. Not much can be done with it I guess since the card is long gone/no way to confirm. *But* you are giving me the idea to scour for 95 Marvel Metal break vids to see if I can find any examples of this. If the flasher does somehow exist, you’d think it’d be about 1 in 4 boxes. So a given box break vid should have about a 1/4 chance of it.

I’m still pretty doubtful about a flasher checklist. Even if a checklist was in the place of a flasher (briefly checking some breaks, looks like 4th card into a hobby pack), Id have an easier time believing the pack contents were in error- although awfully coincidental for it to be the checklist- vs a silver flasher checklist existing.

Yeah, I do wish I still had the box contents or set from it to check. However, it was a question I asked myself too late to confirm. I'm sure there should be plenty of break videos out there from Metal though; especially from the Pandemic era when the boom occurred.

[Watchmee]

Judging from some of the promo materials for this set (the one with Iron Man listed as #138 on the back) Marvel & Fleer were not exactly sure how many cards will end up in the set

https://rb.gy/4ru3k4
https://rb.gy/mmiv8h


Of course that is not an evidence that the flasher checklist exist but maybe leaves room for some early test prints... (just my $0.02 for the "conspiracy piggy bank")

Alex