Cal Ripken Jr. And The Hobby

[packs]

Why don’t you offer your opinion on the state of his place in the hobby then? Why do you think his cards are cheap?

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by packs

Why don’t you offer your opinion on the state of his place in the hobby then? Why do you think his cards are cheap?

They aren't cheap compared to his contemporaries. Everything from that era is cheap compared to certain modern issues. Just a matter of who is in the market, and the supply.

[packs]

I’m considering reasons he might still be considered cheap despite his accomplishments. If you think he’s priced correctly we’re talking about different things.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by packs

I’m considering reasons he might still be considered cheap despite his accomplishments. If you think he’s priced correctly we’re talking about different things.

Correctly is not the word I would use. I just think the explanation lies in the difference between the market segments, not anything specific about Ripken. I mean look at Finest Refractors, his card is way up there, ahead of most except Ryan and Griffey I think.

[packs]

His Topps traded card will ensure he’s always hobby relevant. I think that’s for sure no matter whether you consider him cheap or not.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by packs

His Topps traded card will ensure he’s always hobby relevant. I think that’s for sure no matter whether you consider him cheap or not.

Agreed, spectacular card. And I know this is hit or miss taste, but I really like the Gregory Siff take from Topps Project 2020.

[packs]

I do love the traded card. Great image. Billy probably has the most undeserved seat at the eternal hobby table but I don’t know if he considers that good or bad.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by packs

Why don’t you offer your opinion on the state of his place in the hobby then? Why do you think his cards are cheap?

Because they like all other cards of the HOFers of that era are so over produced every collector could own several. Huge supply with small demand.

[packs]

You're probably right. Most of the big regular Topps issue rookies from the 80s are priced similarly as PSA 10's. The exception is Rickey Henderson. He outsells I think any other regular issue Topps from the decade. Condition sensitive though.

Mattingly Donruss in a 10 is also a killer card from the time.

The Tiffany cards are probably the best cards you could have invested in from the 80s.

Griffey's Upper Deck I think is one that popularity of the player overcame. There's a million of those too but it's pretty pricey anyway if you're a 10 guy.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by packs

You're probably right. Most of the big regular Topps issue rookies from the 80s are priced similarly as PSA 10's. The exception is Rickey Henderson. He outsells I think any other regular issue Topps from the decade. Condition sensitive though.

Mattingly Donruss in a 10 is also a killer card from the time.

The Tiffany cards are probably the best cards you could have invested in from the 80s.

Griffey's Upper Deck I think is one that popularity of the player overcame. There's a million of those too but it's pretty pricey anyway if you're a 10 guy.

To me, the 84 FU Clemens is a great card, knocked way down by his reputation for the time being. Randy Johnson gets no hobby respect at all, his two 89 Topps Tiffany cards are too cheap for what they are IMO.

[Eric72]

One of my favorite cards from the 80s. There are plenty of them out there; however, that doesn't minimize or cheapen the enjoyment I get out of owning one.

[Mike D.]

Originally Posted by packs

You're probably right. Most of the big regular Topps issue rookies from the 80s are priced similarly as PSA 10's. The exception is Rickey Henderson. He outsells I think any other regular issue Topps from the decade. Condition sensitive though.

1980 Topps is really more like the last set of the 70's than the first set of the 80's. Can we all agree that the 80's in terms of cards start in 1981?

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Mike D.

1980 Topps is really more like the last set of the 70's than the first set of the 80's. Can we all agree that the 80's in terms of cards start in 1981?

As Packs pointed out, Henderson is an extreme condition rarity in a 10, for whatever reason. That's the reason for the big disparity with him.

[Tomi]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

As Packs pointed out, Henderson is an extreme condition rarity in a 10, for whatever reason. That's the reason for the big disparity with him.

Watch this video and see how you feel about the 1980 Henderson and it's high grade rarity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wTMS1dmddc

[gustomania]

IMO 1980 is the last true vintage set and the Henderson is one of the greatest HOF RC ever made. That being said 81-84 Topps still feel vintage in my mind and after 1984 they don’t have that same feel to me.

Back to Ripken, I love his 82 Topps multi player RC, if I was a Ripken fan i would have like 20 of these or more.

Both Gwynn and Ripken are both iconic, Gwynn may not have the accolades but his stats are insane.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Tomi

Watch this video and see how you feel about the 1980 Henderson and it's high grade rarity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wTMS1dmddc

I've seen it and others of his videos. I don't "feel" one way or the other about the rarity, I only offered it to explain the market and it clearly explains it.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by Tomi

Watch this video and see how you feel about the 1980 Henderson and it's high grade rarity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wTMS1dmddc

I've seen his videos and while I can't say many positive things about PSA, or the other grading companies, this guy tends to wear a fitted tin foil hat. To state there is some vast conspiracy is silly.

The idea that the Henderson is the best key card in the set and has been for nearly it's entire existence is lightly discussed. The simple repercussions of that is that it has always been the one that every Tom, Dick, and Harry pulled from the box to show their friends. No one pulled or handed around the neighboring common cards, they sat calmly in storage for decades until the advent of grading. All that fondling in comparison to the other cards is going to add fingerprints, light touches and the rest to the many 9's that would have been 10's had little Tommy not pulled it from his binder to show friends.

I don't buy this guys 9/11 philosophy here...

[Mike D.]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

As Packs pointed out, Henderson is an extreme condition rarity in a 10, for whatever reason. That's the reason for the big disparity with him.

Interesting...I figured 1980 Topps, due to the "no competition" production quality, was generally harder to get in top grade.

But looking at the numbers, the Henderson has been graded PSA 10 less than 0.001 percent of the time. The entire 1980 Topps set, including the ~15% that ARE the Henderson? 14.7%.

1981 Topps is 15.3% 10's, and 1979 Topps is 7.4%, for reference.