(LOT 22)
1933 Goudey #144 Babe Ruth PSA 8 NM-MT
No baseball card could possibly entice an elite enthusiast more than a prestigious Babe Ruth specimen. The "Sultan of Swat's" legacy is not only tied to being the finest player to ever grace a baseball diamond, but arguably, the most domineering athlete to ever walk the globe. His unfathomable records and off the field charisma governed baseball for two decades, establishing an unparalleled benchmark for our cherished National Pastime. Regarding Ruth's cardboard keepsakes, there are certainly a myriad from which to choose, but his most coveted cards just happen to be Ruth's 1933 Goudeys, with four different subjects to choose from. Three of those subjects just happen to portray the hallowed Charles Conlon batting pose that arguably resides as the "Bambino's" most hallowed image. One of those highly coveted Goudey Gum cards is the #144 Babe Ruth "full body swinging pose" subject, and it is this majestic heirloom that is presented here in an awe-inspiring PSA 8 NM/MT holder.

Seldom surfacing for the taking at this elevated tier, only 2% of the 1,500+ PSA encapsulated examples have achieved the momentous "8" assessment, with a meager five specimens graded higher! As previously stated, one of the critical aspects of the #144 Goudey Ruth is the majestic full body swinging pose originally struck by none other than iconic photographer Charles M. Conlon. In fact, it is this pose that also graces two other Ruth Goudey subjects in half-body images (#s 53 & 149), and arguably speaking, the presented #144 Goudey Ruth just may suffice as the Bambino's most sought-after baseball card extant. Its immense popularity has now translated to an abundance of record-setting prices, including a lofty $400K pricing point realized earlier this spring for another PSA 8 example. Similar to other landmark Ruthian baseball cards, the floodgates have now opened for his high-grade #144 Goudeys, and considering the amazing visual appeal of this extraordinary offering, we cannot even begin to estimate its ultimate value.

Babe Ruth's unequivocal fame and "cream of the crop" baseball stature were achieved due to his "on the field" achievements that evolved into a world-renowned fame. Before he was swatting baseballs into Yankee Stadium's upper deck, he was manhandling hitters as a Boston Red Sox ace southpaw, and had he continued pitching, he would undoubtedly have been enshrined in Cooperstown as one of the premier all-time southpaws. No sports personality has ever nor will ever achieve Ruth's unparalleled legacy, a true global icon who set the bar for all of his inferior peers. His 714 round-trippers will forever stand as a majestic mark, and his remarkable power led him to revolutionize baseball in the early 1920s when he nearly outhomered every individual MLB team! Therefore, it came as no surprise that the illustrious Goudey Gum Company of Boston, Massachusetts chose to place his immortal image on four of their 240 subjects, with the full body #144 pose possibly the "Sultan of Swat's" most desirable cardboard heirloom. Ruth's majestic Charles Conlon swinging pose is a testament to his immortality as he watches another mighty long-ball sail towards the grandstands. Crystal-clear clarity as well as a brilliant array of yellow, green and brown hues all combine to elevate this sparkling "Ruthian" image to a world-class level.

Atypically and most significant, the classic image reveals near-perfect centering between four bright borders, and as the most sophisticated Goudey collectors surely realize, a majority of these #144 subjects reflect skewed images. Indeed, finding an extremely well-centered example such as this awe-inspiring marvel is a near-impossible task, with collectors succumbing to the standard off-positioning image stigma for the #144 Goudey Ruth. Both the front and back surfaces reveal pack-fresh quality, and the corners reflect pinpoint tips consistent with the lofty assessment (with only the slightest "touching" to the upper left corner). It should be noted that the overall aesthetics are absolutely astonishing and considering we have never seen a more formidable example, one could make the argument that this museum worthy keepsake has actually been under-graded. To reiterate, the four 1933 Goudey Ruth's hold a special place in collectors' hearts, with the #144 subject an unquestionable "fan-favorite". Therefore, it came with little surprise that another PSA 8 example fetched a record-setting $400K earlier this year. Since that sale, a PSA 9 #53 Goudey Ruth has sold for an unfathomable $4.2 million, clearly indicating that the high-grade Babe Ruth Goudey market continues trending towards achieving seemingly infinite pricing points, with no end in sight for any of the four revered subjects!

MIN BID $50,000
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