(LOT 3)
1933 Goudey #149 Babe Ruth PSA 8 NM-MT
PSA 8 BAMBINO!!! Along with the #53 Goudey Ruth offering, this remarkable PSA 8 NM-MT Goudey #149 marvel resides as one of the Sultan of Swat's most celebrated cardboard gems. The PSA Pop Chart lists only 1.6% of the approximate 1,230 encapsulated specimens at the sanctified 8 NM-MT plateau, with a paltry three examples graded higher! Only three PSA 8.5s have managed to best this world-class marvel, and we cannot imagine either of those 8.5 examples possibly surpassing the visual appeal of this scarce for the grade offering. Of even greater significance is the excellent centering (just a hair to the right), for it's no secret among sophisticated Goudey collectors that the #149 Goudey Ruth example often exhibits skewed images. Finding a well-centered #149 Ruth is a near-impossible task, substantiating why the superb positioning of Charles Conlon's Ruth image immediately places this offering as one of the Bambino's most monumental cards.

After a significant period dominated by tobacco and candy manufacturers releasing sports cards to promote their brands, the Goudey Gum Company issued baseball cards in their sealed wax packs for the 1933 campaign. A new era was born in the collectibles field! We surmise that the most coveted cards of young baseball fans were undeniably the four Ruth subjects, with all of these Bambino gum cards depicting him with his lumber. Collectors have taken notice that the #149 Goudey Ruth subjects have relentlessly surged, justified by the record-setting $540k public auction sale in the summer of 2021 for a PSA 8 #149 Ruth Goudey, as well as a $510k sale in Memory Lane's May 2022 auction.

The defining aspect of the #149 Goudey Ruth is the legendary half-body swinging pose originally struck by photographer Charles M. Conlon. It is this pose that also graces two other Goudey Ruth subjects (#s 53 & 144). The imposing red/orange setting is nearly immaculate, a fitting backdrop for Ruth's batting pose, and the fine centering is a critical attribute rarely seen on any of the #149 Goudey Ruth subjects. Crystal-clear clarity, outstanding contrast, razor-sharp corners consistent with the grade, and pack-fresh surfaces are the final complements substantiating the seldom encountered assessment.

The 1933 campaign marked Ruth's 20th big-league season, with Babe eclipsing the .300 batting mark (.301) for the 17th and final time of his career. His 34 home runs and 114 runs batted in represented the final time he breached the 30+ homer and 100+ runs batted in marks. Only a handful of the iconic Ruth cards could possibly fill that role better than this PSA 8 gem that, through its awe-inspiring aesthetics and world-class assessment, stands as a genuine collectible for future prosperity!

MIN BID $50,000
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