George Herman “Babe” Ruth Jr is regarded by many people as one of the greatest baseball players of all time. A top pitcher and hitter, Ruth played over 20 seasons with the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Boston Braves. Ruth won 7 championships, an MVP Award, and batting title. He was also finished as the American League Home Run king 12 times; Runs Batted In 5 times, and also led the league in ERA during the 1916 season. Ruth is a member of MLB’s All-Century Team and All Time Team. He was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1936. Ruth is one of the most famous athletes of all time. As such, his baseball cards are some of the most valuable in the entire trading card industry. Here’s an overview of the most expensive Babe Ruth baseball cards.
Most Expensive Babe Ruth Baseball Card
The most expensive Babe Ruth baseball card is a 1914 Baltimore News card. It sold for over $6,000,000 in a private auction. It is considered one of Ruth’s rookie cards since he was signed to a minor league deal by the Baltimore Orioles before being sold to the Boston White Sox.
Most Valuable Babe Ruth Rookie Card
The most valuable Babe Ruth rookie card is the 1916 Sporting News Babe Ruth rookie card. A few variations of this card have sold for millions of dollars. This particular card is so coveted because trading card analysts note that there are only around 10 of these cards that exist. The PSA Mint condition versions of this card are a literal gold mine. It’s worth that even though Ruth signed his first baseball contract in 1914, 1916 is considered his rookie year.
13 Most Expensive Babe Ruth Baseball Cards
1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth Baseball Card
Price: $6,000,000
This Baltimore News card is not only the most expensive, but is also one of the most valuable Babe Ruth cards in the trading card industry. This card is also considered one of the most valuable cards in baseball trading card history. The card is one of the rare glimpses of Ruth in his Orioles jersey before starting his historic career with the Red Sox and Yankees. The Sportscard Guaranty Corporation appraised the card, and noted that the Baltimore News only created a handful of this card. This scarcity is what continues to drive up the price at different auctions. Look for the next auction involving this card to reach an even higher number.
1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #53 Baseball Card
Price: $4,000,000
This Babe Ruth card was released through the 1933 Goudey baseball card set. Each set also contained a pack of gum is an extra marketing incentive for children. The 1933 Goudey set is considered by many to be one of the most influential trading card sets in the history of the industry. Ruth was one of the centerpieces of the release and is featured in multiple cards. However, the most valuable Babe Ruth card in the collection is the #53 with the yellow background. It received the highest valuation by PSA, which why is one of the cards recently sold for over $4,000,000 at an auction.
1916 M-101-4 Sporting News #151 Babe Ruth Baseball Card
Price: $2,000,000
The 1916 M-101-4 Sporting News trading card set is one of the most historic sets in the history of the trading card industry. Many analysts point out that the popularity of this trading card set helped establish the financial potential of the entire industry. Babe Ruth was the centerpiece of the set. The Sporting News set was considered unique because the players were showcased in black and white pictures. This was different from the previous lithographs that trading card companies normally relied on. This is considered one of the most valuable Babe Ruth baseball cards. One of the best Babe Ruth rookie cards, Ruth is pictured in a throwing motion. There are only a handful of card currently on the market. The Mile High Company took advantage of the demand and recently sold the card for over $2 million. The lack supply mixed with increased demand ensures that this card will continue to be for a major collector’s item for years to come.
1921 Shotwell Babe Ruth Baseball Card
Price: $1,000,000
The 1921 Shotwell Babe Ruth baseball card is one of the most valuable cards in the industry due to its scarcity. There are only a few cards currently in existence. One man recently made news for purchasing what is believed to be a prime version of the card. He was surprised to learn that the card is valued at around a million dollars. The Shotwell card is another black and white card and features Ruth playing catch in his Yankees uniform.
1921 Oxford Confectionary Babe Ruth Baseball Card
Price: $800,000
The rarity of this card makes one of the most valuable Babe Ruth baseball cards on the market. Trading card analysts note that there are rumored to be only 4 or 5 of these cards currently floating around. Card owners are in position to reap substantial benefits. The card features a portrait of Ruth before a game at the Polo Grounds. The black and white photo, along with the texture, makes this a valuable card. Analysts note that the starting point for bids on this card at many auctions is close to a million dollars.
1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #181 SGC 7.5 NRMT Baseball Card
Price: $100,000
As previously noted, the legendary 1933 Goudey baseball card set released multiple Babe Ruth cards that are among the most valuable on the market. This card is valuable of the unique contrast. Ruth’s portrait has a green background, which blends in nicely with the black outline and the black text. While there are more #181 cards available than other Ruth cards in this set, there is a lack of mint condition versions. Mint condition card owners are in prime position to generate a great return if they opt to put the card on the market.
1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #144 Baseball Card
Price: $100,000
A strong argument could be made that this is the most valuable card in the historic 1933 Goudey card set. The #144 showcases the Sultan of Swat in his full glory. This card is unique compared to others because it is a full body picture of Ruth compared to other cards that are simply headshots. This card is also unique because it is the only in the set that shows Ruth on the baseball diamond. Many analysts consider this the last card that symbolizes Ruth’s greatness as he was approaching the end of his prime in real life.
Babe Ruth PSA 1923 W-515-1 Yankees Strip Card
Price: $60,000
The 1923 Babe Ruth W-515-1 Strip Card is a colorful depiction of Ruth taking using an Underwood & Underwood wire photograph. This card is a major collector’s item because it’s so unique compared to other Ruth cards. The childlike image of Ruth helps showcase that baseball is a child’s game at heart. One of the issues concerning this card though is that some trading card scanners have attempted to make fraudulent versions of the card and sell it. Due to the colorful nature and texture of the original verified copies, creating a fraudulent copy is relatively easy. That’s why it’s important that you do some research or background checks if you’re interested in pursuing this card.
