Babe Ruth baseball Card From 1914 Could Fetch Record Auction Price

There is a Babe Ruth rookie card from 1914 that has been wonderfully preserved and has been put up for auction. JASON GAY wondered if it would be possible for it to surpass the previous record of $12.6 million for a Mickey Mantle card from 1952.

At first glance, it appeared to be a typical baseball card that was not particularly remarkable and was quite old.

It was not the case. It was a link that was missing.

Without a doubt, this was him. And the baby. The most famous player baseball has ever produced, captured here before the legend, the pinstripes, the 714 home runs, the seven World Championships, the single MVP award (you could only win one in those days), the cigars, the celebrity, the cartoon-like heroics in the Bronx, and that 86-year, since-broken curse that tormented the foolish club that unloaded him, the Red Sox.

He appeared to be quite young on the card. In his youth, he was only 19 years old. Ruth was not too far removed from his time spent at St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys when he had the opportunity to receive this card in 1914. First, he is a rookie with the Baltimore Orioles, which is his local team. After that, he pitches for a minor league team in the International League. RUTH PITCHER is written in all capital letters on the card, despite the fact that everyone is aware that The Babe began her career as a pitcher.

How slim is he? Svelte-ish is the correct clarification. Even though he is wearing a ball cap and a coat, it is obvious that Babe is a large person.

I will freely admit that I am not a big fan of baseball cards. When I was a kid, I purchased some, but I was also intrigued by the brittle slice of gum that came with every pack. It was so flavorless that it lost its flavor in just two seconds. The moment someone begins to talk about their card collection, my eyes begin to glaze away. This is despite the fact that my mother has informed me that she has kept a few shoeboxes of mine upstairs in the attic. I would almost prefer to listen to someone talk about their fantasy squad in the National Football League.

Settle down. I said almost.

On the other hand, I was aware that this Ruth card was exceptional, valuable, and deserving of a visit. In order to obtain proof, all I needed to do was take a peek at the armed guard who was seated on a stool next to the merchandise display case. I was informed that there were additional guards hiding. Before being put up for auction and sold to the highest bidder, this card was a valuable cargo that was guarded like a Picasso. It made a brief stop at its previous residence, the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum, before being distributed to the highest bidder.

On Wednesday, the auction got underway. It only took a few hours for the bids for the Babe rookie to reach $5.25 million US dollars. The auction, which is being managed by Robert Edward Auctions and will continue until December 3rd, has high expectations for its participants. On the route to eight figures, that bid of $5.25 million United States dollars might be a speed bump.

How about ten million? Yes, that is feasible.

To what extent is it possible for this Ruth rookie to surpass the record for the highest money paid for a baseball card, which was $12.6 million in the previous year for a nearly perfect 1952 Mickey Mantle card?

The president of Robert Edward Auctions, Brian Dwyer, provided me with the following statement while I was at the Ruth Museum: "We think the record is within striking distance."

Ouch! The Ruth card, which had been in the possession of its original owners, a family from Baltimore, for several generations until being sold privately in 2021 to an unknown buyer for an amount that was not disclosed, is a significant thing for the following reasons:

To begin, it is the very first card that has ever been discovered that depicts the towering left-handed slugger. It is exceedingly difficult to obtain the card, which was distributed as part of a promotion by a local newspaper called the Baltimore News. Only ten of these cards are known to exist, and one of them has not been available for purchase for more than a decade. This one is in good condition; the grading agency SGC has classified it as VG 3, which stands for "very good." This indicates that it is in good condition.

On the other hand, it's the Babe! The charismatic cultural figure in question has a reach that extends far beyond the realm of sports. He once defended his decision to earn a salary that was larger than that of President Hoover by stating, "Why not? I had a more successful year."

Dwyer remarked, "It is the dawn of the Great Bambino here on earth."

He proceeded by saying, "When I hold that card, I think of Babe Ruth looking back at me when I was 19 years old." The experience of being presented with the entire world, not only baseball, for the very first time Babe Ruth is more than just a collector of baseball cards. He's truly enormous."

This card would be part of a collectable trinity with the 1952 Mantle and another historic card, the "T-206" Honus Wagner, which is occasionally put up for sale. If a large Ruth sale were to take place, this card would be included in the trinity. During the year 2011, a group of nuns from the Baltimore region held an auction to sell a T-206 that they had obtained through the donation of an estate. The winning bid for this card was $262,000. Recently, a T-206 Wagner was sold for $7.25 million in United States currency.

What causes the rising prices? According to Dwyer, "This is an opportunity to park money away in something that has historically demonstrated that it is not going to go down in value."

Dwyer mentioned the recent sale of a 1962 250 GTO Ferrari for US$51.7 million, highlighting that rare cards aren't the only ones whose values are increasing.

According to him, there is a group of wealthy people who understand that statement pieces, which are really rare and of excellent quality, will increase in value over time.

Those people with enormous fortunes are not me. However, I intend to retrieve those dusty shoeboxes the next time I see my mom and determine whether I have sufficient cards to purchase a superyacht. Chipotle for lunch, if not more.

It's not that I doubt the existence of Babe Ruth. The answer is unequivocally no. I will, however, listen to any and all serious bidding if they are willing to pay me ten million dollars for a Rickey Henderson jersey that has been neglected, has bubblegum stains on the back, and has edges that have been bent.

Even if you want to discuss your fantasy team for the National Football League.