Babe Ruth dominated Major League Baseball during his playing career from 1914 to 1935 as one of the greatest home run hitters of all time. Even decades after his retirement and death in 1948, Ruth remains one of the most iconic figures in sports history. Not surprisingly, his legendary status has made many of his early baseball cards incredibly rare and valuable collectors items.
Some of Ruth’s most prized cards were issued during the formative years of the modern baseball card era in the late 1910s and 1920s. During this period, tobacco companies like American Tobacco Company and Goodwin & Company began inserting baseball cards as incentives into packs of cigarettes and chewing tobacco to help promote their brands and players. One of Babe Ruth’s earliest and most elusive cards is his 1914 Baltimore News baseball card.
Issued while Ruth was still pitching for the minor league Baltimore Orioles, only a handful of the 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth cards are known to exist today in various states of preservation. In mint condition, one of these century-old cards could conceivably sell for over $1 million given its rarity and significance as one of the first cards ever issued featuring the legendary slugger. A PSA 8 copy of the 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth last sold for $240,000 in a 2016 auction.
Another exceedingly rare early Ruth card is his 1915 Cracker Jack issue. Like most cards of its era, it picturing Ruth with the then-Boston Red Sox. Ironically, the card was printed just months before Ruth’s famous trade to the Boston Red Sox that transformed him into the premier home run hitter of the dead-ball era. Only about 50 copies of the 1915 Cracker Jack Babe Ruth are known to collectors. In pristine mint condition, it would be one of the most valuable baseball cards in existence, likely worth over $2 million. The highest price ever paid for a PSA 8 copy was $216,000 in 2016.
Ruth’s rookie card from the 1916 Sporting News is also exceptionally rare, with fewer than 10 high-grade copies believed to exist. While not quite as scarce as the 1914 Baltimore News or 1915 Cracker Jack issues, a perfect PSA 10 1916 Sporting News Babe Ruth rookie would still command seven figures, possibly pushing close to $1 million or more. Even well-worn low-grade examples often sell for five-figure sums. A PSA 3 copy sold for $42,000 in 2018, demonstrating the strong demand for any Ruth rookie card in any condition.
The most iconic and widely produced of all Babe Ruth’s early cards is undoubtedly his 1920 Baseball Gum 2 Babe Ruth. Issued during Ruth’s first season with the legendary 1920s Yankees teams, the 1920 Baseball Gum card captured Ruth at the absolute peak of his playing career. While the set print run was much higher than his preceding cards produced in the mid-1910s, high-quality specimens remain extremely scarce. An unopened case of 1920 Baseball Gum cards sold at auction in 2016 for an astounding $996,000, showing the strong demand even for sealed product from a century ago.
Individually, a PSA 10 1920 Baseball Gum Babe Ruth in perfect condition would sell for over $1 million at auction. Even in lower grades, examples still command huge sums. A PSA 5 copy sold for $240,000 in 2017. The card’s affordability in any grade has made it an iconic collectible recognized even by non-sports collectors. Its enduring popularity and historical significance ensures the 1920 Baseball Gum 2 Babe Ruth will always be among the most valuable cards from the early 20th century market.
Ruth’s final iconic early card was issued in the 1922 E121-1 set produced by the American Caramel Company. Like the 1920 Baseball Gum issue, it depicted Ruth during his playing prime with the Yankees. While not quite as rare in high grades as some of his earliest 1910s cards, a pristine PSA 10 1922 E121-1 Babe Ruth would still be valued at over half a million dollars or more. Even well-worn lower grade copies often sell for five figures. The card stands as one of the last notable pre-Great Depression issues to feature Babe Ruth before the baseball card market underwent major changes.
As his playing career continued into the late 1920s and 1930s, Ruth received cards in various modern sets like 1933 Goudey and 1934 Goudey. While certainly desirable collectibles autographed, high-grade specimens from these later sets do not command the same record prices as his earliest 1910s/1920s tobacco and gum issues due to significantly higher production numbers. Any game-used, autographed Ruth card from any era remains an invaluable piece of baseball history.
In summary, Babe Ruth’s pioneering career and iconic status has made cards issued during his formative years with highest demand and value among collectors. From his exceedingly rare pre-debut 1914 Baltimore News to his best-known 1920s issues, pristine specimens continue to break auction records. While finding high-grade examples is extremely difficult, even well-worn copies still attract huge sums. As one of the first true superstars of professional sports, Babe Ruth’s legacy and collectibles will always be in high demand for generations of baseball fans.
