For the second time in less than two years, Babe Ruth’s most valuable baseball card will hit the auction block.
The 1914 Baltimore News Ruth is considered by many to be the true rookie card of the Sultan of Swat, hailing from an 11-card set released by the Baltimore newspaper of players from the two local teams: the Orioles, for whom Ruth played as a pitcher in the minor leagues, and the Terrapins of the Federal League.
Two versions of the cards were issued, one in red and one in blue. The one for sale at Heritage is a red version. The cards featured team schedules on the reverse.
Just 10 copies have been graded, with only one ranking higher than this SGC 3 example. The last time any one of the Ruth rookies sold publicly, it was this same copy, which fetched $7.2 million at REA in December 2023.
Prior to that sale, this card was passed down through a Baltimore-area family for more than a century, in addition to being exhibited at the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum from 1998 until 2023.
The card’s existence was not known to the hobby until the 1980s, according to REA, which wrote in its 2023 lot description that the first public sale notched $6,600.
Advocates for the card’s place atop the hierarchy of the hobby argue its rarity, which is approximately six times greater than that of the more famous T206 Honus Wagner card, as well as its subject (Ruth) make it one of the most significant and valuable cards in the world.
Heritage has placed a pre-sale estimate of $7 million on the lot. The estimate is notably slightly lower than the 2023 result, likely due to the speed with which the card has returned to auction, something which is generally thought to harm the hammer price.
With more than three weeks remaining at auction, bidding has reached $3.11 million, including buyer's premium.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.