While some of the best pitchers of his era were not enough to tame the booming bat of Babe Ruth, a smaller foe was apparently able to take down the Swat King. In this unique Paul Thompson photo, circa 1920, Babe Ruth is pictured with his right arm bandaged up. The injury was a result of a mosquito bite, which struck The Babe down with blood poisoning. The bite certainly … [Read more...]
1923 German Transfers Sets Features Ruth, Cobb, and More
Pre-war sets come in all shapes and sizes. Among the more unique issues are transfers sets and one of the more popular ones is called the 1923 German Transfers set. Transfers are often called stamps and that's for good reason. They basically look like stamps and often have perforated stamp-like edges to them. But they're a little different in that they have reverse print. … [Read more...]
Fans Flocked When Young Babe Ruth Signed Baseballs Sold for Charity
The autographed baseball as a fundraiser may not have originated with Babe Ruth but it’s pretty clear he spent a lot of time signing balls for that purpose. Paging through some newspapers from a century ago, I stumbled on a few clippings that make it clear there were plenty of Ruth signed baseballs in circulation by the time he completed his first calendar year with the … [Read more...]
1940s Babe Ruth Editorial Bruguera Cards Remain Elusive
Due to his immense popularity, Babe Ruth wound up on all sorts of baseball cards. His presence not only was felt in the U.S. but also abroad as he was known as one of the most famous athletes in the world, appearing on all sorts of international cards. While Ruth eventually was left out of sets in the years following his retirement, he was still a popular figure. As a … [Read more...]
1915 Ruth Signed Baseball, Joe Jackson Voucher Among Lelands Fall Highlights
Babe Ruth memorabilia remains a big hit with collectors. Particularly baseballs signed by the Sultan of Swat. A baseball signed by Ruth as part of a team collection of signatures from the World Series champion 1915 Red Sox is one of several key pieces of memorabilia items offered for sale in the Lelands Fall 2019 Classic Auction. The baseball, which opened at $5,000 … [Read more...]
1914 Baltimore News Set Home of Babe Ruth’s Minor League Rookie Card
When it comes to pre-war cards there's rare and then there's 'rare.' Consider the 1914 Baltimore News set to be in that latter category. Here's a look at this unique set that is home to one of the most expensive baseball cards in the world. 1914 Baltimore News Set Overview The 1914 Baltimore News set is one of the more obscure issues from the pre-war era that can be found. … [Read more...]
Prices for Cards of Baseball’s First Hall of Famers Have Soared
Baseball's first Hall of Fame class is unrivaled and the first induction included only five players. However, the players that were inducted were Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Honus Wagner, and Christy Mathewson, making for as star studded a group to be found. Several other years have also had loaded rosters but none will ever top baseball's inaugural class. Prices for … [Read more...]
Babe Ruth Highlights the W511 Strip Card Set
The 1926 W511 strip card set isn't one of the more common strip issues -- and for good reason. The set is relatively obscure, confusing, and doesn't include much in the way of baseball. But the set is home to four Babe Ruth cards and because of that, has drawn a fair share of attention from collectors of early cards. Here's a closer look at the set. W511 Strip Card … [Read more...]
Large Yankees Card, Memorabilia Collection Headlines 1,000+ Lot Clean Sweep Auction
Clean Sweep Auctions is offering a massive collection of historic New York Yankees memorabilia as part of its current catalog. In the works for months, the auction includes over 1,000 lots in all. Owner Steve Verkman calls it “one of the very best we have offered. We have worked tirelessly for months putting this together.” Many of the Yankee 187 … [Read more...]
Babe Ruth (and his cards) at the Movies
Babe Ruth is mostly known for his ability to hit baseballs a really long distance. But his popularity as one of the top athletes of all time led to all kinds of marketing opportunities during his playing days and after them. Among them, appearances in a variety of films during his career. Those films, by the way, weren't always the greatest. Sometimes Ruth was the star while … [Read more...]