Ever seen the 1989 Ripken FF Mystery card?

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

I disagree with some of the opinions on the website linked above. To me the lower photos show all the classic signs of being photographic reproductions. Fine lines not reproducing correctly is almost always a dead giveaway.

fleer1.jpg

Bottom picture look at the lines that make up the oval with RBI in it and the number 15

fleer2.jpg

Too many inconsistencies to even start pointing them out. Almost every fine line is jacked.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

I disagree with some of the opinions on the website linked above. To me the lower photos show all the classic signs of being photographic reproductions. Fine lines not reproducing correctly is almost always a dead giveaway.

Attachment 659480

Bottom picture look at the lines that make up the oval with RBI in it and the number 15

Attachment 659481

Too many inconsistencies to even start pointing them out. Almost every fine line is jacked.

Couldn't agree more but I have been saying it is a counterfeit for over a decade.

[jp1216]

Counterfeit - no question. But who made it and why? Rarely does a 'fake' card have better qualities than the original. At the time these were first 'known' - over 25 years ago - the original FF was a $10 card.
For nearly 20 years later - only a couple dozen were known to exist. Then 1500+ were found at once - at an Antique store in Philly (think Fleer).

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by jp1216

Counterfeit - no question. But who made it and why? Rarely does a 'fake' card have better qualities than the original. At the time these were first 'known' - over 25 years ago - the original FF was a $10 card.
For nearly 20 years later - only a couple dozen were known to exist. Then 1500+ were found at once - at an Antique store in Philly (think Fleer).

Just a guess but for the cash. $10 was more than many made an hour at that time. Yes I get $10 is nothing to many on here so they don't get doing anything for $10. Well $10 is a lot of cash to many today and even more 30+ years ago. Now times that $10 by the thousands that got made and that is as much if not more than most made a year back then. Especially regular employees in the printing business.

Now to why we never seen them over the years. Most junk wax cards got thrown away or completely forgotten about. Then who knows how many got sold. My guess is the "person" made them got scared after a few people noticed the difference the counterfeiter said F this and quit selling them.

As to the big find I know the fine gentleman who found them and have done many deals with him. I have never asked for details.

[jp1216]

A fellow collector bought one of these on eBay in/around 2022. Asked the seller if he had more. Seller (antique store guy / not a card guy) said 'actually I have all of these' - and sent a photo of two mostly full 800ct boxes.

Now to fact that the current owner of said lot is selling 4-5 of these - like clock work - on eBay every week at $50 a pop. Literally 4 or 5ish a week, every week for over a year now. Legit purchases and buyers. Printing $$! When he acquired the whole lot - I figured he'd sell a few dozen or so at $50. It just continues to command that price years later. Crazy!

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_dkr...&LH_Complete=1

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by jp1216

A fellow collector bought one of these on eBay in/around 2022. Asked the seller if he had more. Seller (antique store guy / not a card guy) said 'actually I have all of these' - and sent a photo of two mostly full 800ct boxes.

Now to fact that the current owner of said lot is selling 4-5 of these - like clock work - on eBay every week at $50 a pop. Literally 4 or 5ish a week, every week for over a year now. Legit purchases and buyers. Printing $$! When he acquired the whole lot - I figured he'd sell a few dozen or so at $50. It just continues to command that price years later. Crazy!

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_dkr...&LH_Complete=1

Cool now I know the story behind the find, thanks.

I was with you on thinking they would become a few dollar card like the "Test Issue" fakes after the big find. I know I unloaded my hoard(around 12) as soon as I found out about the find thinking they would become worthless.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

I disagree with some of the opinions on the website linked above. To me the lower photos show all the classic signs of being photographic reproductions. Fine lines not reproducing correctly is almost always a dead giveaway.

Attachment 659480

Bottom picture look at the lines that make up the oval with RBI in it and the number 15

Attachment 659481

Too many inconsistencies to even start pointing them out. Almost every fine line is jacked.

And that's where it gets strange. It shows tons of signs on the back of being a straight photographic reproduction.
But, if that's what it was the screening of the gray on the back would match exactly. And it doesn't. It's more coarse and on a different angle. And it's not recreeened from an original card, if it was the screening would be messed up in many ways because the original pattern and the new pattern wouldn't match.
So what the heck was that new halftone screened from?

There are loads of odd things like that.

I do also think it's fake, at one time I suspected a special run for HSN or something like that. But whoever did it put in a lot of effort that's not typical of fakes.

[jp1216]

Thanks for your input Steve! Agree 1000%.

[Beercan collector]

I wonder if the difference in the gray (note the E D) matches the gray on any of the cards fleer printed to hide the obscenity ?
Anyway there’s a show in Columbia Missouri in two days I’m probably gonna go to

[REG1976]

Not a mystery card of the F&$k Face card, but a different one with an indentation band mark going through Ripkens face only on the front got this in 1989

Have you heard of FoundTreasureIsland (ebay)?
ajs

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by ajs

Have you heard of FoundTreasureIsland (ebay)?
ajs

It is the seller of the "big" find. What info are you actually looking for?

Here is my latest Ripken pick up I probably highly overpaid for. Has a nice little yellow circle print spot in the orange band on his sleeve.

I kind of thought that they were. Cool card with the circular yellow ink misprint spot. FoundTreasureIsland sells one they the call the "orange waffle" that has a similar misprint spot as yours but larger (it is on the left side of the card under his right arm). Pretty cool also. Seems like there are too many different ones to buy one of each.
ajs

[irv]

I wasn't aware of these counterfeit copies back when I purchased mine likely 5 or more years ago now, but looking at it right now (the scans) I assume I got lucky and purchased a real one?