RARE 1982 Fleer TEST CARD Cal Ripken Jr. (DAVE FORD) ROOKIE - NM - BGS 7
Item History & Price
RARE 1982 Fleer TEST CARD Cal Ripken Jr. (DAVE FORD) ROOKIE - NM - BGS 7. Condition is Like New.
Shipped with USPS First Class Package, fully insured. Do not pay for the item until I calculate the required insurance. I will then send you an invoice.
You are bidding on the extremely rare Cal Ripken Jr. ROOKIE Test Card with Dave Ford's name on front.
The pictures are from the actual card.
This is only 1 of approximately 100 in existence. Not many left are in this ...condition.
A little history of this card / set that I could find
In case you did not know, back in 1981, after an 18-year hiatus from the market, Philadelphia's Fleer Corporation took the hobby by storm with its return to baseball cards. The previous year, a court decision had forced the Baseball Players Association to offer contracts to other card companies besides Topps, and both Fleer and Donruss jumped at the opportunity. Although riddled with errors, Fleer's 1981 set earned distinction as the #1 design of the year by Baseball Hobby News, and the company then set out to make improvements for its 1982 set. In addition to streamlining its design and improving its photography, Fleer decided it would improve its card stock.
According to Sports Collectors Digest, "To test a proposed cardboard stock from International Paper Co., a run of 100 sheets of test cards was printed and delivered to Fleer officials. The cards on the sheet include various combinations, incorrect picture/name combinations and cards with no player identification. All cards have the words "TEST CARD" overprinted in black in the player identification area at the bottom center, along with the letters "o", "n" or both vertically at the left end of the oblong. Backs are blank. At least half of the 132-card test sheets have made their way into the hobby where they are offered both as complete sheets and as hand-cut single cards or panels... Each of the 66 cards is double-printed on the sheet."
Fortunately for collectors, the set's key card appeared on the sheet in two different variations, both with Cal Ripken's iconic rookie image, but one with Cal's name and one with Dave Ford's name. The card that you are purchasing is with DAVE FORD'S name on the front. Although approximately 100 examples of the card are believed to exist, surprisingly few have turned up for professional grading, most likely due to the poor condition in which most copies have been found.
In short, here is a very rare opportunity to acquire an exceptionally high-grade copy of a card that most advanced collectors have perhaps heard rumors of but have never seen in person and certainly never called their own. Not believing the card even existed until seeing it with their own eyes, even former Fleer employees acknowledge its extreme scarcity.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at any time.
Shipped with USPS First Class Package, fully insured. Do not pay for the item until I calculate the required insurance. I will then send you an invoice.
You are bidding on the extremely rare Cal Ripken Jr. ROOKIE Test Card with Dave Ford's name on front.
The pictures are from the actual card.
This is only 1 of approximately 100 in existence. Not many left are in this ...condition.
A little history of this card / set that I could find
In case you did not know, back in 1981, after an 18-year hiatus from the market, Philadelphia's Fleer Corporation took the hobby by storm with its return to baseball cards. The previous year, a court decision had forced the Baseball Players Association to offer contracts to other card companies besides Topps, and both Fleer and Donruss jumped at the opportunity. Although riddled with errors, Fleer's 1981 set earned distinction as the #1 design of the year by Baseball Hobby News, and the company then set out to make improvements for its 1982 set. In addition to streamlining its design and improving its photography, Fleer decided it would improve its card stock.
According to Sports Collectors Digest, "To test a proposed cardboard stock from International Paper Co., a run of 100 sheets of test cards was printed and delivered to Fleer officials. The cards on the sheet include various combinations, incorrect picture/name combinations and cards with no player identification. All cards have the words "TEST CARD" overprinted in black in the player identification area at the bottom center, along with the letters "o", "n" or both vertically at the left end of the oblong. Backs are blank. At least half of the 132-card test sheets have made their way into the hobby where they are offered both as complete sheets and as hand-cut single cards or panels... Each of the 66 cards is double-printed on the sheet."
Fortunately for collectors, the set's key card appeared on the sheet in two different variations, both with Cal Ripken's iconic rookie image, but one with Cal's name and one with Dave Ford's name. The card that you are purchasing is with DAVE FORD'S name on the front. Although approximately 100 examples of the card are believed to exist, surprisingly few have turned up for professional grading, most likely due to the poor condition in which most copies have been found.
In short, here is a very rare opportunity to acquire an exceptionally high-grade copy of a card that most advanced collectors have perhaps heard rumors of but have never seen in person and certainly never called their own. Not believing the card even existed until seeing it with their own eyes, even former Fleer employees acknowledge its extreme scarcity.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at any time.
