(LOT 17)
1933 Goudey #144 Babe Ruth PSA 7 NM
NEAR-MINT GOUDEY RUTH!!! Presented here is an iconic PSA 7 NM 1933 Goudey #144 Babe Ruth, truly residing as one of the Babe's most revered cards on the planet! Synonymous with legendary cards such as the T206 Honus Wagner, T206 Ty Cobb, 1916 M101 Babe Ruth and 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, the Goudey #144 Ruth subject portrays one of the most recognizable vintage baseball card images extant. This extraordinary illustration was originally taken in 1927 by renowned photographer Charles M. Conlon. The timeless pose transcends time to an era when the Sultan of Swat took the Big Apple by storm via his mammoth round-trippers, with Ruth embarking on a relentless path that ultimately led him to becoming baseball's greatest all-time player. Ruth's most coveted cards just happen to be all four of his 1933 Goudey subjects, with three of those reflecting the hallowed Charles Conlon batting pose. Arguably speaking, the most popular of those four Ruth subjects is the aforementioned #144 Babe Ruth full-body swinging pose, with some of its record-setting prices including a staggering $484K sale for a PSA 8 example in December 2022, as well as three PSA 7s fetching between $114K and $133K within the past 18 months!

The Sultan of Swat's legacy is not only tied to being the finest player to ever grace a baseball diamond, but arguably the most domineering athlete to ever walk the globe. His unfathomable records and off the field charisma led him to be baseball's conquering hero for two decades, establishing an unparalleled benchmark for all to chase. Before he was swatting baseballs into Yankee Stadium's upper deck, he was manhandling hitters as a Boston Red Sox ace southpaw, and had he continued pitching, he would undoubtedly have been enshrined in Cooperstown as one of baseball's premier all-time southpaws. Ruth's majestic Conlon swinging pose is a testament to his immortality as he watches another mighty long ball sail towards the grandstands. While the image certainly exhibits light contrast (possibly due to previous exposure to sunlight or poor factory-issued quality), the vivid resolution, clean surfaces, and right-angled corners are imposing attributes all consistent with the grade. To reiterate, the pricing for high-grade Ruth Goudeys continues trending upwards, and other than his exalted pre-1920 BoSox cards, we cannot imagine any other Bambino issue offering finer investment potential than his high-grade 1933 Goudey Gum cards!

MIN BID $20,000
_