The 1980 WBTV Cal Ripken card is a truly valuable "pre-rookie" card of the Iron Man. Even low grade examples routinely break $1000 at auction; the card is prized enough that a PSA 1 example sold at auction five years ago for more than $1800 and we sold a PSA 2 for more than $1100 just over two years ago. That example came from the collection of a long-time hobbyist who collected many many minor league cards - primarily those common issues from the early 1990s. We have over the years gradually pored through those cards ensuring that anything of value had been pulled out and sold in our auction. While we were confident that we had captured everything we were left with several boxes of assorted minor league and unlicensed issues to review a project which we completed this winter. One of the things we discovered was what we deem to be an incredible find: two plastic binder sheets containing 18 cards from the set - all of which including the card of the 19-year-old Ripken were signed! We marveled briefly at the discovery and then we realized something horrifying: the consignor had used "old style" plastic card sheets from the late 1970s and early 1980s. Those sheets as we know today contain chemicals that are damaging to the cards as they begin to become oily. Frantic we carefully removed the Ripken card from its place in the center of the sheet and were horrified as some of the ink from Ripken's pre-rookie signature remained right on the plastic. Aside from the ink spreading somewhat on the card however the damage was minimal and we submitted the card to PSA for review where it was rejected. Clearly the ink spread and the vintage signature conspired against us - so we hatched an alternate plan: we brought the card along with the 17 others as evidence to James Spence for authentication. This time the card rightfully passed and is included here. For good measure we are including the two plastic sheets which contain 16 of the 17 cards (the card of Drungo Hazewood is a separate lot in the auction) - we elected to leave the other 16 cards in the sheets which will be mailed to the winner (secured from other items in the package of course) so that the cards can remain together. Interestingly enough ink from the Ripken and Hazewood signatures still remains on the plastic that it almost qualifies as a second set of autographs! The card is in outstanding condition with sharp corners and edges easily one of the finest examples to come to auction (autograph or not) and the first signed specimen we have ever encountered - and given the value of the card likely the last. An incredible find Cal Ripken pre-rookie signature on his pre-rookie card. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication.