(LOT 337)
1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #144 PSA 6 EX-MT – The Exact Example that was on Display at the Prestigious Yankee Stadium Babe Ruth Exhibition
The sheer thought of owning an illustrious Babe Ruth baseball card issued during his playing days is a relentless goal for any passionate collector. Like a pillar of strength, the "Colossus of Swat" stands tall as the greatest player to ever step on a baseball diamond, with his hallowed name resonating across the globe. 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 6 EX-MT holder. This particular example is so momentous with regard to its world-class aesthetics, it is the exact subject that has been on display at the prestigious Yankee Stadium Babe Ruth Exhibition the past year! Both its popularity and escalating values are substantiated by three PSA 6 examples selling for $41K, $48K and $49K in 2021, with all of Ruth's Goudey pricing points continuing to soar to stratospheric heights synonymous to 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 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 image. Atypical and most significantly, the classic illustration is well-centered between four bright white borders, with only a "smidge" of partiality towards the right 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 literally "jumps off the card" via its brilliant colors. This imposing memento debatably emanates visual appeal consistent with most 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 heartbeat", with this 89-year-old museum worthy masterpiece transcending time to an era when the "Babe" ruled our National Pastime!

MIN BID $15,000
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