2009 Topps American Heritage Legendary Cut Signature Babe Ruth Baseball Card
Price: $60,000
The 2009 Topps American Heritage trading card is one of the most influential sets released in the past 15 years. The trading card set looked at some of the most historic figures in sports over the previous 100 years. As Ruth was one of the greatest athletes of the previous century, he was a centerpiece of the set. The crown jewel of the entire trading card set is Ruth’s signature. Ruth’s signature is engulfed by the red, white, and blue of the United States flag. This card is a must-have for hardcore collectors, and the value is expected to remain high well into the next decade.
1932 U.S. Caramel Babe Ruth Baseball Card
Price: $50,000
The 1932 U.S. Caramel baseball trading card set was released with Famous Athletes marketing. The groundbreaking trading card set featured star baseball players, golfers, and boxers. This is one of the most valuable Babe Ruth Baseball cards because it’s one of the few cards during that time period where Ruth is smiling. The red background also fits in nicely with the card text.
1922 E120 American Caramel Babe Ruth
Price: $40,000
The E120 trading card series by American Caramel is unique because the photos seem antique even for that time period. The card features a portrait of a young Babe Ruth with background imaging like he’s starring in a movie. The background also contains a rug like surface outlining the overall shape of the card.
1920 Babe Ruth W519-2 Strip Card Babe Ruth Unnumbered Hand-Cut Baseball Card
Price: $10,000
This Babe Ruth is extremely valuable because it’s a rare card. Only 10 baseball players were featured in this entire series. This card was stitched using pencil art. It’s another rare card which shows Ruth smiling and many cardholders are hopeful that the demand for this card will continue to rise among hardcore Babe Ruth card collectors.
1922 E121 American Caramel Babe Ruth Photo Montage
Price: $10,000
This unique American Caramel trading card set features multiple variations of cards for the top stars during the time period. While there are multiple versions of this card, The PSA 4 Copy shows sitting in the dugout and also taking a picture while standing in the on-deck circle.
Honorable Mention:
1916 W-Unc Big Head Babe Ruth Strip Card
The exact origins of this card have been debated, as the official date lists 1916 while other trading card analysts believe the card may have been issues between 1918 and 1920. The W- Unc Big Head strip cards were hand cut, unnumbered, and had no information on the back. The unique depiction of Ruth is another important appealing part of the card. Instead of using an original photo of Ruth, the version of Ruth on this card was drawn manually. The 1916- W Unc Big Head Babe Ruth strip card is considered one of the earliest star cards of Ruth during his rise to the Hall of Fame. This card is also unique because it shows Ruth batting during a time when he was primarily a pitcher.
1933 Goudey Sport Kings Babe Ruth #3 Baseball Card
Unrelated to the classic Goudey set, the company released a special Sport Kings set that featured star players in football, baseball, and hockey. The card portrays Ruth in a blank white uniform with an olive background. The bottom appears to show Ruth hitting a pitch while the umpire looks on. It’s a unique card for the time frame, and is a rare-hidden jewel.
1919-1921 W514 Babe Ruth Strip Card
These W514 strip cards are the first considered the first official cards released that show Babe Ruth as a member of the New York Yankees. The catch is that even though Ruth is listed as a Yankee on the card, he’s still wearing his Boston Red Sox jersey in the actual photo. This card is also a must-have for many owners because it names Ruth as the Home Run King. Ruth’s designation as home run king makes this card one of the unique one released during the early part of Ruth’s career.
1920 516-1 Babe Ruth Strip Card
This strip card is considered one of the most attractive of Ruth’s early releases. Ruth is classified as a pitcher, and he’s shown throwing behind a red background.
1921 Exhibits Babe Ruth Baseball Card
In early 1921, The Exhibit Supply Company of Chicago released a special set or trading cards. They were available in vending machines around the city. One of the signature cards was a picture of Babe Ruth at first with his glove. This card stands out because it is an actual photograph of Ruth compared to a cartoon or drawing like many of the other cards that were released during this time period.
1921 E220 National Caramel Babe Ruth Baseball Card
This card shows Ruth swinging his bat. You can see an American flag in the background and Ruth appears to have hit a home run. These cards sold very well during the time period and are a nice addition to any Babe Ruth card collection.
1920 W520 Strip Card #13 Baseball Card
This Babe Ruth baseball card is unique because it has a yellow background and depicts Ruth throwing on a baseball field. The full body photo and grass help enhance the photo. This card is considered one of the most technologically advanced of that era.
1922 E121 American Caramel Holding Bird Babe Ruth Baseball Card
This E121 card is unique because it contains multiple variations. The most valuable card depicts Ruth holding a bird, but there is another card that shows him holding a baseball. This particular card also stands out because it has a traditional square background instead of an oval one.
1932 Bulgaria Schmeling/Ruth #256 Baseball Card
This is a rare card that contains a photo of Babe Ruth and top boxer Max Schmeling. The star athletes decided to take a photo together. A German cigarette company used the photo as part of their marketing campaign. The back of the card contains German press clippings.
1931 W517 Strip Card #20 Babe Ruth Baseball Card
This rare card shows Ruth focused as he sits in the dugout with his Yankees jacket on. This card was considered one of the more innovative strip cards on the market when it was released. The strip card also has a black background, which was also unique for the time period.
