Variation
A variation is a version of a card that differs slightly from the other copies of the same card in a set, such as a different photo, background color or lettering. Checklists can list it separately from the standard card.
Also called Variation card.
In more detail
CGC's glossary lists the usual kinds: a different background color or lettering, a corrected error, a misspelled name or a different photo. Some variations come from production rather than mistakes. Wikipedia's example is the 1959 and 1960 Topps baseball sets, where some cards exist with white backs and others with gray backs because two card stocks were used.
A variation is not a parallel. A 2009 beginner's glossary on Upper Deck's site describes a parallel as a serial numbered version of another card that sometimes keeps the design and photo in different color schemes, while a variation changes a detail of the card itself. Upper Deck's 2026-27 Series 1 checklist, for example, lists Country Logo Variations of base cards as a set of their own.
Because the difference can be small, a listing should name the variation and show it in photos. Check the checklist for the exact version before you buy, since a variation and the standard card sell as different items.
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