Babe Ruth Baseball Cards

Whether you are new to the hobby or have been collecting baseball cards for decades, at some point you've probably looked up the value of classic Babe Ruth cards to see what the biggest name in sports memorabilia collecting is worth. Despite his cards not being the most valuable on the planet (that honor goes to the Honus Wagner T206), original Ruth cards have continued to appreciate and are commonly seen as a bellweather in the baseball card collecting community.

Only a handful of baseball cards depicting Babe Ruth were printed during his career. During the era he played in, baseball cards were not printed every year. In addition, Goudey did not include Babe Ruth in its 1934 set.

Famous Babe Ruth Cards

The Babe Ruth cards most commonly known by casual baseball card collectors are his Goudey cards, printed in 1933 and 1935. The 1933 Goudey cards are quite popular and commonly sell for a few thousand dollars to over $20,000, depending on condition. His 1935 Goudey card was the only card produced during his career as a member of the Boston Braves.

Babe Ruth's rookie card was printed in 1914 by the Baltimore Sun Newspaper when The Babe was a minor league ballplayer for the Baltimore Orioles. There are only ten known Babe Ruth rookie cards in existance. The most recent sale of the 1914 Ruth was for $200,000 in April 2007. It is considered the second most valuable baseball card ever. Only the Honus Wagner T206 card is considered more valuable.

Where to Find Them

With only a limited number of pre-1935 Babe Ruth baseball cards available, it will take some searching to find the Ruth card you are looking for in the right condition. Obviously, eBay auctions are always a great place to start. Baseball card shows can also be a place where an old Ruth card will turn up, offering you the opportunity to evaluate the condition of the card for yourself.

Finally, Babe Ruth cards often make appearances at high-profile auctions - look up your nearest big-time auction house to find out whether they dabble in vintage sports cards and memorabilia. Auctions are generally where the most valuable Ruth cards are sold. If you want that 1914 Babe Ruth card you'll need to keep an eye on the auctions!