1933 Goudey Ruth's
 

Soliciting opinions here: which of the 1933 Goudey Ruth's is the most iconic pose? I want to acquire my first Ruth, and I am having trouble deciding which card to get.

Also, what is the difference between World Wide Gum and Goudey?

Thanks in advance for any input and opinions.

-Phil

I've always thought the full-body action shot is by far the most iconic pose, but I'm sure plenty of people will disagree. And I think World Wide Gum is just Canadian Goudey- these are more scarce

Hey Phil:
The yellow 53 generally carries the highest price point so, all things being equal, that could a be way of measuring which is most iconic. That said, I think it comes down to personal preference on what you love to look at most. Many here like the 144, even though that was double printed, and by rarity standards, should cost least. But I think the demand for that image increases its status, despite the quantity available.

WWG was the Canadian version of Goudey. There are less of these in the pop reports, but the price does not follow their scarcity. They often cost less than their American counterparts, and in my opinion, represent a decent value, relatively speaking. You just have to be OK with French writing on the back. :)

Channeling the SAT test:
Topps : O-Pee-Chee :: Goudey : World Wide Gum

Well that was fast. I've been wondering about the WWG v Goudey thing for years. You guys just solved that mystery for me in about 10 minutes!! Thanks!!

I will have to consider which pose I like best.
And the WWG just aren't nearly as widely collected hence the valuations.

The color and pose of #181 has been my favorite since I was about 13 years old , almost 30 years ago!

In order my favorites are 181, 149, 53 and 144. Not a fan of the batting pose because his face is so small, although agree it is a very iconic card.

I like 144. Love the colors and it is one of the first more expensive cards I purchased. Still remember the shaking hands as I handed over the cash at the Chicago national in 2013. Will always be one of my favorites. Definitely can’t go wrong with any of them. It is George after all!

Toss up between 53 and 181 ....

Why the brown hat on 181? If that was a Yankee blue, 181 would win hands down

Have to agree, Neal, and you beat me to it. I also wondered why the artist chose to go with brown on the 181. I do like the look on his face and the way he's holding the bat, though. It's also a bit odd that the 144 card with a tiny hat has the NY logo, while the 53 and 149 just have a plain blue hat with no Yankees logo.

Regarding the original question, I think it's tough to label one as the most iconic. Any one of them would be considered iconic in the hobby, so your best bet as a collector would be to choose the one you like the best and go for it.

Slightly off topic, but I'm looking at the prices for the 1933 Goudey's from Heritage the other day and June, specifically the Red Ruth PSA 8-- and it seems like in the span of less than a year, some people are wearing some pretty big losses.

This is sort of interesting -- anyone have any thoughts?

Got mine at this year's National
 

and here's the card I went up to Chicago looking for:

Attachment 288822

To me, this is the iconic '33 Goudey Ruth and I'm thrilled to now own one.

Honestly, I'm always a little surprised when someone doesn't say #181. The color scheme on #53 is nice, but #181 is just a great portrait of the man, and the others seem like pale imitations.

I noticed that, too. I think all four PSA 8 Ruths went for less than their pre-sale estimate in the latest Heritage, and I think they are generally more conservative in their estimates.

Maybe supply is actually exceeding demand here as it's possible the dudes who can afford these and want one already have them. I'm surprised by how often these 8s come up for sale. Heritage and REA have more coming.

Meanwhile, folks like me will continue to go to battle for the nice 2-4s. :o

1933 Sport Kings
 

The 1933 Sport Kings is also an option and features a nice image of Ruth. These seem to be bringing stronger prices of late but is still a relative value option compared to the four Goudeys.

The Lajoie went weaker too. Nearly every high end card went for less than the estimates. I was surprised. To see the exact same PSA Ruth sell for 50% higher just 7 months ago is eye opening. There is definitely deflationary pressures in that market right now. I saw it on a ton of 33s from that auction.

I still need the yellow one before I die, so I am on the hunt as well. 8 grade is too rich for me though.

The Ruth #144 is the only one I own, and one of the most iconic images on a baseball card in my opinion. But yea the yellow #53 seems to be more sought after due to scarcity. Just go with whichever you'll be happiest with.

It does seem counter intuitive that the Canadian version of each card is more rare and less valuable. Especially with the exact same image on the card.

Total census #'s are very close between the 53 and 149, granted the 53 is tougher in 7 & 8.

I love all 4 but because of this, I believe 149 has the most potential.

181 is my favorite

Although I'm a bit biased because I own one, I have to agree that this is a fantastic Ruth card and is somewhat underrated compared to the 4 from the Goudey baseball set. Similar to the brown cap on the #181, I wonder if the Sport Kings Ruth suffers a bit in popularity from having no Yankees cap at all.

Many here already know this, but the SK Ruth features a cropped photo of him shaking hands with the 29th President of the United States, Warren G. Harding (the game was in 1923, 10 years before the Sport Kings set was issued)

Really like that card. Wasn't aware of the source of the image. Thank you.

Cool image. Didn't know that.

Thanks for all the input. I'll think initially target #181 and/or $144. Wish me luck...

Does anyone know why the Sports Kings card says he hit 42 World Series home runs?

I like the #144 Babe Ruth the best of the 4---the full length of the Babe swinging---thank God, the Goudey company printed 4 different Ruths---I try to collect them all.

That's my favorite, too, but I've always found the way he's positioned in the field to be a little strange and not accurate to the photo the image of his pose is based on. Still, I like it the best of the 4 and would really love to have one.