Babe Ruth Cards
See also : Sport Baseball Babe Ruth Sport cards
1914 Baltimore News
1
red
2023 SOLD for $ 7.2M by Robert Edward
Jack Dunn was arguably a good businessman : as early as July 4 he transferred George to a major league club. Ruth makes his MLB debut with the Boston Red Sox on July 11.
During this short period, the local publisher Baltimore News had time to publish a baseball card of "Ruth, pitcher". The back announces the schedule from April 21 to September 26. This rudimentary monochrome print is available in two variants, red and blue. The large borders and the paper stock are not conducive for a good preservation.
Ten copies are known. A blue card is graded VG-EX 4 by PSA.
A red copy graded VG 3 by SGC with a provenance from the heirs of the original owner was sold for $ 7.2M by Robert Edward on December 3, 2023, lot 1 illustrated in the pre sale release shared by Sports Collector Digest. It had been on loan from 1998 at the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum in Baltimore
Another red example, in poor condition, graded PR 1 by PSA, was sold for $ 450K by Robert Edward on May 18, 2013, lot 1. It is illustrated in the pre sale release shared by AuctionPublicity.
One of the world’s rarest baseball cards - the 1914 Baltimore News #BabeRuth Rookie - is coming to REA's Fall Auction beginning Nov 17. One of only 10 examples in existence, it's expected to sell for upwards of $10 million or more!https://t.co/nCyrxWAE1v #thehobby pic.twitter.com/qNOCdfuMDr
— RobertEdwardAuctions (@REAOnline) November 6, 2023
2
for reference
blue
1916 MLB rookie
Intro
The MLB rookie card of the future super-champion, published in 1916, is much more satisfactory. He was caught in action, watching where is the ball which he just threw. He has not yet retrieved his balance and the slightly angled view makes him appear slimmer than life. The monochrome sepia print is very neat. He is already identified by his famous nickname 'Babe Ruth'.
Who produced this legendary image ? Original inscriptions are absent, which is often the case when the publisher's main clients are companies that use the back side for their advertising. The Sporting News is not the editor but one of such advertisers, like the Standard Biscuit Company. The real author appears to be a Chicago photographer named Felix Mendelsohn, almost a namesake of the musician.
The American Card Catalog, which defined the denominations of all series in 1939, did a commendable job but without resolving such ambiguities. So Babe Ruth's rookie card is in the M101-4 and M101-5 series with a Sporting News or blank back and D350 with a Standard Biscuit back.
The three series have about 200 positions each. For the 30 players identified with the same position number, it is impossible to know if a card belongs to M101-4 or -5. The Ruth card has the number 151 in all three. M101-5 may be earlier than M101-4.
Still worse : the denomination M101, from -1 to -7, gathers alongside -4 and -5 Sporting News supplements and postcards plus photos later published under an FM copyright, although no other joint operation between the magazine and Mendelsohn is known.
1
NM7 by PSA
2021 SOLD for $ 2.4M by Mile High Card
An M101-5-151 with blank back also rated NM 7 by PSA was sold for $ 720K by Heritage on August 27, 2016, lot 80001.
Consignments are absolutely phenomenal at the 41st National Sports Collectors Convention this amazing card will be in our Fall auction consign at booth 612/614 @milehighcard pic.twitter.com/viPLfEp3Jj
— Mile High Card Co (@milehighcard) July 31, 2021
NM7 by PSA
2025 for sale on February 22 by Heritage
The other example is estimated $ 2.5M for sale by Heritage in February 22, 2025, lot 80009.
2
NM 7 by SGC
2023 SOLD for $ 1.77M by Heritage
It was sold for $ 1.77M by Heritage on February 25, 2023, lot 80012. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
3
EX-MT6 by PSA
2022 SOLD for $ 1.5M by Goldin
This card is perfectly centered with sharp corners. A small stain in a corner prevented a higher level. It is bested in PSA database by one NM-MT8 and one NM7.
