The card you see below is worthless to many collectors these days. Forget the fact that it is a rare (for Donruss) on-card autograph of a Hall of Fame player and is a very early example of pack-inserted certified autographs in The Hobby.
The problem with this card is that it’s serial numbered to 5,000 copies. Yes, the Iron Man had to sit at his desk and sign huge stacks of this card back in the early-90’s. Today all Panini America, formerly Donruss, would do is send him a few pages of labels.
The card below has hit eBay several times recently and despite reaching as much as $140, did not meet the reserve. It’s now back yet again but something tells me it won’t come close to the book value of $250 dollars Sports Collectors Digests quotes.
It’s kind of tragic, really. This card and other early autograph releases once ruled The Hobby. Today you’d be extremely lucky if you could get a single bid on one of them. Collectors have shifted their focus to low serial numbered cards, parallels, and other newer gimmicks.
Forgotten Treasures will return next Saturday with the most infamous error card ever.
I absolutly love the 1990’s donruss elite inserts. These do get shafted today, because they are the early yrs of collecting. I still have yet to start this set, but someday I will have them all, from yr one till the end, not the sets just the inserts.
I would kill to add that card to my collection!
its really sad…. but that would be a great card in anyones collection!
Maybe the reason that it hasn’t reached it’s reserve is that people do not value a Cal Ripken autograph as much as the seller does.
One thing that people tend to forget about autographed cards is that their theorectical value shouldn’t be any higher than an autograph on any other object (i.e. 3×5, ball, bat, etc.).
Ripken autos are generally worth about $50-100, and that will only decrease as he signs more and more items during his retirement years. So why would anybody pay more than that just because this signature is on a supposedly limited edition trading card?
An autograph is just that…no more, no less. It doesn’t really matter how “rare” the card it’s on is….something that people spending hundreds of dollars on artificially scarce “1 of 1″ cards will find out sooner or later much to their chagrin.
Wow. I have to agree with everything mfw13 just said. Indeed, good sir. Indeed.
I agree with you 100% but the early edition elite cards, with production the way it was are very scarce. With The ripken only having a print run of 5000 there are many of these cards still in packs somewhere.
The card isn’t worth the $250 book value. Ripken’s autograph is relatively common, and the card, while rare, is neither in particularly high demand nor particularly attractive.
Take away the reserve, and watch it sell for market value.
yeah its about how many autos are out there. (and how many on-card)
im going after the ted williams auto /2500 from UD92 and it should still go for 500 bucks. maybe in a few years that one will even go up when all these expensive brands run out of cut autos and the like.
I love this card… and I love those Donruss Elite insert sets. However, I bought a nice UD Sweet Spot auto of Ripken for less than $50 (don’t worry… it’s not fading). The fact is… these days there are so many Ripken autos out there… people would be foolish to spend more than $75 for any of his signatures (unless it was paired with a Gehrig cut auto or something). For $75, you can get Ripken autos that are fancy or simple, old or new, serial numbered or unnumbered, with memorabilia or w/o memorabilia. The only people I can see paying high dollar for this card are people who are building this set. There are just too many other cool Ripken autographed cards for 1/2 the price.
That card is definately a treasure and should be in everyone’s collection, along with the Ryne Sandberg Elite AU. Something tells me we’re going to see a NNOF or a certain expletive next time.
I love this card… and I love those Donruss Elite insert sets. However, I bought a nice UD Sweet Spot auto of Ripken for less than $50 (don’t worry… it’s not fading). The fact is… these days there are so many Ripken autos out there… people would be foolish to spend more than $75 for any of his signatures (unless it was paired with a Gehrig cut auto or something). For $75, you can get Ripken autos that are fancy or simple, old or new, serial numbered or unnumbered, with memorabilia or w/o memorabilia. The only people I can see paying high dollar for this card are people who are building this set. There are just too many other cool Ripken autographed cards for 1/2 the price.
Ooops, should have said good post! Waiting for your next one!
I have to disagree with the first post, I think what the auto is on is important and changes the value. If an HOF’er who is now passed on only signed one pair of cleats but signed thousands of baseballs certainly the cleats would be of much greater value. I think the design and type of card and the cleanness of the auto effect the card quite a bit.