(LOT 144)
1921 Exhibits Geo. H. "Babe" Ruth PSA 5 EX
CLASSIC RUTH EXHIBIT!!! The tsunami-like pricing surges for black and white Babe Ruth Yankee cards from his early 1920s Big Apple playing days know no bounds, with record-setting prices being recorded each and every day. Unfortunately for hobbyists, the number of available Babe Ruth baseball cards from the early 1920s is few and far between, justifying why his exalted 1921 Exhibit hands-on-knees subject resides as one of the Babe's most highly coveted cardboard keepsakes. Furthermore, other than his 1920 "Headin' Home" theatre cards, few people realize that Babe Ruth's 1921 Exhibit (along with his 1921 Oxford Confectionery issue) stands as his inaugural Yankee mainstream card revealing Ruth in his new Yankees uniform.

In 1921, Chicago's Exhibit Supply Company issued its first of many postcard-sized baseball subjects sold in penny arcade vending machines. Measuring approximately 3-3/8" x 5-3/8", this inaugural Exhibit Supply set was comprised of 64 subjects, and as with virtually every 1920s issue, the cream of the crop card is Babe Ruth. Presented here is one of the more formidable '21 Exhibit Ruths on the planet, an outstanding PSA 5 EX keepsake that is only joined by a paltry four other PSA examples at this highly coveted mid-grade tier. Furthermore, of the 127 PSA-encapsulated copies (at the time this was written), a mere 13 specimens (roughly 10%) have been graded higher. Fresh off the heels of his magnificent inaugural 1920 Yankee season, in which Ruth clobbered 54 round-trippers, it came as little surprise that the Exhibit Supply Co. included Ruth in their landmark 1921 set.

In typical Ruthian fashion, the Babe would break his own homer record in 1921, walloping 59 dingers, knocking in 168 runs and posting a miraculous 1.359 OPS while out-homering virtually every MLB club. Leading the Yankees to the 1921 American League Pennant, the Curse of the Bambino was here to stay, with Boston Red Sox owner Harry Frazee's ill-advised sale of Ruth to the Yankees for the then colossal sum of $125,000 haunting Beantown for some 90 years. The Bambino's iconic hands-on-knees pose has basically remained unscathed over the past century, as Ruth showcases his "NEW YORK" road grays. Crystal-clear clarity and outstanding contrast are additional eye-catching qualities; no glaring creases and/or surface blemishes are evident, and even corner wear as well as typical surface toning along the borders prevents a higher assessment.

A relatively clean blank back, likewise depicting some negligible toning, is the final compliment for this cardboard masterpiece, with another PSA 5 example achieving a nearly $50,000 price tag in a July 2023 auction. As collectors surely realize, locating mid-grade Babe Ruth cards from the early 1920s is an excruciating task, let alone one representing one of the Colossus of Swat's most desirable Yankee cardboard issues. A scarce for the grade early offering of baseball's undisputed all-time player, this grand exhibit stands as one of the most sought-after Babe Ruth New York Yankees subjects. One of the inaugural Babe Ruth cardboard illustrations portraying his fashionable New York Yankees uniform, it proudly resides near the top of the heap as one of the most cherished black and white Ruth issues in the hobby!

MIN BID $12,500
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