1933 R319 Goudey #144 Babe Ruth SGC NM+ 86

Sold For:

$19,200

Year:

1933

Auction:

2017 Fall

Lot #:

731

Category:

Prewar Baseball - 1930s and 1940s Cards

Graded NM+ 86 by SGC. One of only two examples graded at this level by SGC with just thirteen higher out of 456 examples evaluated to date. Exceptional high-grade example of the ideal classic Babe Ruth bubble-gum card: the #144 Babe Ruth from the 1933 R319 Goudey set, featuring the Babe in his classic follow-through batting swing pose. Goudey must have also realized this was a classic pose as, of all the cards in the set, this is the card they chose to double print when replacing the missing card #106 during production. This continues to be one of Ruth's most popular and recognizable baseball cards. Because of being double-printed by Goudey (there were exactly twice as many Ruth #144s printed as any other card in the same series), this card also represents the best value among the four Babe Ruth cards in the 1933 Goudey set. Crisp and clean, both front and back, with vibrant colors, and centered just a hint to the bottom left. The corners show the slightest touch of wear, but remain sharp. The reverse is also perfectly clean with bold green printing. This is an impressive high-grade example of one of Babe Ruth's most classic cards from the popular 1933 Goudey Gum series. Reserve $5,000. Estimate $10,000/$20,000+.