If you are a baseball history buff or love the sport to the point of collecting cards, then you will certainly know the name, Babe Ruth. George Herman “Babe” Ruth Jr is one of the greatest baseball players of all time.
Due to his extreme success in baseball, his cards have grown to become some of the most expensive cards in the entire trading sports card industry. While today has Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, in 1916 the world had Babe Ruth.
Below are 10 of the most expensive Babe Ruth baseball cards. Whether you want to acquire them for yourself, trade them, or want to know the worth of being a legend in baseball, we have the price of the most expensive Babe Ruth baseball cards.
1. 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth Baseball Card
Value- $6,000,000
Forget being the most expensive Babe Ruth card, the 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth Baseball Card is one of the most expensive baseball trading cards in history!
Valued at $6,000,000, there are only around 10 known copies of this card and if you get your hands on one, you will become part of baseball history.
This card is one of the few cards that shows Ruth in his starting in his uniform for the Baltimore Orioles before moving on to his career-defining teams, the Boston Red Sox and Yankees.
2. 1916 M-101-4 Sporting News #151 Babe Ruth Baseball Card
Value- $5,447,076
Back in 1916, it wasn’t clear whether trading cards was going to become a popular sport and if it would have any financial impact. The 1916 M-101-4 Sporting News Trading Card helped define just how successful the trading card industry was going to be.
Valued at an incredible 5.4 million dollars, this is one of the most expensive Babe Ruth baseball cards. The set is made up of 200 cards, each with a team member’s name, position, and card number located on the border.
3. 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #53 Baseball Card
Value- $4,000,000
This iconic quartet, which includes the game’s most destructive hitter, is the most significant element of the hugely popular 1933 Goudey set.
Many people believe that one of the most important trading card sets in the history of business was the 1933 Goudey set. Ruth, who is depicted on several cards, was one of the release’s focal points.
The #53 card with the yellow backdrop is the most expensive Babe Ruth card in the set, though.
4. 1921 Oxford Confectionary Babe Ruth Baseball Card
Value- $800,000
There are said to only be 4 or 5 of the 1921 Oxford Confectionary Babe Ruth Baseball Cards still in the circuit. This makes it extremely valuable.
Ruth is depicted on the card before a game at the Polo Grounds. This card is noteworthy because of the texture and the black and white photo.
While it is priced at $800,000 analysts have determined that bidding can begin at a million dollars at auction.
5. 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #144 Baseball Card
Value- $10,535,527
There are many debates over whether this card is actually the most valuable Babe Ruth card as it is the only card to showcase the Sultan of Swat on the baseball diamond (see also “1956 Topps Baseball Card Set“).
You can see the true tenacity that Babe Ruth has as a player and just how he became the legend he is. This card is also known as Full Body Ruth as you can see his entire stance on the baseball diamond.
6. Babe Ruth PSA 1923 W-515-1 Yankees Strip Card
Value- $76,000
This Babe Ruth card was created using an Underwood & Underwood wire photograph making it extremely valuable. The childlike image is considered an incredible collector’s item as it provides a different image of the player.
It is quite simple to make a false copy because the original verified copies are so vibrant and tactile. You should therefore conduct background checks or research if you’re interested in applying for this card.
While not as valuable as other cards at auction, it is an amazing card to add to your collection.
7. 1923 U.S. Caramel Babe Ruth Baseball Card
Value- $50,000
Tired of Ruth looking less than pleased on his trading cards? The 1923 U.S. Caramel Babe Ruth baseball card is one of the rare cards that shows off his stunning smile. While he isn’t showing off his pearly whites, you do see a pleasant smile.
Released with Famous Athletes Marketing, this is a great card for any sports trading card collection.
8. 2009 Topps American Heritage Legendary Cut Signature Babe Ruth Baseball Card
Value- $60,000
One of the most important collections to be issued in the last 15 years was the 2009 Topps American Heritage trading card collection. It highlights Babe Ruth as being one of the best players in sports history.
The feature that makes this card so valuable is Ruth’s signature. Increasing the value by thousands of dollars.
9. 1922 American Caramel Babe Ruth Photo Montage
Value- $10,000
The greatest stars of the era are represented in this one-of-a-kind American Caramel trading card collection in a variety of different card designs.
There are several variations of this card, but The PSA 4 Copy depicts two different activities: sitting in the dugout and taking a photo while standing in the on-deck circle.
10. Shotwell Babe Ruth Baseball Card
Value- $1,000,000
The Shotwell Babe Ruth Baseball Card is one of the rarest cards in the industry (see also “What Is The Topps 1953 Baseball Card Set?“). The card shows Ruth in his Yankees uniform at the tail end of a pitch.
The image is in black and white and there are only a few copies left in the circuit.
Final Thoughts
Sports trading cards are a great way to extend your love of a sport. From basketball to hockey, there are cards to be bought, sold, and traded all over the world.
Babe Ruth is one of the greatest players in all of baseball history making his trading cards extremely valuable (see also “Most Valuable Bo Jackson Baseball Cards“).
Above are 10 of the most expensive Babe Ruth baseball cards in the circuit. Do you have any in your collection?
He bought me my first baseball mitt, and taught me everything I know about baseball. When he came over one day with my first ever baseball card, I was absolutely elated. We started collecting them together, and getting excited whenever we went somewhere that sold them.
Here, I hope you find all of the information that you need to build your own amazing baseball card collection with friends, family and loved ones, and you too can find happiness in getting all of your favorite cards!
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