While a collector like myself may drool over certified autographs and refractors, I know that in this industry vintage is still the king of the hill.
While the T-206 Honus Wagner is still the greatest baseball card of all-time, a little known Babe Ruth Minor League card has been quietly overshadowing the Wagner card, which experts believe there are as many as 60 in existence.
The card, a 1914 Baltimore News, made its auction debut in the 80′s and sold for $6,000 dollars but by 2005 sold for nearly a quarter of a million dollars. It is believed that only nine copies of this card exist, in both red and white and blue and white versions.
This card will be available through Robert Edwards Auctions next week. You can order a free catalog HERE. I received mine this evening and its without a doubt the greatest thing I have ever laid eyes on. Essentially, it’s porn for collectors.
Could be.
http://www.dingedcorners.com/2008/03/babe-ruth-rookie-card-new-holy-grail.html
Wow, I feel defeated.
At least you guys have the link to sign up for a free catalog.
WWWWWOOOOWWWW! I love that parallels stated in 1914
WOw, I’ve never seen one of those! That’s crazy!
Coming back to card collecting for the first time since I was a kid there is one thing more then anything that has drawn me back to this hobby. That is the beauty of the cards, although I can’t afford to buy a lot of cards I buy the ones that I think are beautiful and if there is anything going right in this hobby right now more then anything it seems to me a focus on really good looking cards. I buy cards not to get a “hit” or to invest in the future of cardboard but simply because I enjoy looking at the front of the cards and reading the back of the cards.
I really do enjoy baseball cards simply for the design and look of them and hope other collectors feel the same way. As for this card I would agree that it is beautiful. Working on 500hrc.com (shameless plug) I see a lot of pictures of the babe but I’ve never seen anything like this. Thanks for the post Mario!
Mario,
I started getting that catalog last year and I ahve to say that I read alittle each day. Even if I don’t plan on buying anything it seems to be the definitive guide to collecting.
Also, if you haven’t read the book about the t-206 wagner called “The Card”, i have a copy and will send it to you to read if you like. Shoot me an e-mail.
Dan X.
Catalog requested, thanks for the heads up.
The Ruth could eventually surpass the Wagner, especially since The Card has sort of tarnished the history of the T206 with all the shenanigans that went on behind the scenes. Wagner has a perfect mix of attributes to make it the legendary card it is though. It’s from a widely collected premier vintage set, it’s legitimately scarce but not impossible to find, it’s had a history of advanced collectors actively chasing it going back decades, It’s a card of one of the absolute best players in baseball history and it’s got an awesome backstory with the whole Honus is against tobacco thing. However, this thing has two really incredible things going for it: Babe Ruth. Rookie. Plus unlike the Gretzky Wagner it has a good provenance. No shady back room deals and fudged grading with this card.
Ooh, free catalog.
very cool. I have never heard of this card before.
I hear where you are coming from Ken. I just received a 1956 Jackie Robinson and I just love it. It’s a great looking card of one of the most important baseball players and historical figures in this country’s history. I don’t care if it increases in value or not.
I really like the Topps 1956 design.
i spent hours in borders looking at the barry halper auction catalog. just some unbelievable stuff in there.
I know what you mean, Jim. At one point, I got super lucky and the slipcased Barry Halper auction catalog was on a bargain table at a Barnes & Noble for under ten bucks. I was even on a business trip at the time, and tried to conceal that ten-pound slab as best I could wherever I had to go until I got home.
I like pulling some of it off the shelf every now and then and leaf through its sexy glossy pages. Mmm…actual one-of-a-kinds…mmm…
In fact, I’ve resolved to taking parts of my collection and unloading / trading / selling it, but keep photos of what I’ve had in the past to help move the feet in a memory jog. I have a nice photo tucked away on disk of the 1977 Topps Mexican Roger Staubach that I traded away for a small fortune.
In fact, I’d take a bet that the 1977 Topps Mexican Staubach is an order of magnitude rarer (especially in decent condition) than the more famous 1972 Topps hi-number Staubach.
Sports Collectors Digest used to have a catalog a month shipped with an issue. I miss those. All the auction houses sent them and it was great actually seeing bats used by players and the stories behind them. I did not know that the bat used to hit the first HR by Babe Ruth in Yankee Stadium was awarded as a prize to an American Legion league player later on by the Babe himself. That is who decided to auction it. This is the 3rd Baltimore News card I have seen auctioned off and they are nice cards. To dream of owning.