(LOT 2)
Extraordinary Babe Ruth 1933 Goudey #181 Green Background (PSA Mint 9) - Only 1 Graded Higher!
The most widely sought-after baseball cardboard artifact is a portrayal of baseball's greatest player ever, the legendary Babe Ruth. The "Sultan of Swat's" significance to the game itself cannot be over emphasized, with his mighty home runs revolutionizing baseball at a point in time after the "Black Sox Scandal" when the game desperately required a momentous "boost". It is the general consensus of baseball historians that Babe Ruth saved the game during this "dark" period, and he continued on with his record- breaking feats to become America's finest all-time player. Other than a few of his first Boston Red Sox issues, no card could more effectively represent the unparalleled "Bambino" than a 1933 Goudey Gum card. This prestigious gum company transformed the card market by inserting baseball players and gum in wax packs as opposed to manufacturers packaging cards with their candy and tobacco products.

Unquestionably, Goudey chose the right player to produce four separate subjects, and one of those momentous cards just happens to be presented here in a mind-boggling PSA Mint 9 holder. One of only six PSA "9's", only a single "Gem Mint 10" example resides on the combined PSA and SGC census reports that reveal some 1,700 encapsulated specimens! It is hard to imagine any 88-year old cardboard relic sustaining a majority of its original pristine factory issued qualities, let alone one representing America's most popular baseball icon. The hobby is currently in the midst of a remarkable pricing uptick with some of the greatest sport stars realizing record breaking prices each and every day. In fact, it is no longer a miraculous occurrence for even modern stars fetching "seven-figure" price tags, with various Mike Trout, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Tom Brady issues leading the charge. Vintage cards have likewise experienced that same pricing phenomena, spearheaded by a PSA Mint 9 '52 Topps Mantle trading for $5.2 million, a PSA "Auth" T206 Honus Wagner fetching $2.5 million, and the private sale of a PSA 7 M101-5 Babe Ruth Rookie for nearly $3 million!

Synonymous to an uncontrollable brush fire, the floodgates have opened with respect to the soaring prices of iconic cards, and this extraordinary PSA 9 #181 Goudey gem certainly resides as a card with exponential-like value. Bested by only a sole example, its extraordinary technical assessment easily distinguishes it as a "seven-figure+" club member, with the only question being its seemingly unlimited potential value. The ultimate prestige of the 1933 Goudey Ruth's comes as little surprise, with only the Bambino's sanctified 1914 Baltimore News and 1916 M101 Rookie-era cards surpassing the illustrious stature of a high-grade "Sultan of Swat" '33 Goudey subject. Interestingly enough, the #181 Goudey Ruth reveals a "unique" pose not offered on the other three Ruth Goudey subjects (the #53, #144 & #149 Ruth's depict a similar batting pose). In fact, this #181 image, to the best of our knowledge, is unique and not utilized on a single other Babe Ruth cardboard issue. Of course, the most captivating concept for this exalted offering is the "Mint 9" assessment that places the card as one of the most significant "Sultan of Swat" cardboard keepsakes extant.

Virtually every aspect of this Cooperstown worthy memento is synonymous with a pristine-like card starting with a brilliant Babe Ruth "sitting/half body" image depicting vivid resolution and sparkling hues. The Ruthian pose literally projects itself in "3-D" style primarily due to a nearly un-improvable powder green background. Atypical for this subject, the centering is virtually perfect (only a minimal trace of favoritism towards the upper edge), with additional superlatives including snow white borders, razor sharp edging, scintillating right-angled corners, and a spectacular reverse-side bold green typography. As a final exclamation point, no apparent surface defects are evident on either side, completing one of the finest Ruth Goudey cards extant, and one that seldom surfaces for the taking. In lieu of the staggering pricing points currently being realized for the most coveted sport cards, we cannot begin to speculate on the final value for this remarkable "Mint 9" masterpiece that defines the sheer essence of everything this colossal slugger truly represents. Our National Pastime's uncontested "king of kings", the "Babe's" amazing batting and pitching exploits are a testament to his immortal stature, and if you maintain the "faith of a child" philosophy, the ultimate dream of owning such an incomparable Ruth memento may now come to fruition via a simple final bid!

MIN BID $300,000
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