Value of Cal Ripken Rookie Cards

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Cal Ripken rookie cards are some of the most popular baseball cards in the hobby.  The Baltimore Orioles legend has always been a fan favorite.  Ripken was elected to 19 All-Star games over his amazing career. Ripken is also well known for breaking Lou Gehrig’s consecutive game streak.  This record in itself describes the type of player Cal Ripken was.  Many experts believe this record will never be broken again.

The value of Cal Ripken rookie cards has dramatically changed over the years.  Cal Ripken has a few rookie cards that make great investments.  Some of the most expensive Cal Ripken rookie cards are those in premium condition.  Some of these great baseball cards sell for hundreds of dollars and we will discuss each one individually.  Here is a list of some of the best Cal Ripken Jr. rookie cards and their current values.

1982 Topps Cal Ripken 

This hard is one of the most popular Cal Ripken baseball cards ever produced.  These cards are very hard to find in good condition due to bad centering and corner damage. The Topps cards are not particularly scare but are condition sensitive which makes high grade cards very hard to find.  Mint 9 versions sell for around $45 while cards graded Gem MT 10 sell for around $500.

1982 Topps Traded Rookie 

This is another great Ripken card that is much harder to find than the pack issued Ripken rookie.  These rare gems were only distributed in traded sets in 1982.  These sets were not mass produced which makes them much harder to find.  These baseball cards also have condition issues which can greatly affect the value of the cards. Many of these cards, up to 75%, are off-center.  This was due to poor cutting from the factory.  Some of these Ripken cards also have extreme corner wear from sitting in boxes over the years.  The Topps Traded Ripken rookie sells for around $200 in Mint 9 condition and up to $1500 in Gem MT 10 condition.

1982 Fleer 

This is another great example of a Cal Ripken rookie card that is worth buying.  These cards have not been as popular with collectors as the Topps cards.  These cards are almost impossible to find well centered.  Fleer did a terrible job cutting cards in the early 80’s.  Most cards are either off-center top to bottom or left to right.  This is also why these Ripken cards make great investments at the right levels.  Because high end graded cards are hard to find the lack of supply will drive prices up in the future.  Collectors can purchase these Cal Ripken rookie cards for around $20 in Mint 9 condition and for $200 in Gem MT 10 condition.

1982 Donruss 

The 1982 Donruss Ripken card is another great investment.  These cards have much of the same condition issues that the Fleer cards have.  Many were poorly cut and are very difficult to find in high grades.  These cards sell for around $20 in Mint 9 condition and $150-$200 in Gem MT 10 condition.

The value of Cal Ripken rookie cards will continue to increase as investors continue to purchase his baseball cards as investments.  Because of his immense popularity, collectors as well as investors are making it very hard for new buyers to get their hands on high grade versions of these amazing baseball cards.