• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Write for Sports Collectors Daily
    • Write About Your Sports Collection
    • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
  • Hot on eBay
    • Most Watched Graded Rookies
    • Most Watched PSA 10 Cards
    • Most Watched BGS, BVG Cards
    • Most Watched SGC Cards
    • Most Watched CSG,CGC Cards
    • Most Watched Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2023 Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards
      • Bowman Chrome Cards
      • Ronald Acuna Jr. Cards
      • Shohei Ohtani Cards
      • Mike Trout Cards
      • Fernando Tatis Jr. Cards
      • Babe Ruth Cards
      • Hank Aaron Cards
      • Jackie Robinson Cards:
      • Mickey Mantle Cards
      • Willie Mays Cards
      • Vintage Baseball Card Sets
      • T206 Cards
    • Most Watched Basketball
      • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2022-23 NBA Rookie Cards
      • Victor Wembanyama Cards
      • Michael Jordan Cards
      • Kobe Bryant Cards
      • LeBron James Rookie Cards
      • Nikola Jokic Rookie Cards
      • Giannis Antetokounmpo Cards
      • Luka Doncic Rookie Cards
      • Prizm Basketball Cards
      • Panini National Treasures
    • Most Watched Football Cards
      • Most Watched NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2023 NFL Rookie Cards
        • CJ Stroud Cards
      • 2022 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Brock Purdy Rookie Cards
      • 2021 NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2020 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Joe Burrow Rookie Cards
        • Justin Herbert Rookie Cards
        • Jalen Hurts Rookie Cards
      • Josh Allen Rookie Cards
      • Patrick Mahomes Rookie Cards
      • Tom Brady Cards
    • Most Watched Hockey Cards
      • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2021-22 NHL Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2020-21 Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2019-20 Rookie Cards
      • Connor McDavid Cards
      • Wayne Gretzky Cards
      • Bobby Orr Cards
    • Most Watched Soccer Cards
    • Most Watched UFC Cards
    • Most Watched Golf Cards
    • Most Watched 1 of 1 Cards
    • Most Watched Topps SuperFractors
    • Most Watched Racing Cards
    • Top Sports Card Dealers on eBay
    • Most Watched Memorabilia
      • Vintage Sports Memorabilia
      • Vintage Sports Tickets, Stubs
      • Most Watched Autographs
  • Ending Soon on Ebay
    • Baseball Cards
    • Basketball Cards
    • Football Cards
    • Hockey Cards
    • Soccer Cards
    • Golf Cards
    • UFC Cards
  • Top - Ad

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports collecting news - Sports cards and sports memorabilia industry news.

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network and Amazon.com.

  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
      • Shop Talk
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Affordable Vintage Cards, Collectibles
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • Around The Hobby
    • Editor’s Blog
    • David Cycleback’s Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Popular Stories
  • Sell Your Cards
You are here: Home / Popular Stories / Heritage to Offer Historic Babe Ruth 1933 Butter Cream Card in July Auction

Heritage to Offer Historic Babe Ruth 1933 Butter Cream Card in July Auction

May 30, 2019 By Anson Whaley

Heritage is gearing up for its big summer auction and one of the headliners is a truly special card. Included in the company’s July 18-19 Summer Sports Card Catalog Auction is an incredibly rare Babe Ruth 1933 Butter Cream card.

About the 1933 Butter Cream Set

While it is a later pre-war issue, the 1933 Butter Cream cards are extremely rare in any condition. Categorized as R306 in Jefferson Burdick’s American Card Catalog, you rarely see them pop up for sale in any shape. 

The cards, if you are unfamiliar with them, have a distinctive look. They not only used black and white images, which went against the grain from most of the other colorful sets of the same time period, but the shape of them was also a bit odd. Measuring approximately 1 1/4″ wide x 3 5/8″ tall, these have more of a bookmark appearance than they do a traditional trading card. At first glance, some collectors may be inclined to think they were merely trimmed photographs when viewed only from the front.

The backs are equally interesting. Those included some brief vitals but their primary function was to offer a contest. A player’s batting average was included on the back and a collector had to guess that player’s average through either September 1 or October 1 (two different backs were printed), telling us they would have been printed before then. The collector then printed his/her name and address before sending the card to the Butter Cream Confectionery Corporation in New Jersey — presumably to be entered for a prize. If the cards were not returned to collectors, that would have contributed to their scarcity.

A total of 30 cards are in the rare set. The Ruth, graded PSA 5, is the headline here but the issue includes many notable players, including Mickey Cochrane, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Al Simmons, and Hack Wilson, among others. Among the notable snubs was Lou Gehrig but the set is somewhat of a star-studded one. More than half of the players being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Babe Ruth Card A True Rarity

To date, only a few of the Ruth cards are known. Ruth, in fact, was not even discovered as a checklisted card until the late 1980s, according to Heritage’s account.

All of the cards in the set are tough to come by and Ruth is certainly no exception. To date, only five have been graded in PSA’s population report. That is on par with most other cards in the set. Similarly, SGC and Beckett have not graded many of these cards, either.

However, given that star cards are typically the ones that are graded more, that seems to place the rarity of the Ruth card on another level compared to the others in the set. No one else in the set boasts Ruth’s star power and even many of the more notable Hall of Famers have a few more cards graded than the Bambino.

