(LOT 33)
1921 American Caramel Co. E121 Babe Ruth Series of 80 SGC 3.5 VG+ - SGC POP 1
EARLY 1920s RUTH!!!... Trying to capture a 1921 E121 American Caramel Babe Ruth subject reflecting virtually perfect centering is tantamount to finding a needle in a haystack, justifying why this SGC 3.5 VG Ruth gem merits a final resting place in any esteemed collection. Indeed, this majestic heirloom boasts near dead-on 50/50 positioning, with the overall mystique of this early 1920s Bambino heirloom turning back the clock to an era when the Sultan of Swat was revolutionizing our National Pastime. While SGC's census report does not distinguish the three Ruth E121 variations ("Babe"; Babe; George), what we can state is that all three versions total to only 46 SGC encapsulated copies, for which this hallowed offering stands as the sole example at this super eye-pleasing plateau. It's no secret that the floodgates have officially opened with regard to the soaring pricing points being realized for early 1920s Ruth black and white caramel cards.

Suppressed for quite some time versus their over-populated Goudey peers, their utmost scarcity has finally caught on with collectors, with a PSA 7 1921 E121 Ruth selling for a staggering $337K in a Memory Lane 2021 auction as well as an SGC 3.5 fetching a record for its grade at $83K in a Memory Lane auction. Furthermore, a majority of the 3 and 3.5 examples offered over the past several years have fetched between $50K and $60K, further substantiating the notion that the pricing points for these captivating 1921 Ruth mementos are here to stay! Their 103-year-old history can be traced back to 1921 when the American Caramel Co. of Lancaster and York, Pennsylvania re-ignited the card collecting community via its landmark E121 candy set. With 80 different subjects represented by fine black and white player images, similar to virtually all pre-WWII issues, the most prestigious player in the E121 set is any of the three Babe Ruth variations. As an added feature, this iconic Babe Ruth pitching pose has been verified as a true rookie-era Ruth image by PSA's photo expert, originally taken at the Red Sox's Hot Springs, Arkansas spring training facility in March 1915.

Before the 1920 season, Ruth had been traded from the Red Sox to the New York Yankees for the hefty price tag of $125,000, with Ruth walloping an amazing 54 home runs in his inaugural Big Apple campaign. The mighty Bambino would continue his assault on opposing pitchers the following year, when this renowned E121 Ruth baseball card was issued, belting 59 home runs in 1921 and firmly establishing himself as baseball's greatest player. Further intriguing is that Ruth is donning an early Red Sox uniform in his 1915 rookie season, the exact pose affixed to his ultra-scarce 1917 Boston Store, Collins-McCarthy, and Standard Biscuit issues. We can only assume that since Ruth had played only a single season with the Yankees, rather than seeking out one of his first-year Yankee images, the American Caramel Co. took the easy route by utilizing a pre-existing BoSox pitching pose. The neat aspect of this card is that it represents Babe Ruth as a New York Yankee while still featuring him in his Boston uniform. The splendid aesthetics are highlighted by a momentous pitching image portraying crystal-clear clarity and near-perfect contrast as Ruth delivers another tantalizing pitch in his Boston flannels.

The text beneath his iconic pose reflects Babe Ruth's sanctified name as well as "R.F.- New York Americans", and both surfaces have sidestepped any glaring flaws. As previously stated, the hallowed pose atypically exhibits amazing positioning, with a majority of the 1921 E121 Ruth's plagued by skewed images. Preventing a higher assessment are some areas of scattered light soiling (including above Ruth's cap and along several of the borders), a faint diagonal wrinkle near the lower right corner, and even corner wear that actually portrays an eye-pleasing uniformity. The final thumbs-up is the verso's bold "AMERICAN CARAMEL SERIES OF 80" ad back, with this 103-year-old keepsake still presenting itself in superb fashion. Truly standing tall is one of the Babe's world-class cardboard marvels; it effectively boasts a stellar 3.5 technical assessment, a visually pleasing Bambino Red Sox rookie-era image, and considering the abundance of record-setting sales for early 1920s Sultan of Swat cards, an issue proudly offering incredible investment potential!

MIN BID $10,000
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