One of sports collecting’s rarest cards is also among its hottest. A 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth, picturing the Bambino in the earliest days of his professional baseball career was sold last week by Memory Lane Inc., for a record price of $325,000.
A private collector on the east coast purchased the card, which has been graded PSA 1 (Poor). The price is a record for a low grade Ruth rookie card. It’s the second known private sale of a Ruth “pre-rook
ie” card in the last 30 days.
In recent years, the ultra rare Baltimore News Ruth card has created a buzz in the hobby, and the realized price of the card sold by Memory Lane is further proof that those who purchased them in the past have made a sound investment. Just three years ago, this same Ruth card sold at auction for $152,750.
The card was a promotional tool for the newspaper and shows the young Ruth playing for Baltimore, two years before he first appeared in the 1916 M101-4/5 set as a big league pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. It’s his first known appearance on a trading card of any kind.
As few as ten examples of the Ruth card may exist, compared to what’s believed to be around 75 copies of the card that’s generally regarded as card collecting’s Holy Grail, the 1909 T206 Honus Wagner tobacco card.
Many of the Ruth cards are in private collections. One of them is on loan and displayed at the Babe Ruth Museum in Baltimore, where it is one of the primary attractions.
Memory Lane’s I Own it Now catalog sale opened Wednesday. Among the items sold on day one:
- 2000 Yankees World Series ring ($25,000)
- 1935 National Chicle Bronko Nagurski SGC 86 ($22,000)
Catalogs are available free by contacting Memory Lane via their website (http://www.memorylaneinc.com) or phone (714.730.0600).
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 1933 WWG Canadian Goudey BABE RUTH 80 HOF PSA 25 Tough $2,399.00 Time Remaining: 1h 18m Buy It Now for only: $2,399.00 |
 1968 American Oil MICKEY MANTLE Babe Ruth Ticket PSA New York Yankees $184.99 Time Remaining: 1h 24m Buy It Now for only: $184.99 |
 BABE RUTH 2005 DIAMOND KINGS HEROES MATERIALS PSA 9 MINT 09 50 $349.99 Time Remaining: 2h 50m Buy It Now for only: $349.99 |
 2011 Babe Ruth Yankees Topps Lineage 100 PSA 9 $15.00 Time Remaining: 3h 7m Buy It Now for only: $15.00 |
 1992 MEGACARDS BABE RUTH 119 THE BABES NICKNAMES POP 1 PSA 10 B1315504 $18.99 Time Remaining: 3h 44m Buy It Now for only: $18.99 |
 1992 MEGACARDS BABE RUTH 132 WANTED TO BE A MANAGER POP 1 PSA 10 B1315514 $18.99 Time Remaining: 3h 44m Buy It Now for only: $18.99 |
 1992 MEGACARDS BABE RUTH 133 THE BABE ON THE LINKS POP 1 PSA 10 B1315517 $18.99 Time Remaining: 3h 44m Buy It Now for only: $18.99 |
 1992 MEGACARDS BABE RUTH 136 THE BABE PEACE NEGOTIATOR POP 1 PSA 10 B1315513 $18.99 Time Remaining: 3h 44m Buy It Now for only: $18.99 |
 1992 MEGACARDS BABE RUTH 142 BABE RUTH AND THE AMERICAN POP 2 PSA 10 B1315500 $18.99 Time Remaining: 3h 44m Buy It Now for only: $18.99 |
Related posts:
- Memory Lane to Exhibit Don Spence Collection of Babe Ruth Cards
- Babe Ruth Rookie Card, Unopened Cello Box Pace Memory Lane Auction
- Memory Lane Will Display Historic Ruth, Gehrig Jerseys
- Nice Return: 1914 Babe Ruth Rookie Card Sold Privately
- 1914 Babe Ruth Card Still Safe at Home in Museum
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