Ripken Minor League Cards Reaching Major League Prices

[RITM]

Greetings everyone. I hope all is well. I was recently invited by Chris Gilmore of Freedom Card Board to write an article about the minor league cards of Cal Ripken, Jr. Here is a copy of the article. Enjoy!

Ripken Minor League Cards Reaching Major League Prices

Collectors of Cal Ripken, Jr., are known to be as consistent at the Iron Man himself. Since retiring from baseball in 2001, his cards and memorabilia have demanded steady premiums. With his inclusion in many current products, along with his name on the “Ripken League” division of youth baseball, Ripken has the opportunity to appeal to a new generation of collectors.

The Major League resume of Cal Ripken, Jr., includes a Rookie of the Year Award, World Series Championship, 19 All-Star Game selections, two American League Most Valuable Player Awards, and a consecutive game streak of 2,632 games. Cal’s Hall of Fame selection was the third highest in history. Despite the Major League resume, it is the Minor League past of Cal that is garnering attention from the hobby.

As a senior pitcher at Aberdeen (MD) High School, Cal would post a 7-2 record and .79 ERA. In the Class-A State Championship Game, Cal would throw a 2 hitter and strike out 17. On June 6, 1978, the Baltimore Orioles selected Cal in the second round (48^th overall) of the Amateur Draft and sent him to the Appalachian League Bluefield Orioles. In 63 games with Bluefield, Cal hit .264. During the 1979 season, Cal played for the Miami Orioles of the Florida State League. Cal hit .303 with 5 home runs and 54 RBI as a 19 year old. He earned a spot on the Topps National All-Star Team, was a FSL All-Star, and was named the Class A Shortstop of the Year.

For the 1980 season, Cal played for the AA Charlotte O’s of the Southern League. Cal helped the O’s with his offense (.276-25-78) and defense (Southern League leader at 3B with a .933 fielding percentage). Cal and the O’s would sweep the Memphis Chicks 3-0 to win the 1980 Southern League Championship. Cal was a 1980 Southern League All-Star and was given the opportunity to play in the Caribbean Winter League. Cal would receive the first of two consecutive Team MVP Awards with Caugas. The 1980 season with Charlotte also brought about another milestone for Cal: He received his first trading card. On May 30, 1980, exactly two years to the day before “The Streak” began, a blue-bordered set sponsored by WBTV of Charlotte was given out to fans 14 and under. The 28-card shrink-wrapped set had a production run of 1,400 sets. However, there is question as to whether 1,400 sets left Crockett Park that night.

When interviewed for my website, Ripken in the Minors, Marshall Hester shared his recollections of May 30, 1980. Marshall was the Traveling Secretary for the 1980 Charlotte O’s.

The night the cards were given out either we had a sparse crowd or there was a distribution SNAFU because after the game there were hundreds and hundreds of unopened packs left around the concourse. The GM wanted everything cleaned up that night before we left and that included these cards. I assume it was the GM because the souvenir manager had orders from higher up to get rid of the leftover cards. A grocery cart was always tucked in a storage room on the concourse. My kid brother, age 13 and my clubhouse rat, got the cart and we went up and down the concourse chunking the cards into the cart. It filled the entire cart I know because it was tough trying to push it to the dumpster. Into the dumpster the cards went and that was that. My brother may have stuck a set or two in his pocket but I didn't take any. It was no big deal.

Marshall’s “kid brother”, Stuart Hester, remembers the night of May 30, 1980.

It was a sparse attendance that night. As a result, there was a large amount of promotional card sets left over. At the end of the night, the sets were gathered into a large grocery cart. The cart was overflowing and heavy and my help was needed to push the cart to the dumpster. I did manage to keep my one set.

Cat Whitfield beat out Cal for the Shortstop position for the 1980 Charlotte O’s. Although he does not remember the specific events of May 30, 1980, he does remember that there were “a lot of cards leftover. How many do you want? I don’t remember if it was a bad crowd or not. Marshall may very well be correct.”

Regardless of the circumstances of the night, Cal remembers his first trading card. In the July 2007 issue of Beckett Baseball Card Monthly, Kevin Haake, Associate Editor of the publication, interviewed Cal Ripken, Jr. In the interview, Cal commented on his 1980 WBTV Charlotte O's card when asked "Did you ever actively collect your own Rookie Card?" Cal's response was as follows: "No, I never went looking for them, but I've got them all. The card I have the most quantity of is my 1980 Charlotte WBTV minor league card. This was my first baseball card ever, so I was pretty excited. Somewhere, I've got a box full of those sets."

The 1980 Charlotte O’s WBTV set brings strong premiums. It is for this reason that Cal’s WBTV carries the most need for caution due to counterfeits on the market. During June 2013, Cal’s WBTV cards saw huge spikes in premiums:

June 6: PSA 6 WBTV - $2,499 (Ebay Buy It Now)

June 11: PSA 6 WBTV - $3,499 (Ebay Buy It Now)

June 14: SGC 40 WBTV - $3,231.25 ($2,750 plus commission, Huggins and Scott)

June 30: PSA 6 WBTV with the rest of the team set - $4,500 (Ebay)

The hot sales continued to the month of July. On July 13, a 1980 WBTV graded SGC 80 sold for $3,500 (Ebay Buy It Now).

