Ten Valuable Babe Ruth Baseball Collectibles
Babe Ruth is huge with sports memorabilia collectors. Find the right baseball card, signed ball, autographed photo, game-used bat or movie poster and start counting the dollars!
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George Herman “Babe” Ruth (1895-1948) is synonymous with baseball. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1936, Ruth put up some monster numbers during his 22 seasons in the big leagues – a .342 lifetime batting average, 2,873 hits, 714 home runs and 2,217 RBI’s.
Here are ten MVP items from the vaunted “Sultan of Swat” spanning various collectible categories. Warning: they are expensive, with some artifacts valued at nearly one million dollars.
1. Babe Ruth 1914 Baltimore News Rookie Card
The Bambino’s so-called “rookie card” comes from the 1914 set issued by the Baltimore News showcasing players from the Baltimore Terrapins and the Baltimore Orioles. Produced in both red-and-white and blue-and-white versions, the card’s back features a schedule for home/away games “Compliments of Baltimore International League.”
One graded blue-and-white example in PSA 2 good condition sold at Robert Edward Auctions for $199,750. For those who can’t afford the original, a blank back reprint card was produced in 1993.
2. Babe Ruth 1926-29 Game-Used Bat
The Babe swung a mean bat, particularly during his heyday of the 1920s. An authentic game-used Babe Ruth Louisville Slugger from the 1926-29 era – one into which the Bambino carved 11 notches signifying 11 home runs – fetched $155,628 at Grey Flannel Auctions.
3. Babe Ruth Called-Shot Jersey
As the legend goes (backed somewhat by a grainy film), the Babe reportedly pointed to the center-field bleachers at Wrigley Field during the 1932 World Series, indicating that he would deliver the next pitch there. Ruth did just that, slugging a home run and spawning one of the most debated moments in baseball history.
The New York Yankees jersey Ruth was wearing on that historic day was first sold at a private sale in 1991 for $150,000. When it came up for sale at Grey Flannel Auctions in 2005, the famous “called-shot” jersey brought a top bid of $940,000.
4. Babe Ruth 1919 Curse Contract
Babe Ruth was sold by the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees in 1919. Many have speculated that this harebrained move spawned the infamous “The Curse of the Bambino,” whereby Boston was prevented from winning the World Series until the Red Sox finally broke the hex in 2004.
The original five-page contract sending Ruth to the Yankees sold at Sotheby’s and Sports Cards Plus Auctions for $996,000.
5. Babe Ruth Signed Sweet Spot Baseball
Babe Ruth signed a number of baseballs during his lifetime. There also exist quite a few Ruth secretarials and outright forgeries, so be careful.
Well-heeled collectors prefer balls signed by Ruth on the so-called “sweet spot” – that virgin area located between the descending and ascending red stitches. One such authenticated ball graded PSA near mint-mint+ 8.5 (out of 10) sold at Heritage Auction Galleries for $50,787.50.
6. Babe Ruth/Lou Gehrig Autographed Photo
Photos signed by Babe Ruth are always a hit with collectors. But when one can find a photo signed by both Ruth and fellow Yankee great Lou Gehrig (1903-1941), then there’s cause for celebration.
A July 4, 1939, Lou Gehrig Day photo signed by Babe Ruth and Gehrig sold at Robert Edward Auctions for $58,750.
7. Babe Ruth 1914 St. Mary’s Industrial School Yearbook
Celebrity high school yearbooks are big with collectors. Babe Ruth attended St. Mary’s Industrial School in Baltimore which, admittedly, was more a combination orphanage/reform school than a high school.
Babe Ruth’s 1914 “senior” yearbook – officially titled Forty-Sixth Annual Report St. Mary’s School For Boys and Thirty-Sixth Annual Report St. James’ Home Baltimore Maryland 1914 – fetched $11,400 at Sotheby’s and Sports Cards Plus Auctions.
8. Babe Ruth/Lou Gehrig 1928 The Sporting News Counter Display
Babe Ruth plugged a number of products during his lifetime. In 1928, the St. Louis-based The Sporting News used both Ruth and Lou Gehrig to promote their popular weekly publication. A stunning, previously unknown color die-cut advertising counter display featuring the Yankee duo brought $29,000 at a Robert Edward Auctions.
9. Babe Ruth 1927 Babe Comes Home Movie Poster
In 1927, the Babe portrayed ballplayer Babe Dugan opposite Swedish beauty Anna Q. Nilsson in First National Pictures’ silent comedy-drama Babe Comes Home. The movie, unfortunately, is lost forever, with no copies known to exist.
To date only two original 27×41-inch one sheet Babe Comes Home movie posters have surfaced. One example – linen-backed for preservation purposes – sold for $138,000 at Heritage Auction Galleries.
10. Babe Ruth 1947 Signed The Babe Ruth Story Book Contract
On June 18, 1947, Babe Ruth and author Bob Considine inked a contract with publisher E.P. Dutton & Sons to write a book called The Babe Ruth Story. Royalty payments would be split 75-25, with Ruth getting the larger share as well as all radio, television and motion picture rights. The subsequent book was later published in April 1948.
The original Ruth/Considine four-page book contract – signed by the Babe as “George H. Ruth” – brought a top bid of $38,187.50 at Robert Edward Auctions.
