Top prospect Jackson Holliday is recreating one of the most infamous error cards in collectibles history.
Officially releasing Wednesday, 2024 Topps Series 2 Baseball has landed in the hands of some collectors early, and one of the set’s easter eggs is Holliday's throwback to Billy Ripken’s infamous 1989 Fleer "F--K FACE" card.
Holliday, a Baltimore Orioles infielder and MLB.com’s No. 1 prospect, recreates Ripken’s pose for Series 2 with a play on the iconic bat knob obscenity — though this time the bat says "Fun Face."
Not included in the original manufacturer checklist, Holliday appears to be a late addition with short-printed rookie variations. A Topps spokesperson confirmed to cllct the card will be arriving as part of Series 2.
The "Fun Face" card is one of six variations that pay homage to the Ripken error, with additional cards mimicking corrected versions of the original like a black box and black or white scribbles to cover the bat knob.
The 20-year-old Holliday made his debut April 10 but was sent down to the minors just 10 games later after recording only two hits in 34 at-bats.
Ripken, the brother of Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr., played 12 total seasons with four different teams. He was a third-year infielder with Baltimore when the Fleer card was released.
Though he finished his career as a .247 hitter with 20 home runs and 229 RBI, the bat knob obscenity has made Ripken a hobby favorite since 1989.
At first glance, Ripken’s bat-over-shoulder pose on the 1989 Fleer seemed innocent enough, though hobbyists quickly noticed the obscenity written in clear black letters across the bat knob.
Printed alongside rookie cards for Hall of Famers Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr. and John Smoltz, the error made Ripken’s card the one to own — at least before Fleer could fix the card.
Ripken originally told the Baltimore Sun he had been pranked by teammates, but later admitted to CNBC he wrote the obscenity himself so he could easily spot his bat when needed.
Only meant to be used during batting practice, the bat slipped into the photo, and Fleer didn’t correct it before the first print run.
"I can't believe the people at Fleer couldn't catch that,” Ripken told cllct’s Darren Rovell in 2008. “I mean, they certainly have to have enough proofreaders to see it. I think not only did they see it, they enhanced it. That writing on that bat is way too clear. I don't write that neat. I think they knew that once they saw it, they could use the card to create an awful lot of stir."
A major competitor to Upper Deck, the rights to the Fleer brand were purchased by UD in 2005 for $6.1 million. The Fleer brand is still used by Upper Deck, though mostly for non-sports products.
At its height, the FF Ripken card sold for $75 raw (an inflation adjusted $190) in 1989, while his soon-to-be Hall of Famer brother didn't even garner $1 for his card in the same set.
PSA has five different variations of card No. 616 in its census with a total graded population of 21,273 — more than 18% of 1989 Fleer Baseball’s PSA-graded cards.
Of those five variations, the unedited “FF Error” is the most popular with a total population of more than 15,000 and more than 2,600 PSA 10s.
A corrected version, the “Black Box Over Error” card, is the second-most submitted with nearly 4,000 total cards and just more than 1,000 PSA 10s.
Though the FF Error remains one of the most desirable error cards, a relatively-high population has made it attainable for many collectors. A PSA 10 FF Error example sold via Goldin in May for just $489.
Topps created another iconic error card a year later with Frank Thomas’ famous “No Name on Front Error” rookie card. Much harder to find with a PSA-graded population of just 251, the lone PSA 10 example sold through Goldin for $170,400 in 2022.
Among non-sports examples, the 1977 Topps Star Wars “Golden Rod” error card has been a hobby favorite for decades. A PSA 10 example — there are just 5 total — sold through Heritage for $25,000 in May.
Though it might be a memorable homage, Holliday’s Series 2 variation will likely lag far behind prices for his most important cards.
To date, Goldin has already sold five Holliday rookie cards that have surpassed $10,000. A 2022 Bowman Chrome Draft Autographs Red /5 BGS 10 Pristine tops the list with a $49,800 sale in 2023.
Ben Burrows is a reporter and editor for cllct.