Population reports from the “big three” of grading (BGS, PSA, SGC) would suggest that far fewer than 1,400 sets are available. As of July 2, 2013, the three grading services have slabbed a combined total of 46 copies.

BGS: 9 copies
PSA: 34 copies
SGC: 3 copies

Although population reports are useful, it is important to remember that population reports are not a 100% accurate measurement. When looking over population report numbers, it is important to consider that cards can be crossed over multiple times. Total population numbers also do not reflect cards that have been broken out of slabs and resubmitted. With that being said, it is possible that total populations for cards could actually be lower than the numbers presented.

Unbeknownst to Cal, his second trading card was also produced during the 1980 season. This card, sponsored by the Charlotte Police Department, featured a design similar to its WBTV counterpart with some exceptions: The Charlotte O’s Police card featured an orange border and did not include the WBTV logo. In addition, the back of the Police card included crime prevention and baseball tips. The 1980 Charlotte O’s Police cards were never collated in set form. During the summer of 1980, Officers from the Charlotte Police Department gave out the cards to young people of the Charlotte area.

Cal’s 1980 Charlotte Police card, considered Cal’s “Holy Grail”, is extremely rare. As of July 2, 2013, the “big three” of grading (BGS, PSA, SGC), have only slabbed 21 copies of Cal’s orange bordered Police card:

BGS: 3 copies
PSA: 14 copies
SGC: 4 copies

To put the scarcity in perspective, the T206 Honus Wagner, often referred to as “The Card”, has a population of 47 copies as of the July 2, 2013, PSA and SGC Population Reports.

During June 2013, Cal’s 1980 Charlotte Police cards also saw a spike in premiums in two auction listing appearances.

June 11: PSA 2 Charlotte Police - $2,499 (Ebay Buy It Now)

June 30: PSA 5 Charlotte Police with 17 singles from the 1980 Charlotte Police set - $6,500 (Ebay)

It is worth noting that since October 4, 2006, there are only ten recorded sales of this card.

In addition to the sales from Cal’s Charlotte issues, his 1981 Rochester Red Wings issues have also seen increases. On June 30, a Rochester lot including PSA 9 copies of Cal's TCMA, ™™™ and ™™™ checklist sold for $1,650. The lot also included singles from the 1981 TCMA set and a Brooks Carey card from the 1981 ™™™ set. On the same day, an uncut sheet of 1981 ™™™ Rochester Red Wings cards sold for $600. Only 50 sheets remained uncut by set producer Steve Kozel in 1981. Kozel, a college student who used the ™™™ set to pay for his last year of college, would go on to work with the USA Baseball Team.

For collectors familiar with Cal’s minor league cards, the sales data is not that surprising. For collectors not familiar with Cal’s minor league issues, there may be some confusion as to how cards produced in 1980-1981 can be bringing such huge premiums.

James Feagin is Head Writer for Huggins & Scott Auctions. James is also a fan of the Baltimore Orioles. His love affair for the Orioles began in 1984 as an eight year old when his family moved from California to Maryland. When Eddie Murray was traded in 1988, Ripken became his new focus. As the 1990s wore on and "The Streak" came into prominence, Ripken became the focal point of his collecting endeavors. After a serious seven-year search, James acquired a 1980 Charlotte O’s Police Cal Ripken, Jr.

When asked to share his thoughts about Cal’s minor league cards, James said the following: “I'm convinced the orange border (Police) will be a 10K card in any condition one day. I also believe the blue border (WBTV) is a safe bet to jump to 5K. The TCMA will hold it's value, but I think the ™™™ card is seriously undervalued and a great buy. Being that I'm one of the fortunate few who make a full-time living in the industry, I personally see millions of cards come through our auction house every year. It is very hard to impress me and I only collect the team I love. With that in mind, early Ripken minor league material is a prime choice. It is truly rare.”

Bill Haelig is a long time Baltimore Orioles fan and collector. Bill is well known in hobby circles as having the most comprehensive collection of Cal Ripken, Jr., cards and memorabilia in the country. Bill also works directly with Cal through Ironclad Authentics. Sports Illustrated named Bill as the "Iron Man of Cal Collectors" in its commemorative "2131" edition.

When asked for his thoughts about Cal’s 1980 Charlotte issues, Bill said the following: “I think the fact that most collectors have overlooked when it comes to both the Blue/WBTV and Orange/Police cards is not only the scarcity of these issues, but more importantly the unique circumstances that surround the distribution of both of these cards back in 1980. You have the Blue cards that were given away to kids one evening at Crockett Park in May of 1980, with first hand accounts of many of these complete sets never getting in the hands of children, compounded with the devastating fire that completely destroyed this stadium in 1985. In addition, the orange cards that were never collated as a set, but were to given to kids by the Charlotte Police Department. All of these years later, less than 50 examples can be accounted for. All of this makes these cards SO much more intriguing. I picked up my first WBTV set in 1985 for $10 and when I finally discovered that the Orange Police card even existed shortly thereafter, it took me nearly two years to track one down! Tell me one other minor league card set in the last 35 years that can compete with this set of circumstances, coupled with the fact that one of the players in that set would eventually become an iconic Hall of Fame player?"

