(LOT 35)
1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #144 PSA 5.5 EX+ – One of the Finest Mid-Grade #144 Goudey Ruth's Extant!
BAMBINO GEM!!! Like a pillar of strength, the Sultan of Swat stands tall as the greatest player to ever grace a baseball diamond, with his hallowed name resonating across the globe. From a collector's perspective, one of Ruth's highly coveted cardboard issues are his four mainstream 1933 Goudey subjects that are the foundation of this awe-inspiring landmark gum set. One of those four gum cards is the renowned #144 Babe Ruth "full body swinging pose" subject, and it is this majestic keepsake that Memory Lane is proud to present in a spectacular PSA 5.5 EX+ holder. This particular example stands leaps and bounds above its mid-grade peers, and it's plainly clear that it emanates eye appeal consistent with most 6-7 subjects, spearheaded by the near-impossible spot-on centering and vivid resolution seldom encountered with this hallowed issue.

It is no secret that any vintage card revealing aesthetics beyond its technical assessment achieve staggering figures each and every day, with collectors more focused on the card versus the grade. A perfect example of this growing trend is the public sale of an SGC 5 EX #144 Goudey Ruth in August 2022 for a record-setting $78K, with all of the pricing points for Ruth's cardboard gems issued during his playing days continuing to soar to stratospheric heights synonymous with an ICBM missile. One of the significant aspects of the #144 Goudey Ruth is the majestic full body swinging pose originally struck by none other than illustrious 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 may suffice as his most desirable baseball card. Babe Ruth's unequivocal fame and cream of the crop baseball stature were achieved via his on the field achievements as well as his incredible persona.

Before he was swatting baseballs towards the furthest confines of Yankee Stadium's grandstands, he was baffling overmatched 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 left-handed twirlers. No sports personality has ever, nor will ever, achieve Ruth's unparalleled legacy, a true global icon who set the bar for all his inferior peers. His 714 round-trippers and Goliath-like power led him to revolutionize baseball in the early 1920s when he nearly out-homered 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. Ruth's majestic Charles Conlon swinging pose is a testament to his immortality as he watches another mighty long-ball sail towards the upper deck. Crystal-clear clarity joins forces with the sparkling yellow, green and brown hues to portray what is arguably considered to be the most popular "Ruthian" baseball card images.

Atypical and most significantly, the classic illustration is well-centered between four bright white borders, with only a smidge of partiality towards the lower edge. As the most sophisticated Goudey collectors surely realize, a majority of the #144 Ruth subjects reflect immensely skewed images, with the well-positioned illustration one of the key attributes for this timeless marvel. The somewhat right-angled corners reveal aesthetics arguably a notch higher than the current grade, both surfaces have eluded any notable flaws, and to reiterate, the legendary Bambino image jumps off the card via its brilliant clarity and color. Save the extremely modest corner wear, this imposing memento emanates visual appeal consistent with many EX-MT to Near-Mint examples, triggering the notion of a rather harsh assigned grade. Yet, as most advanced enthusiasts realize, it is the card's extraordinary visual appeal that truly prompt the skipping of a beat, with this 90-year-old museum worthy masterpiece transcending time to an era when the Babe's mammoth round-trippers and unparalleled persona were mesmerizing his vast fan base!

MIN BID $7,500
_