(LOT 43)
1948 Leaf #3 Babe Ruth PSA 8 NM-MT
BAMBINO LEAF!!! Synonymous with the Sultan of Swat's pinnacle all-time baseball stature is this absolutely magnificent PSA 8 NM-MT Leaf offering that stands as one of his most coveted cardboard mementos. PSA has currently encapsulated over 1,400 examples with a meager 2.9% of the existing specimens listed at this hallowed tier, and only five subjects graded higher! Every elite enthusiast actively seeks the most prominent Babe Ruth cardboard keepsakes since the Bambino, via his coupled batting and pitching prowess, set the benchmark that all players would be measured against for centuries to come. He is the one player that is considered "above the game itself", and with the hobby currently realizing incredible pricing points for optimum graded Hall of Famer issues, there is no Cooperstown inductee that could come close to filling Ruth's shoes. Ironically, 1948 would be the year that the Babe would ultimately succumb to his battle with throat cancer at the still young age of 53 (August 16, 1948), with his illustrious Leaf #3 subject the final card issued during his celebrated life.

It is for this reason that hobbyists gravitate towards Ruth's '48 Leaf subject, atypically standing tall as his most desirable post-playing days cardboard issue. Ruth's stoic portrait image portrays super resolution and contrast, set against a vibrant orange-red background that appears as flawless as its original 1948 distribution date. Pinpoint corners and sharp perimeter edging provide the final compliments to a spectacular obverse side, and the verso's brief bio providing some historical content on the Babe, exhibits bold and vivid registration. The only modest imperfection is an image that somewhat favors the lower edge between four clean borders. Otherwise, this pack-fresh marvel truly stands as one of the foremost 1948 Leaf Ruth subjects, easily meriting its world-class assessment. Its esteemed stature is justified by another PSA 8 example selling for $102k in March 2022, with a PSA 9 MINT specimen fetching a staggering $540k this past summer. That said, we highly anticipate a fierce bidding war for this seldom-surfacing Bambino cardboard marvel that appears as if it has just been pulled from a 1948 Leaf wax pack!

MIN BID $25,000
_