Why variations get listed

As most of you probably know it has bothered me as to why the T205 Matty Cycle/37-1 became a listed variation. After much speculation and discussion I decided to ask Bob Lemke what warranted him to list the Matty as a variation.

With Bob's permission this was his response:

Good Morning Lee,
The addition of variations to the SCBC data base
is on a case-by-case basis. My personal preference is not to list
printing errors/mishaps. In a situation like the Cycle-back Mathewson
error, I let the marketplace decide. If the card sells for a
significant premium, I feel it would be a disservice to the hobby not
to note it. While the card is not analagous to the '58 Herrer, the '57
Baker or the no-name '90 Thomas, the fact that the market has decreed
large premiums for those errors makes listing them in the big book a
necessity.
Bob Lemke


It looks like if there is enough people out there that believe a card a variation and are willing to spend extra money on it than a card has a chance of being listed as a variation no matter what previous so-called "standards" are or were.

Thanks to Bob for his input,


Lee

Yippie!!! So people with more money than sense get to decide what becomes a variation. This is not meant as a job at Mr Lemke. He's just reporting what the little sense/lots of money crowd does even though their purchasing habits may not be what most collectors think about the card as to whether it's a valid variation or not.

Jay

Jay
This could mean big bucks comming your way for your rare and treasured t206 die cut walter johnson "variation"
I hope you didnt let it slip through you fingers for a pittance when huge die cut "variation" money could have been yours for the asking