Is this PSA 9 Bill Ripken a counterfiet?

[ALR-bishop]

Great stuff as usual Steve. I am never letting you near my cards for fear you would discover they were all reproductions made in China

[CobbvLajoie1910]

Incredible analysis, Steve. Thank you.

[jp1216]

I tend to favor the idea that these were extra production from the inside. Only card to get this special production. HSN or other market is a possibility. Made by the same printing process as the '90 Fleer Canadian?
Billy was married a couple of weeks after the F-Face news broke. I've heard that cards may have been given out as party gifts. Maybe a 'special' batch was made per his request. Not likely, however.
I've seen the fake '86 Jordan, the fake '79 Gretzky etc - this one is just different. Hard to explain. I have seen about 6-8 of these over the years. The ones I've picked up have all come from different parts of the country. Not much real 'value' with it, but it must have a story.....

[bnorth]

Figured I would add a little more info. I have owned one of these cards like Jon has/does and to me the card stock is no where close to the Canadian Fleer. I compared the 2 when I owned one. It is a thin smooth card stock more similar to a thinner 89 Upper Deck card. The cards surface being smooth instead of rough also makes the print on the back of the card more crisp(clearer fonts).

In hand they are very different in feel and appearance. I believe these cards unlike most counterfeit cards was actually printed using a printing press unlike the Gretzky, Jordan and Thomas cards that was printed on a printer.

Steve I wish we could both have one in hand to discuss these nice cards a little more in depth. I hope to run across one again.

Edited to ad that one of the first "Mystery Cards" found had rough rounded edges like it was cut with a hand operated mat cutter with a dull blade or maybe just a ruler and utility knife.

[bnorth]

I recently run across another of these "Mystery Cards" like the 2 in the PSA 9 slabs. This one is a little different than the first one I owned because it is on card stock very similar to real 89 Fleer card stock only slightly thinner unlike the much thinner 89UD like card stock the first one was printed on.

Has anyone else seen one of these cards before?

Card on left is what is being called the Mystery Card and one on right is a real 89 Fleer card.

[Bob Lemke]

I see the photo on the "mystery card" is cropped slightly tighter than the "normal" card.

Sorry if this has been mentioned previously; I didn't go ack and read the whole thread.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Bob Lemke

I see the photo on the "mystery card" is cropped slightly tighter than the "normal" card.

Sorry if this has been mentioned previously; I didn't go ack and read the whole thread.

Bob I picked up a old copy of your book "Sportscard Counterfeit Detector", Amazing book.

Thanks to it I can now better describe my opinion on the www.billripken.com website about the Mystery card. Still believe that opinion to be 100% correct, now I just know how to convey that opinion much better. My opinion now and always has been this card is counterfeit.

If anybody else have one and if so I would really like to hear your opinion on it.