1980 Charlotte O's Police Orange Border Cal Ripken Jr. Minor League Rookie PSA EX-MT+ 6.5

• Sold For: $69,000
• Year: 1980
• Auction: 2024 Summer
• Lot #: 7
• Auction Category: Featured

The King of Modern Minor League Cards! Graded EX-MT+ 6.5 by PSA. Incredible 1980 Charlotte O’s Police Orange Border Cal Ripken Jr. that is undoubtedly the ultimate of all "Iron Man" collectibles! This "first owner" grail was given to our consignor as a 12-year-old boy in "The Queen City" by a police officer who was a family friend. The provenance checks out as the Orange Border set was issued for the Charlotte Police force and then distributed randomly, one at a time to youngsters while on patrol or at other community functions. While Huggins & Scott Auctions has been entrusted with other Orange Border Ripken Jr. sales in the past, according to online resource VCP, this particularly jaw-dropping copy is the highest PSA-graded example ever offered for public sale! Until recently, this Ripken Jr. masterpiece resided in a humble shoebox untouched for decades. A truly spectacular rendition that exhibits well-formed corners and entirely untouched borders. Despite slightly errant top-to-bottom centering, this portrait of the legend-in-the-making is perfectly contrasted with "picture perfect" visual accents. The reverse which provides hints/tips from the Charlotte P.D. is sparkling clean. Only 31 total specimens have been judged by PSA with this beauty surviving as the lone copy at the grading tier with only three better! Compare that with the vast number of Ripken collectors and the value and dizzying upside potential of this treasure becomes quite apparent. Opening Bid $5,000.