1994 Bowman's Best Mirror Image Refractors

chasen1979 · 10-06-2025, 04:42 PM

All,
I just bought a 1994 Bowman's Best Mirror Image refractor of Jeter/Larkin on Ebay. It was a decent price $14.99. When I got the card, it most certainly did not look like it had the refractor finish. I tried to shine it under lights and even outside and it did have a shine but not the refractor finish. The seller was understanding, worked with me, and did give me a partial refund. However, I saw other copies on Ebay that were graded and said refractors on the slab but looked like the base card. I only saw one copy for sale that appeared to be a refractor by the photo, and it was a whopping $74.99. Curious if anyone has any of these mirror image refractors and associated photos for comparison. I read that the refractor finish is not as strong as modern day refractors, but you still should be able to tell by holding it under a light and tilting it. Just for kicks and giggles, I bought a base card of the same insert on ebay for $3 and will use it for comparison. Curious if anyone else has had trouble telling the base from the refractor like me, lol.
Chris

OhioLawyerF5 · 10-07-2025, 07:49 AM

Here is mine.

You can defnitely tell they are refractors, but given all the dark colors on the card, it can be hard from certain angles.

The refractor finish often won't show from directly in front of the card in a photo or scan, so you have to look close, or ask for more pictures if they aren't clear. But the fact that some graded refractors but don't look like refractors doesn't mean they aren't.

One things sellers often do is click "sell one like this" and have ebay automatically create their listing. This often results in inaccurate descriptions. I see it all the time, especially with this particular card. When I was shopping for one, I just passed by any listing that didn't have clear photos of the refractor finish. That card is plentiful enough that you won't miss out by skipping a listing that isn't obvious.

10-06-2025, 04:42 PM	#1
chasen1979 Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Dayton, OH Posts: 180	1994 Bowman's Best Mirror Image Refractors All, I just bought a 1994 Bowman's Best Mirror Image refractor of Jeter/Larkin on Ebay. It was a decent price $14.99. When I got the card, it most certainly did not look like it had the refractor finish. I tried to shine it under lights and even outside and it did have a shine but not the refractor finish. The seller was understanding, worked with me, and did give me a partial refund. However, I saw other copies on Ebay that were graded and said refractors on the slab but looked like the base card. I only saw one copy for sale that appeared to be a refractor by the photo, and it was a whopping $74.99. Curious if anyone has any of these mirror image refractors and associated photos for comparison. I read that the refractor finish is not as strong as modern day refractors, but you still should be able to tell by holding it under a light and tilting it. Just for kicks and giggles, I bought a base card of the same insert on ebay for $3 and will use it for comparison. Curious if anyone else has had trouble telling the base from the refractor like me, lol. Chris

10-07-2025, 07:49 AM	#2
OhioLawyerF5 Member Join Date: Feb 2022 Posts: 7,100	Here is mine. You can defnitely tell they are refractors, but given all the dark colors on the card, it can be hard from certain angles. The refractor finish often won't show from directly in front of the card in a photo or scan, so you have to look close, or ask for more pictures if they aren't clear. But the fact that some graded refractors but don't look like refractors doesn't mean they aren't. One things sellers often do is click "sell one like this" and have ebay automatically create their listing. This often results in inaccurate descriptions. I see it all the time, especially with this particular card. When I was shopping for one, I just passed by any listing that didn't have clear photos of the refractor finish. That card is plentiful enough that you won't miss out by skipping a listing that isn't obvious.