(LOT 244)
Outstanding 1920 Draper & Maynard (D&M) Catalog w/a Boston Red Sox Babe Ruth on the Front Cover – Extremely Scarce & Arguably the Most Coveted of all Sporting Goods Catalogs!
Entering the 1919 season, Boston Red Sox hurler Babe Ruth was by far the finest southpaw in baseball, having won 80 games in 4+ seasons and leading the Red Sox to two world championships. Even more impressive was Ruth's batting exploits which continued to see the young diamond star crush baseball's harder and further than any hitter the game had ever seen. The Red Sox realized Ruth needed to be a full-time player, and in 1919 he made 543 plate appearances while walloping a then Major League record 29 round trippers. Incredibly, after the 1919 season, Boston Red Sox owner Harry Frazee reluctantly sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees on January 3, 1920 to fund his theatrical production "No, No, Nanette", and the legendary "Curse of the Bambino" was officially born.

Directly before this transaction was officially announced, the New England based Draper & Maynard (D&M) renowned catalog company had already gone to print with their 1920 sporting goods catalog that just happened to include an imposing Babe Ruth pitching pose on their front cover, depicting the star-left hander in his Boston uniform. Arguably considered the most desirable of all sporting good catalogs, this Spring & Summer 5-3/4" x 7-1/2" catalog's remarkable Ruth image places it as the most significant Ruth periodical on the planet; presented here in stellar EX condition while emanating near-mint aesthetics. It is no secret that period issued Ruth Red Sox images are currently realizing stratospheric price tags, with several Type 1 photos fetching between $50 - $175K over the past several years. While this is not an official Type 1 photo, it does portray one of the most breathtaking colorful Babe Ruth Red Sox images we have ever come across, and one can only begin to speculate its potential value in this Ruth heightened memorabilia market.

The image itself is absolutely brilliant, as Ruth has just tossed one of his virtually un-hittable pitches donning his period-style Boston pinstripes and red stockings. The cover includes several bold captions, with the classic D&M Lucky Dog Mascot affixed to the lower left quadrant. Both the front and back covers have eluded any obtrusive flaws, miraculously revealing a majority of their original clean surfaces that only reveal a few faint wrinkles and negligible toning. The spine is completely intact, and the verso includes a superb image of a period style baseball and its accompanying box, also portraying extremely rich hues and joined by Lucky Dog Mascot illustrations on each side. It should be noted that the last public offering of this "Sultan of Swat" marvel fetched roughly $16K in a Memory Lane 2020 auction, justifying its immense desirability and value. Ultra-obscure and one of the FINAL "Sultan of Swat" marketing appearances as a Boston Red Sox player, its magnificent eye appeal and Cooperstown worthy Ruthian pitching pose make it a "must have" memento for any world-class Babe Ruth or periodical collector!

MIN BID $2,000
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