Cal Ripken Rookie Cards Soar in Price
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Cal Ripken, Baseball's Iron Man, has seen strong prices in his cards years after retirement. He has four rookie cards that came out in 1982. This was the first year he had major league cards. His most well known rookie card is the 1982 Topps from the main set. Recently this card has sold for thousands in a PSA 10 grade.
As the picture shows, Ripken is flanked by two other Baltimore "Future Stars", Bob Bonner and Jeff Schneider. There are rumors that Schneider actually lied about his age and this is actually an error card! Currently, the price on this card is approximately $2000 and in 2016 would have only cost you half of that. Cal Ripken played his last game in 2001.
RELATED: The 15 Best Rookie Baseball Cards of the 1980s
The second and third Ripken rookie cards are 1982 Donruss and Fleer. Both Cards show Ripken alone without other players as in the Topps version.
Donruss offers a clean sharp look right at Cal with the bat on his shoulder. The current price of this card is approximately $500 less than the Topps version. Over time they have switched back and forth on which one is more expensive.
Below is the 1982 Fleer Cal Ripken Rookie Card, graded PSA 10. Due to less availability this card currently sells for approximately $3000. Aesthetically, the card shows Ripken preparing to field a ball. The color match orange line around the picture is a nice touch.
Last and certainly not least is the 1982 Topps Traded Cal Ripken PSA 10. The most valuable of the four cards, this one was only distributed in the complete Topps Traded set, they were not available in packs. This card is special for many reasons including the first Topps card of Ripken by himself. Just like the Fleer rookie, the color match orange lines make the card pop.
Prices for this card, graded PSA 10, are $6000 and higher currently. According to PSA, there are only 417 of these cards graded a Gem Mint 10. For comparison the 1982 Topps three-player Future Stars rookie has over 100 more PSA 10s and thousands more graded overall. If you are a baseball fan or simply a Cal Ripken fan, any of these cards are a great addition to any collection.
Danny Black serves as the Editor of Collectibles on SI. Founder of Hobby News Daily, Danny also serves as a consultant to companies in The Hobby. A former employee of the Braves and Orioles, Danny is a Maryland resident with his wife and 3 children.
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