Autographed 1933 R319 Goudey #181 Babe Ruth - PSA/DNA

Sold For:

$33,000

Year:

1933

Auction:

2017 Fall

Lot #:

1518

Category:

Autographed Baseballs/Flats/Photos

1933 R319 Goudey #181 Babe Ruth, signed by Ruth in black fountain pen (grading "8") across his image. PSA/DNA has encapsulated the card and certified the signature as "Authentic" Although Babe Ruth's signature is by no means rare (he probably signed more items than any player in history), that does not imply that anything he signed is common. A perfect example is the card offered here. This is one of only a small number of Babe Ruth signed 1933 Goudey cards we have ever seen (probably fewer than a dozen), and just the second we have handled since 1999. Of the four different Ruth cards in the set (#'s 53, 144, 149, and 181), we have seen far fewer autographed examples of card #181, making it the rarest of all Ruth-signed Goudey cards. This card was first introduced to the hobby in 2013, when it was one of four signed Goudey cards discovered in a large autograph collection that had been compiled by the son of a newspaper vendor who worked at Fenway Park. (A Gehrig signed 1933 Goudey card, which also appears in this auction, originates from the same collection.) Given that it was part of a childhood collection and displayed in an album, the card displays a number of handling flaws consistent with its provenance, including a trim along the base (none of the "Big League Chewing Gum" text remains), as well as both edge and corner wear. A few tiny age spots appear on the front. The reverse has paper loss resulting from the card's removal from the album. Despite the obvious flaws, the central image area remains free of any significant defects and presents as Excellent. This is not only one of the most elusive Ruth-signed items in the hobby, but one that remains ideal-for-display as well. Reserve $5,000. Estimate (open).