Babe Ruth is considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time, having set numerous home run records during his career from 1914 to 1935. As such, baseball cards featuring the legendary Babe Ruth are among the most prized possessions for collectors. Some of Ruth’s earliest and rarest cards can fetch millions of dollars at auction today.

One of the rarest and most valuable Ruth cards is the 1914 Baltimore News baseball card. Only three examples are known to exist today in privately held collections. The 1914 News card is significant because it was one of Ruth’s earliest depictions on a baseball card at a time when he was still primarily known as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, before transitioning permanently to being an outfielder and one of the game’s great sluggers. The card displays a photograph of a younger Ruth in his Red Sox uniform from his early playing days. Given its rarity and historical importance as one of the first glimpses of the Bambino on a baseball card, a PSA Gem Mint-rated 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth baseball card was sold at auction in 2016 for $4.4 million, setting a new record for the highest price ever paid for a baseball card at the time.

Another ultra-rare Ruth card is the 1914 Babes Adler baseball card. Like the 1914 News card, only a small handful are known to still exist. The 1914 Adler card was part of a larger set issued by a Baltimore-based cigarette company. The simple cardboard design features Ruth front and center in his Boston uniform, touting “Babe Ruth, Star Pitcher.” The excellent condition of the few surviving examples, in addition to the historical significance as one of the earliest documented baseball cards of Ruth, demand huge prices when they surface on the rare card market. In 2013, a 1914 Babes Adler Babe Ruth card graded Near Mint by the Professional Sports Authenticator agency sold for $757,250 at auction, reflective of just how uncommon they are and valued by serious collectors.

While the 1914 Baltimore News and Adler cards are singular trophies that will almost certainly never trade hands outside of the wealthiest of collectors, other Ruth baseball cards from the 1910s and 1920s in high grades still come onto the market from time to time and fetch major sums. One such example is the 1916 Sporting News Tyrus Cobb and Babe Ruth card. Depicting American League stars Cobb and Ruth on the front, the Sporting News cards of this era were famously difficult to maintain in pristine condition given they were used cardboard and not thick like modern cards. As such, a 1916 Sporting News Ruth/Cobb dual card that achieved top PSA grade of Gem Mint 10 was purchased for $432,000 at public auction, reflecting both the condition rarity and historical significance as one of the earliest documented dual player baseball cards.

Transitioning to the 1920s, some of the most sought after Ruth baseball cards are those from his prime years with the New York Yankees after being sold by the Red Sox in 1919. Chief among these is the 1920 W516 Old Mill baseball card. Issued by Chicago-based manufacturer American Caramel in their famous “grey background” design, the 1920 W516 card stands out as one of the earliest single-player cards of Ruth dawning his iconic Yankees pinstripes. An impressive example that recently earned a high PSA mint grade of 9 was auctioned for nearly $216,000. Another historically important Ruth Yankees card comes from the 1921 W515 caramel set. As Ruth’s first season dominating baseball was 1921 where he blasted a then-record 54 home runs, the 1921 W515 displays a famous candid action shot of Ruth at bat and is always in high demand. A PSA Gem Mint graded example of this card sold for $157,000 at public event.

1928 also holds a special place among Ruth card enthusiasts as it was the season the Babe blasted 60 home runs in a single season, setting a new MLB record that would stand for 34 years. Two flagship Ruth cards exist from 1928: the Sporting News card and the famous Batter Up Tobacco issue. The Sporting News cards are remarkably resilient and high grade specimens still emerge. Indeed, a 1928 Ruth in PSA Gem Mint 10 condition realized approximately $117,000 at auction in recognition of both its condition rarity and historical moment it captures of Ruth’s epic 60 homer season. Similar prices in the $100,000 range are typical for top-graded versions of the contemporaneous 1928 Batter Up issue, which features a sharp portrait of Ruth in Yankees garb with text noting his home run record. Fittingly for two of Ruth’s most prized seasons in 1920 and 1928, exceptional specimens of cards from those years can approach or exceed six figures for the most financially dedicated collectors.

Other 1920s Ruth card highlights that command premium prices for the right examples include his 1922 and 1923 Play Ball Tobacco issues, the 1925 Lone Star chewing gum card, the high-quality 1926-27 Diamond Stars cabinet cards, as well as the famed 1932 U.S. Caramel card from Ruth’s final MLB season. Given the immense popularity of Babe Ruth as both a player and worldwide pop culture icon after his career ended, many consider his rookie and early career baseball cards to be among the most historically significant collectibles in sports memorabilia. While the highest conditioned examples of Ruth’s earliest cardboard will likely remain out of reach except for the ultra-wealthy, even lesser graded pieces from the 1910s and 1920s remain notable prize possessions that retain or even appreciate in value for avid collectors. With each passing year, as fewer survivors of these fragile cardboard artifacts remain, the intrinsic worth continues to climb for those special cards that manage to tell the visual story of the legendary career of Babe Ruth.

Due to rarity and historical importance, some of Babe Ruth’s earliest baseball cards from his formative years with the Red Sox in the 1910s, through to commemorating his record-setting seasons with the Yankees in the 1920s, are among the most prized possessions in the entire hobby. While perfect examples regularly trade for hundreds of thousands or millions each time they surface, even lesser conditioned pieces retain notable worth. For the true Ruth aficionados and those with resources to acquire them, these classic cards serve as portals to appreciate the greatness and lasting allure of the Sultan of Swat in the collectibles marketplace.