Billy Ripken
Baseball • 1989 Donruss
Sport & Year
Baseball • 1989
Brand & Set
Donruss - 1989 Donruss
Card Number
#616
Card Type
Veteran / Error Card
Rarity
Common Base (Error Version Attempt)
Parallel Variant & Language
Base • English
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Grade
Poor (P 1) to Good (G 2)
Estimated Market Value
$5 - $15 (Raw / Damaged)
Recent Sales
Damaged copies of the 'FF' error sell for $5-$10; NM-MT raw copies typically fetch $30-$50. PSA 10 examples can exceed $400, but this card's condition is significantly lower.
Condition Details
Extensive surface creasing on the right side of the card, visible edge wear and whitening, rounded corners, and significant surface wear. The card appears to be stored loosely in a stack, causing further friction damage.
Grading Recommendation
Not recommended for grading. The heavy creasing on the right over the black border and corner damage would likely result in a grade of 1 or 2. The cost of grading would exceed the card's value in this condition.
Card Description
Billy Ripken of the Baltimore Orioles is shown in a batting stance. He is wearing the classic orange and black Orioles road uniform. The card features a purple and red border design characteristic of 1989 Donruss with the 'Rated Rookie' era logo style for the brand.
Notable Features
This is the infamous 'FF' error card. On the knob of Billy Ripken's bat, an obscenity was written. Donruss later corrected this with several versions (Black Box, White Box, Scribble), making the original 'un-obscured' version a famous piece of hobby history.
Authentication Notes
The card appears authentic to the 1989 release. The obscenity on the bat knob (partially visible at the bottom left area of Ripken's grip) is the primary identifier. Counterfeits of this specific error exist, but the print dot patterns and card stock seen here are consistent with genuine 1989 Donruss production.
Scanned: 2026-04-22T21:52:48.800482