Cal Ripken Jr.'s most graded cards and prices

Cal Ripken Jr.'s rookie cards have taken a substantial leap in prices in the past year. His early cards are some of the most treasured in the hobby and in personal collections. Here, we look at his most graded cards and their prices. All data was retrieved from Gem Rate and Card Ladder.

1. 1982 Topps Orioles Future Stars #21 (PSA - 42,125; Beckett - 10,73; SGC - 7,066)

Ripken's first card, sharing it with fellow Orioles rookies Bob Bonner and Jeff Schneider, came out in the base 1982 Topps set. Ripken takes the middle spot in the well-balanced card, with Bonner looking to his left, Schneider to his right, and Ripken staring straight ahead. It has been graded over 59,000 times by PSA, Beckett, and SGC.

There are 555 PSA 10s (1.3% Gem Rate) in existence, according to PSA. The most recent sale was for $2,265. The PSA 9 (population 7,516) currently sells for about $100.

2. 1982 Topps Traded #98T (PSA - 18,126; Beckett - 4,990; SGC - 3,055)

1982 Topps Traded Cal Ripken Jr. — Image Courtesy of Card Ladder

This was Ripken's first solo card after first appearing in the base products of 1982 Topps, Donruss, and Fleer.

According to Baseballcardpedia, "1982 Topps Traded is a 132-card update set, sold exclusively as a factory set directly to Hobby dealers. There are no key Rookie Cards in this set. Although the Cal Ripken card is this set's most valuable card and treated by collectors as if it were a "true" rookie, it is not his Rookie Card since he had already been included in the 1982 regular set, albeit on a multi-player card."

There are 418 PSA 10s (2.3% Gem Rate), with the most recent sale going for $6,600 on eBay. A Sept. 7 sale at a Fanatics Weekly auction sold for $8,100. PSA 9s, with a population of 4,581, sell for about $500.

3. 1982 Donruss #405 (PSA - 16,525; Beckett - 4,369; SGC - 2,718)

1982 Donruss Cal Ripken Jr. — Image Courtesy of Card Ladder

There are 755 Gem Mint 10s of this rookie card. Recent PSA 10 sales have ranged from $1,900 to $2,550. While the population is higher than the 1982 Topps Traded card, the Donruss rookie is approximately $5,000 cheaper than its counterpart. PSA 9s, with a population of 3,542, sell for $90 - $120.

4. 1982 Fleer (PSA - 14,889; Beckett - 3,448; SGC - 2,462)

1982 Fleer Cal Ripken Jr. — Image Courtesy of PSA

1982 Fleer is significant because it's the only rookie card featuring Ripken’s image on the field. In the picture, Ripken is wearing his signature Orioles cap and grey uniform. There are 315 PSA 10s and 3,157 PSA 9s. Of all the 1982 Ripken cards, the Fleer set has the lowest Gem Mint population.

The pricing reflects the scarcity in population. PSA 10s have sold for $3,000 to $3,500, which is more expensive than his 1982 Donruss and 1982 Topps PSA 10s. However, Ripken's Topps Traded remains his most coveted card.

If you're looking for a deal, PSA 9s sell for $75 - $90.

5. 1983 Topps #163 (PSA - 7,962; Beckett - 1,425; SGC - 938)

1983 Topps Cal Ripken Jr. — Image Courtesy of Card Ladder

On his third Topps card, Ripken is finishing his swing and sporting an orange jersey. There are 542 PSA 10s and 2,657 PSA 9s. Gem Mint cards sell for $300 to $400. PSA 9s vary, with some selling for as little as $15 and others selling as high as $35.

6. 1984 Topps #490 (PSA - 4,337; Beckett - 387; SGC - 443)

1984 Topps Cal Ripken Jr. — Image Courtesy of Card Ladder

After the first five cards on this list, the grading population for the remaining cards takes a big dip. Ripken's 1984 Topps card is one of his most iconic, featuring him in batting cage warmups and a profile picture in the bottom left corner. It's reminiscent of the picture-in-picture technology found in televisions of the day. There are 579 PSA 10s and 1,637 PSA 9s.

PSA 10 sales averaged $160 in the past three months. His PSA 9 sells for $20 or less.

7. 1984 Donruss #106 (PSA - 3,510; Beckett - 632; SGC - 357)

1984 Donruss Cal Ripken Jr. — Image Courtesy of PSA

There are 480 PSA 10s and 1,369 PSA 9s. Gem Mint copies sell for about $100, and PSA 9 cards sell, on average, for $16. 1984 Donruss features a sleek design with a white border and yellow, wavy streaks with the team name.

8. 1983 Fleer #70 (PSA - 3,181; Beckett - 511; SGC - 405)

1983 Fleer Cal Ripken Jr. — Image Courtesy of PSA

PSA, Beckett, and SGC have graded the 1983 Fleer set nearly 4,100 times. It is one of the few early base cards that shows Ripken in-game. It also features the Orioles logo with the bird holding the bat, adding a fun graphic to the card. There are 529 PSA 10s in the population with an average sale price of $100.

PSA 9s, with a population of 1,294, sell on average for $16, with a recent sale of $20.

9. 1983 Donruss #279 (PSA - 2,619; Beckett - 421; SGC - 355)

1983 Donruss Cal Ripken Jr. — Image Courtesy of PSA

There are 145 PSA 10s and 669 PSA 9s of this card. Maybe because of scarcity, these cards sell for more than other second-year Ripken cards. PSA 10s can sell for $200 or more, and PSA 9s regularly sell for $30 or more.

10. 1986 Topps #340 (PSA - 2,661; Beckett - 153; SGC - 209)

1986 Topps Cal Ripken — Image Courtesy of Card Ladder

This is a surprisingly expensive card in PSA 10 grade. The black border 1986 Topps is a junk wax classic. There are 245 PSA 10s and 919 PSA 9s. A PSA 10 sold on eBay for $400 on Sept. 7. PSA 9s sell for $20 to $30.