(LOT 11)
"Rare for the Grade" 1921 Oxford Confectionary E253 Babe Ruth (PSA EX+ 5.5); "1 of 1; Only One Graded Higher!
There are so few cards available of the "Sultan of Swat" from the early 1920's, substantiating why his 1921 Oxford Confectionary scarcity resides as one of his most obscure and highly coveted cardboard keepsakes. Furthermore, other than his 1920 "Headin Home" theatre cards, few people realize that Babe Ruth's 1921 Oxford E253 subject stands as his inaugural Yankee card with Ruth donning his new Yankee uniform! Indeed, Ruth's 1920 Felix Mendelsohn and 1921 E121 American Caramel issues both depict the Bambino in his Boston Red Sox uniform with only his various 1920 Headin Home cards revealing Ruth's new Yankee uniform.

In 1921, the Oxford, Confectionery Co. of Oxford, Pa. produced a 20-subject caramel set, considered by most experts as one of the most eclectic pre-WWII issues. Synonymous with virtually every 1920's issue, the "cream of the crop" card is Babe Ruth, with the candy company appeasing Ruth's faithful Yankee following by utilizing an image that reveals Ruth's NEW YORK" road jersey. Presented here just happens to be one of the most spectacular Babe Ruth E253 Oxford Confectionary subjects, a magnificent PSA 5.5 example that is the SOLE specimen at this extremely rare plateau with only ONE example graded higher (a PSA 6)! One of the scarcest Babe Ruth issues during his playing days, at the time this was written, PSA had encapsulated only 27 copies.

ANY encapsulated E253 Ruth is highly coveted by the collecting community, let alone one that stands as the only specimen at its merited technical assessment. Indeed, the 1921 Oxford Ruth's population is a mere fraction of the thousands of Goudey Ruth's distributed in the 1930's, and its sheer condition sensitivity is justified by this 5.5 example only bested by a single specimen. At the time of its production, Babe Ruth was in the midst of setting baseball's unparalleled home run standard and began a legacy that left him as the greatest ballplayer to ever grace a baseball diamond. His batting and pitching exploits speak for themselves, leaving an indelible mark on our beloved National Pastime. The card itself provides aesthetics easily consistent with its superior assessment, with Ruth's hallowed black & white image portraying crystal-clear clarity and literally transcending us back to the origin of his Yankee playing days.

The corners depict slight even wear consistent with the grade, and no glaring surface flaws are evident on either side. The verso's 20-subject checklist is completely intact, the final stamp of approval for a card that is virtually impossible to capture at this PSA mid-grade assessment. Just staring at the "Sultan of Swat's" immortal pose would give any passionate collector a myriad of goosebumps. The "Babe" set the benchmark for all future sluggers of the game with no player able to match Ruth's iconic stature and overwhelming feats. With that in mind, what cardboard artifact could possibly be more rewarding than this early New York Yankee Ruthian keepsake that depicts the legendary Bambino in one of his earliest Yankee uniform cardboard poses, and via its ultra-rare grade, resoundingly stands as one of the finest E253 Oxford Ruth's on the planet!

MIN BID $6,000

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