“This is the ultimate card to own!” □
— Ken Goldin (@KenGoldin) April 21, 2022
Current Bid: $610,000 pic.twitter.com/6KjbuOHhUe
4
EX-MT 6 by PSA
2021 SOLD for $ 1.45M by Memory Lane
5
with Morehouse Baking back
2024 SOLD for $ 810K by Robert Edward
The reverse is stamped Cancelled after a redemption as part of the promotion advertised on the reverse.
Only 53 Morehouse Baking examples have been graded by PSA plus 57 by SGC, all players included.
A bit of hobby history made in REA’s Fall Catalog Auction. The 1916 Morehouse Baking Babe Ruth Rookie sold for $812,724 Sunday night in what was the first time an example of Ruth has been presented for sale with this incredibly rare Morehouse Baking advertising back. #thehobby… pic.twitter.com/M1YnQFB6Dr
— RobertEdwardAuctions (@collect_rea) December 9, 2024
1933 Goudey
Intro
Goudey Gum Company is a leader in the chewing gum market. The founder of the company retires in 1932. In 1933 the new management includes silkscreen printed cards in the gum packs. The drawing executed from a photograph is simple and the colors are bright. The back includes in full format a short descriptive text beside the identification of the publisher, which was much more attractive at that place than on a postcard.
The most important series is devoted entirely to baseball players under the title of Big League Chewing Gum. Its 240 images are published by Goudey in Boston. 94 of them are renumbered and published in Montreal by World Wide Gum Company which was the Goudey branch in Canada.
The editions released in the same year include a multi-sport series of 48 cards for the Sport Kings chewing gum, 216 Indian views for the Indian chewing gum and two other series of 48 cards : Boy Scouts and Sea Raiders.
The Goudey Big League series, inserted in 1933 and 1934 in the Gum wax packs of that brand, brings a quality glow within the decadence of the 1930s trading cards, in competition with postcards. It is made of 240 positions including four Babe Ruth at position numbers 53, 144, 149, 181. Number 181 is a close-up portrait on which the leaning champion carefully observes an action out of the field of view. This picture is not included in the other series.
In order for young collectors to continue buying the gum, the number 106 of the 1933 series was originally not used. The deception has been discovered. In the following year Goudey created a 1933-106 to provide it to angry fans. This card with the effigy of retired champion Napoleon Lajoie is the rarest in the series and no copy was stained by gum. A 1933-106 graded Mint 9 by PSA was sold for $ 230K by Goldin on October 1, 2016.
A sale dedicated to 1933 Goudey by Heritage on January 24, 2019 highlighted three cards graded Mint 9 by PSA : a Gehrig sold for $ 580K and two Ruth for $ 530K (# 144) and $ 460K (# 181). Two years before, a VG-EX 4 Goudey-Ruth cards did not exceed $ 15K and signed cards were of interest only to specialist collectors.
1
# 53 Mint 9 by PSA
2021 SOLD for $ 4.2M by Memory Lane
2
# 53 NM-MT 8 by PSA
2022 SOLD for $ 940K by Memory Lane
Its visual brilliance like pack fresh is considered by Memory Lane as better than the Newman example having the only higher grade granted by PSA on this variety, sold for $ 4.2M by the same auction house in 2021.
3
# 144 NM-MT+ 8.5 by PSA
2023 SOLD for $ 1.07M by Heritage
4
# 181 Mint 9 by PSA
2021 SOLD for $ 1.27M by Memory Lane
Also graded Mint 9 by PSA, the example from the Newman collection was sold for $ 1.27M by Memory Lane on July 10, 2021, lot 2.
On August 2, 2018, Goldin sold for $ 320K as lot 21 a copy of the Goudey 1933-181 graded Mint 9 by PSA, very rare in this condition with perfect centering, very fresh colors, very clean edges and the four corners intact. Another Mint 9 example was sold for $ 460K by Heritage on January 24, 2019, lot 50181.