Finally, the grade of the card is notable, too. As a PSA 5, it is one of only two known examples in that grade and no higher-graded Ruth card exists. Finding any high-graded Butter Cream card, in fact, is a bit of a challenge. Of the 184 graded by PSA to date, only 32 cards have earned higher grades without qualifiers.

A Six-Figure Card

So how much will the card go for? Heritage has placed a whopping estimate of $200,000+ on it.

Does that sound like a lot for a Babe Ruth card printed near the end of his career? You bet. After all, even the iconic 1933 Goudey cards wouldn’t come anywhere close to that figure. As a point of comparison, PSA 5s of Ruth’s Goudey cards are more in the $10,000 wheel house.

That said, the rarity of the 1933 Butter Cream issue doesn’t make that number entirely laughable. For some context, a low-grade PSA 1 card (with an admittedly strong front but with significant back damage) sold for more than $22,000 nearly a decade ago.

But what about similar conditioned cards? Well, the Butter Cream is kind of in a league of its own there due to the rarity. But a PSA 4 sold at auction for $111,625. That’s a far cry from the $200,000 estimate for this Ruth card. However, that auction was way back in 2008. Most Ruth cards have risen in value (some, dramatically) since then.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Facebook Messenger

Related Stories:

Babe Ruth 1932 Bulgaria Sport1932 Bulgaria Sport Set Includes Babe Ruth and Other Sporting Greats Babe Ruth, Bobby Jones Headline the 1932 Abdulla Sports Records Set Kings Among Kings: The Top 10 Cards From the 1933 Goudey Sport Kings Set W554 Baseball Set is Small but Challenging 1914 Babe Ruth rookie card Baltimore SunThe Wayback Collector: Pre-War Collectibles a Sizable Chunk of Sports Memorabilia Market Pre-War Food Issues Offer Unique Options to Collectors 1935 Schutter-Johnson Cards Featured Unique Artwork Luke Appling 1935 GoudeyThere’s More to the 1935 Goudey Set than Babe Ruth

About Anson Whaley

Anson Whaley is a contributor to Sports Collectors Daily and has been an avid pre-war and vintage card collector for more than 20 years. He manages a pre-war sports card blog and database at www.prewarcards.com . You can email him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter @PreWarCards.

Filed Under: Popular Stories, Vintage Sports Card News Tagged With: 1930s baseball cards, 1933 Butter Cream, babe ruth, Heritage Auctions, pre-War baseball cards

Primary Sidebar

Our articles may contain affiliate links. When you click on links to merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 

Shop Sports Cards on Ebay
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Hockey

High End Cards and Memorabilia

  • BBCE, PSA Authenticated Boxes, Packs opens in a new window
  • Graded pre-War Card eBay Auctions
  • Graded Rookie Cards on eBay opens in a new window
  • Authenticated Photos on eBay opens in a new window
  • Graded Tickets & Stubs opens in a new window

Bargain Corner

  • Michael Jordan cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Kobe Bryant cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Mickey Mantle Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Graded T206 Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Pre-War Cards Under $100 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Baseball Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Football Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Basketball Cards $25 and less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Hockey Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Complete Sets $20 and Less opens in a new window
  • Baseball Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Football Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Hobby Boxes Under $30 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1986 Rookie Cards Under $1 opens in a new window
  • Buy Boxes Directly from Topps opens in a new window

RSS Auction Report

  • Galaxy Auctions Current Auction Ends December 16, 2023
  • Lelands December 2023 Consignment Trips Coming to South Carolina, Brooklyn, Queens and California
  • Consign to SCP Auctions Next Premier Auction

Footer

Categories

  • Around the Hobby
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • David Cycleback's Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Editor's Blog
  • Featured Articles
  • Hobby Shop Talk
  • National Sports Collectors Convention
  • Popular Stories
  • Rich Klein's Ramblings
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Uncategorized

Sponsor Links

  • Sports Card Forumopens in a new window
  • Buying Vintage Sports Cardsopens in a new window
  • Championship Rings For Saleopens in a new window
  • Autographed Baseballsopens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Baseball Cardsopens in a new window
  • Sports Collectors Storeopens in a new window

Pages

Ending on eBay Soon
  • Baseball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Basketball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Football Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Hockey Card Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay Ending Soon
Top 100 on Ebay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Card Auctions
  • Top Authenticated Vintage Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
Most Watched on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Graded Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Tom Brady Card Auctions on eBay
  • 50 Hottest Hobby Boxes at Auction on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Golf Trading Cards on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Wrestling Trading Cards on eBay
  • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
  • Most Popular Bobbleheads on eBay
  • Most Watched 1/1 Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Basketball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Complete Baseball Card Sets at Auction on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Rookie Card Auctions
  • Most Watched Goudey Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Hockey Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Racing Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Soccer Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Autographs on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Jerseys on eBay
  • Most Watched Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
  • Most Watched Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay
  • Hottest Panini National Treasures Cards on eBay
  • Hottest PSA 10 Cards for Sale on eBay
  • What’s Hot on eBay
Sports Memorabilia
  • Sports Card Bargain Bin
  • Sports Memorabilia Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
About Sports Collectors Daily
  • Advertise with SC Daily
  • Contact Us
  • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Sell Your Cards
  • What’s It Worth
  • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?

Copyright © 2023 SportsCollectorsDaily.com | Web Design by Wickam Groupopens in a new window