If current trends are a sign of things to come, the minor league cards of Cal Ripken, Jr., will only continue to be a focal point of hobby discussions.

Ripken in the Minors was created in October 2006 in an effort to protect and educate collectors about Cal’s Minor League cards. To learn more about Cal’s Minor League cards and career, please visit www.ripkenintheminors.com. Chris can also be reached at [email protected]

[pwaldo]

Not really surprising or at least to me anyways. The late 1970s and early 1980s minor league stuff is super rare compared to the Topps counterparts and if you want the best rookie of Cal Ripken Jr. you either go after high graded widespread release issues or his hard to find minor league stuff. Most everyone that collects Ripken has his minor league stuff but how many of them have his rare minor league stuff?

[RITM]

Not really surprising or at least to me anyways. The late 1970s and early 1980s minor league stuff is super rare compared to the Topps counterparts and if you want the best rookie of Cal Ripken Jr. you either go after high graded widespread release issues or his hard to find minor league stuff. Most everyone that collects Ripken has his minor league stuff but how many of them have his rare minor league stuff?

I completely agree with this assessment.

In the hobby we see trends where collectors do what they can to make their collection stand out from other collections. When numerous collectors had all of a player's rookie cards they turned to grading to have rookie cards that stand out above others. When I was younger I remember a time when having an autograph ruined the value of a card. Now we are seeing premiums on autographed rookie cards. There are only so many ways to make a Ripken collection stand out. You can go graded, game used, tickets, etc., but a good way to make your collection stand out is by going the minor league route. After all, there are only so many Ripken collectors that can have a complete run of Cal's minor league cards.

[Peties Army]

I'm not trying to be a jerk but can anyone write for that forum? That was pretty poorly written.

I am not trying to be a jerk, but the first part lost me. How does something "demanded steady premiums"?

[yeahbuddy]

I'm not trying to be a jerk but can anyone write for that forum? That was pretty poorly written.

I am not trying to be a jerk, but the first part lost me. How does something "demanded a steady premiums"?

Wait, you are criticizing the article by saying it was poorly written but yet you can't even cut and paste correctly, one of the most simplest tasks on a computer? Nice job, idiot!

[Bottom9th]

i'm not trying to be a jerk but can anyone write for that forum? That was pretty poorly written.

I am not trying to be a jerk, but the first part lost me. How does something "demanded steady premiums"?

epic fail!

[Peties Army]

Wait, you are criticizing the article by saying it was poorly written but yet you can't even cut and paste correctly, one of the most simplest tasks on a computer? Nice job, idiot!

I didn't copy and paste I just rewrote it and I corrected it for you, but my mistake has nothing to do with his poorly written work. He is claiming to be some sort of writer, all I was asking is if anyone can write for the site

[Peties Army]

epic fail!

How is that an epic fail?

Again, just wondered if anyone can write for that website. Maybe I could have asked better but I didn't.

[andyakers]

How is that an epic fail?

Again, just wondered if anyone can write for that website. Maybe I could have asked better but I didn't.

You are trying to point out a grammar mistake that doesn't exist. You called his article poorly written. A very IRONIC epic fail to say the least.

[RITM]

Greetings. I am sorry that my article confused you. Confusing readers was obviously not the intent of the article.

Nowhere have I ever claimed to be a professional writer. My site was developed in 2006 after realizing that I had purchased a counterfeit copy of one of Cal's minor league issues. I am a guy on a budget and do my homework before purchases. Unfortunately, information about the card was simply unavailable at the time. Around the time I learned how to spot counterfeits, fake copies of Cal's minor league cards were selling for anywhere from $700-$1,000. One seller in particular would sell one fake after another. Ebay would not listen to me due to their high seller feedback and my lack of credibility. I opted to do something about it and develop my site. Since the site went live I have been interviewed by Beckett, Sports Collectors Digest, and Tuff Stuff. My work was also thanked in a recent book by an author who has a Pulitzer in his display case as well as two additional Pulitzer nominations. Bobby Bonner, who shares a spot with Cal Ripken, Jr., on one of the most iconic cards in trading card history (1982 Topps Future Stars), thought enough of my work to include my interview with him on his personal website. The Iron Man himself has taken the time to do three interviews for my site.

Again, I am not a professional writer. What I am is a collector using the resources I have to help the hobby. As far as writing for FCB goes, I have no clue if they are looking for writers. Chris Gilmore offered a platform and I jumped at the opportunity. Any visibility means more education about how to avoid buying counterfeit cards. Wouldn't you agree that this is a good thing?