1989 Fleer Bill Ripken F Face error card

[sjm76]

I have noticed that all variations of the 1989 Fleer Bill Ripken F*ck Face error card have been increasing in value especially the card where the expletive on the bottom of his bat isn't covered. Given that Ripken wasn't a good player during his playing days, realistically how much do you think the card especially the graded versions will increase, say 10 years from now? I know that it's known to quite a few in the hobby as an iconic card because of the visible expletive but again, Ripken just wasn't a very good player.

 

[gracecollector]

Card value has little to do with player, value is in the novelty of having a card that should have been censored. It's like a fart joke: universal, always funny to some, appeals to our juvenile sense of humor.

 

[sjm76]

Card value has little to do with player, value is in the novelty of having a card that should have been censored. It's like a fart joke: universal, always funny to some, appeals to our juvenile sense of humor.

I understand what you're saying but obviously if the player on the card was a star or even just a solid player, I'm sure it would be worth more. Bill Ripken's biggest claim to fame is being Cal Ripken's younger brother but I just question realistically how much more that card will go up in value in the future especially since 1989 Fleer cards were mass produced.

 

[mrmopar]

It is a novelty card for starters. Every kid wanted the forbidden FF card when they first learned of it.

However, it was also recalled and replaced, thus giving it a whole other collecting audience (errors/variations). You are correct though, a star player with something like this and the card would be much more universally collected and likely that much more valuable. That is the exact reason (as well as being a RC too) that the Frank Thomas 90 Topps blackless is legendary and the same type of John Hart card, although scarce and still collectible, is not legendary.

Others much more familiar with the perceived scarcity could comment on future value from a limited supply (vs demand) aspect. For most, it will always be just a novelty card though, in my opinion.

 

[tramers]

wasn't there 8 or 9 versions of that card ? i know somewhere i have several versions

 

[sjm76]

wasn't there 8 or 9 versions of that card ? i know somewhere i have several versions

I know of 4: the unedited F Face card, the black scribble edited version, the black box edited version and a rare white scribbled out version.

 

[tramers]

been wrong before but 4 doesn't seem right to me --- 8 might be to high . Bought my share of those in boxes in the day ------- Friend recently opened a sealed case no reply on what he got .

 

[gamecockfanatic]

if you believe the guy who specializes in this particular card , his website claims there are more like 27 slightly different versions....frankly i look at all his images and cant see the differences he notes on some of them , but he is the foremost authority on the subject so he is the one to ask....


found the link to his website in my old bookmarks....

BILLRIPKEN.COM (Looking for the FF - 1989 Fleer #616)

www.billripken.com

 

[Dazed]

There were a couple members on here that had a website dedicated to this card. I don't know if they are around. The website was/is www.billripken.com the members are
MartinFFcollector & jp1216.

 

[mrmopar]

Not disagreeing that there are multiple variations, but if you are really looking hard across a large sample size, you can usually find slight variations or print differences. In this case, when they fixed the card and made it purposefully different, that is a true variation to me.

I never noticed when they were new, but you can see color changes in the 89 Topps team names for example. Are those true variations? Not sure I agree that they are, but some may. They are definitely different shades of some of the colors, most noticeable when the two cards are side by side.

 

[gamecockfanatic]

There were a couple members on here that had a website dedicated to this card. I don't know if they are around. The website was/is www.billripken.com the members are
MartinFFcollector & jp1216.

i didnt recall the names of the members here , but yes that is the website that i visited just to make sure it was still live before posting the link...mainly bill ripken but a few other neat pages there , mostly the "adult" cards...

 

[bstanwood]

Some of those are hilarious, I've seen the Billy Martin before, someone told me about the fred Marion card a few weeks back, that's good cheap entertainment.

 

[sjm76]

PSA 10 Ripken F-Face error cards have increased about $50 over the past month to around $220 or so. Realistically though, I just can't see them ever going that much higher than maybe $300 tops because the player on the card is Bill Ripken.

 

[Gold Card Auctions]

Seeing things like this make us worry we might be in another baseball card bubble... discuss

 

[sjm76]

Seeing things like this make us worry we might be in another baseball card bubble... discuss

Not sure what you mean. Please clarify. I have a fairly large collection and what I worry about is that the value of cards as a whole will take a nosedive in the coming months because of the whole coronavirus thing and so many people being out of work now. People having less income = less money to spend on non-necessary items. I'm sure there are still a fair share of wealthy collectors on eBay, though, to spend money on items.

 

[fordman]

This is probably the best packed rack pack out of all of them:

Fordman

 

[sjm76]

Is that rack pack yours? If so, wow. That could command some nice coin in the next 5-10 years.

 

[fordman]

Is that rack pack yours? If so, wow. That could command some nice coin in the next 5-10 years.

Not mine. It's from the billyripken site. That rack pack would definitely be worth a lot some day.

Fordman

 

[KLARNOLD]

The great Fleer swindle...or in that rack pack, Swindell

 

[Mighty Bombjack]

That rack pack is fantastic.