Masterpieces and Uncommon Commons XXVIII
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on:
7/30/2010
The Goudey Gum Co. issued a 48 card set in 1933 titled “Sport Kings” that included the top sports figures in 18 different sports. Synonymous with virtually every post-1914 set, its most prestigious subject is the immortal George Herman “Babe” Ruth. The ultimate goal of every high end vintage enthusiast is to claim the superior cardboard artifacts that are most renowned in the hobby. None could be more desirable than this 1933 Goudey Sports King Babe Ruth, listed as one of the top 250 sports cards in our illustrious hobby. Graded an unfathomable SGC 92/8.5, this prestigious grading company lists only 3 others at this sanctified tier with a single copy graded higher! If that isn’t impressive, the combined PSA and SGC “pop” charts list 432 total Babe Ruth Sport Kings, with only 5 (1.2%) existing at this tier and a paltry 3 copies (0.7%) graded higher! Without question, both grading companies population data substantiate that this is one of the finest Babe Ruth Sport Kings in the hobby.
What could be more satisfying than owning an elite graded Babe Ruth card issued during his playing days. The “Babe” exemplifies everything that our National Pastime represents, at a level that exceeds the game itself! Each day, his popularity increases profoundly, with avid collectors looking to grab any of his most valuable cardboard artifacts. While both Aaron and Bonds have surpassed his 714 home run total, there remains an unequivocal mystique tied to the “Bambino’s 714 mark. His pitching exploits with the Boston Red Sox combined with his uncontested batting achievements have earned him the title “the greatest baseball player ever”. It is unprecedented that Ruth would have been an immortal Hall of Fame pitcher had he not abandoned the pitching rubber to pursue his destiny as the game’s greatest slugger ever. As a testament to his unparalleled power, the great Walter Johnson was once asked if anyone hit the ball harder than Babe Ruth. The “Big Train” responded: “I can’t say for sure if Ruth hit the ball the hardest, but after contact, his batted balls got smaller a lot faster than anyone”! Baseball will never see the likes of him again, a near perfect icon with a combination of sheer playing excellence and personality that will echo for eternity.
No wonder every advanced hobbyist desires his elite cardboard artifacts, with only a handful conceivably more preeminent than this “World Class” offering. The overall eye appeal of this majestic card appears gem mint! The registration and brilliant colored hues of the classic “half-body” Ruth image is faultless, with the “Babe” portraying one of his often seen good natured smiles. You will never come across a finer olive green background, flawless as its original pristine state. Atypical for this issue is the “dead-on” 50/50 centering between four of the brightest white borders we have ever encountered. Fortunately this card has been encapsulated because handling this gem might result in serious paper cuts from the scintillating sharp corners and edges. The reverse side green typography Ruth “bio” and Goudey Sport Kings advertisement is equally impressive, set against a sparkling white unblemished surface. If there is a non-obtrusive, diminutive like flaw preventing this card from achieving the hallowed “Mint 9” grade, you won’t find it with the naked eye. Fortunately, any such microscopic sized blemish has virtually zero impact on the unprecedented visual appeal radiating from this cardboard gem, consistent with any possible perfect specimen.
Babe Ruth will eternally be the most prestigious ballplayer to ever grace a baseball field. His myriad of batting records, revolutionizing the game with his long home runs and his overall persona will forever be insurmountable legacies to link any collector to the game’s storied past. It is no coincidence the Goudey Gum Company issued a Babe Ruth card as one of the National Pastime’s three representatives (Cobb and Hubbell being the other two) within their renowned Sport Kings issue. This miraculous 77 year old “blazer”, bested by a handful of copies, is the perfect testament to Ruth’s “crème of the crop” baseball like status via its phenomenal uncontested aesthetics!
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