Rare Babe Ruth Rookie Card Sells For $7.2 Million!
Language
Reading Level
Listen to Article
Alignment
A 109-year-old Babe Ruth card fetched $7.2 million at an online auction on November 17, 2023. This is the most paid for an item belonging to the famed player and the third-highest price for a baseball card ever. However, it was far less than the over $10 million estimated by New Jersey-based Robert Edward Auctions (REA).
The collectible measures about 2.6 inches (6.6 cm) by 3.6 inches (9.2 cm). It was created in 1914 by The Baltimore News. The front features a 19-year-old Ruth, who was then with the Baltimore Orioles in the International League. The reverse side displays the team's home and away game schedule. Notably, this card was made during the season when Ruth joined the Boston Red Sox. The skilled pitcher and outfielder eventually rose to become one of the most exceptional players in baseball history.
While the newspaper originally handed out numerous cards, only ten are still in existence. The most recently auctioned card was once owned by Archibald Davis. The Baltimore, Maryland, resident had received the card from the newspaper when he was 16 years old. It was part of a collection of 15 cards he had passed on to his family. Prior to the sale, the 1914 card had been on public display at the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum in Baltimore.
"Simply put, The Baltimore News Babe Ruth rookie card is the most significant baseball card ever produced," said REA president Brian Dwyer. "This card is the genesis of Babe Ruth, a man who transcends the game of baseball. This card is not only one of the most elusive pieces of sports memorabilia, it's one of the rarest collectibles in American history."
Resources: Robertedwardauctions.com, nbcnewyork.com, thebaltimorebanner.com
Get the Workbook for this article!
Workbook contains: Article, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking Questions, Vocabulary in Context (+ answers), Multiple Choice Quiz (+ answers), Parts of Speech Quiz (+ answers), Vocabulary Game (+ answers)Cite Article
Learn Keywords in this Article
54 Comments
potatodudeabout 1 yearBro, I only have like a 25th-anniversary Pikachu worth like $20.
zeus56about 1 yearI only have a $30 dollar run over Mewtwo.
slay-123about 1 yearThat's a lot of money 🤑
oreocookie64about 1 yearThat's insane, but I can sorta see why because it's over 100 years old and Babe Ruth has made a serious impact on the baseball word, to simply put it.
rnkimabout 1 yearThats crazy! The most expensive card I own is a 60 dollar charizard in bad condition. :'(
williamleeabout 1 yearThe most expensive I have is a charizard + Reshriham gx tag team from 2019 in good condition. PSA 8.5
easy11about 1 yearI need to save my Pokémon cards then.- slay-123about 1 yearI have a old card I forgot the name but bad condition I can sell it for about 50$
live100about 1 yearWho would spend that much money
tigerswordabout 1 yearin my opinion these cards are honestly of no use. they're just for decoration and for the owner to brag about it. in the real world, it would have no value
zo-broabout 1 yearSeriously? A card Millions of dollars? Now that’s REALLY awesome-sauce!
dogo22liamwangabout 1 yearWow
marariggabout 1 yearomg that's one old peise of paper!- live100about 1 yearAnd a lot of money. The person who bought it must really like sports.
