30 Day Baseball Card Challenge

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Sunday, September 16, 2012

To err is human...

It took MLB players 136 years to commit 500,000 errors.

But it only took me over 20 years, to finally add the infamous 1989 Fleer #616 Billy Ripken "F#%k Face" error card to my collection.  

 Words can't describe the satisfaction and sense of relief that I felt after slipping this card into a penny sleeve, top loader, and into the darkened shoebox it will now call "home".

 It should be pretty obvious why this card became an instant "cult classic", but I've blown up the area of concern just in case:

The card has gained national media attention and there's even a website dedicated to this card and its variations.  Last time I checked, there were at least 8 or 9 different versions of this card.

 But in my eyes, the most important one is the card you see above.  It's been estimated that over 100,000 of these cards were inserted into packs, which makes them far from rare.  However for being such an "overproduced" error, this card still commands $5 to $15 on eBay.

 Who says that junk wax era cards are worthless?

 Okay, it's your turn to share...
What are some of your favorite "error" cards?
Thank you Fleer for creating one of the biggest gaffes in cardboard history.

And congratulations Jose Reyes!  Your name will forever be a part of MLB history.

Happy Sunday and sayonara!
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17 comments:

  1. jacobmrleySeptember 16, 2012 at 10:47 AM

    I have always been partial to the Washington "Nat'l Lea." variations in the 1974 Topps set. I don't know if they are errors, per se, but it was a pretty big error in judgement on Topps' part either way.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. FujiSeptember 16, 2012 at 5:15 PM

      As a Padres fan... I've always wanted the regular and the variation/error set. One of these days, I'll get around to building it.

      Delete
    2. jacobmrleySeptember 19, 2012 at 9:14 AM

      I totally forgot I wrote about this card following one of your questions: http://startingnine.blogspot.com/2012/06/whats-cheap-under-5-cool-card-you-feel.html

      Delete
    3. FujiSeptember 19, 2012 at 10:46 PM

      I wish I bought mine for $5... paid almost twice that amount. Thanks for sharing your post.

      Delete
  2. cynicalbuddhaSeptember 16, 2012 at 3:31 PM

    That card is the reason I never bought any 89 Fleer back in 1989. It sent pack and box prices through the roof. And all for Billy Ripken!!??!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. FujiSeptember 16, 2012 at 5:16 PM

      I know it's ridiculous... but it's something I needed to add to my PC for closure.

      Delete
  3. shoeboxlegendsSeptember 16, 2012 at 4:45 PM

    Great card, I've been looking for this one for a while but haven't pulled the trigger on one yet.

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    Replies
    1. FujiSeptember 16, 2012 at 5:19 PM

      It's one of those things I kept waiting and waiting and waiting for them to go down in value/demand. It's crazy how this car still holds its value... especially since there are so many out there.

      Delete
  4. JeffSeptember 16, 2012 at 7:13 PM

    That card was the beginning of the end of card collecting. Blatantly intentional on the part of Fleer. Nobody saw that and just slipped into production? Really? And to have multiple "corrected" versions? Just an attempt to drive sales. Ugh.

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    Replies
    1. FujiSeptember 16, 2012 at 8:42 PM

      Yeah, I agree that Fleer used this as a marketing ploy. However, I don't think this was the first time an error "slipped" into production.

      As for "the beginning of the end" of card collecting, it's debatable. Some may say it's a few years earlier when the junk wax era began.

      Either way... I share your frustration with Fleer or any other company that purposely screws up their product to manufacture sales.

      Delete
    2. CommishbobSeptember 17, 2012 at 3:23 PM

      Jeff, between this and the UD Ben McDonald rookie "error" I pretty much ended my collecting days and I stayed away for about two decades. At that time I was collecting every Oriole card each year. No way was I going to spend $$$ for what I saw as intentional 'bait' cards. So I walked away.

      Delete
  5. AnonymousSeptember 17, 2012 at 7:38 AM

    I'm partial to the '89 UD Dale Murphy rev neg. I picked one up a couple of years ago in order to check off a lingering box from my childhood OCD list.

    Reading "Card Sharks" did little to deter my desire to own that card.

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    1. FujiSeptember 17, 2012 at 3:50 PM

      Yeah... that's another card that continues to hold its value. If I can find one for $10 or less, I'll add it to my collection. According to eBay completed sales, I could be waiting awhile.

      Delete
  6. CommishbobSeptember 17, 2012 at 3:30 PM

    I love the 1959 Lou Burdette 'pitching the wrong way' card. I don't know if fooling the Topps photographer makes an 'error' but if it does that's my fave.

    If I could pick one I didn't own it would be the '57 reversed negative Hank Aaron.

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    1. FujiSeptember 17, 2012 at 3:51 PM

      Nice old school selections. I don't know much about the 50's error cards, but I'll be looking into them.

      Delete
  7. Mark ZentkovichSeptember 17, 2012 at 8:32 PM

    check out the 1972 Billy Martin manager card...and another old school 'prank not an error card' is 1965 Bob Uecker, shown batting left with a big grin, but bats right..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. FujiSeptember 17, 2012 at 8:39 PM

      Thanks Mark... I'll definitely hunt down that Billy Martin card. I remember hearing about that years ago and then reading about it on a blog or in a forum. But now it's officially on my wantlist.

      As for Uecker... I'd love to add one of his cards (in honor of Harry Doyle)... but the 65 is a little pricey... albeit really awesome!

      Delete