Babe Ruth HR ball sold for $264K
 

The ball Babe Ruth hit for his 702nd career home run fetched $264,500 during an auction Saturday at the Louisville Slugger Museum.

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Ruth hit the home run in 1934 and later signed the ball. It had been passed down by three generations of a Minnesota family before going to the auction block.

The anonymous winning bid was more than three times the estimated sale price by Hunt Auctions.

A Cy Young autographed bat from the 1903 World Series sold for $138,000, while a Marilyn Monroe autographed photo signed to former husband Joe DiMaggio sold for $63,250. The picture was from the Yankee star's personal estate and considered to be among his most coveted possessions.

Wowsers!

I realize it is a neat item, but what makes the ball THAT valuable? Is it the only HR ball he ever personally signed?

I hope it wasn't from the Burdick collection

What made it that valuable is the fact that two (or more) people with deep pockets wanted it.

I would imagine there are not a whole lot of Babe Ruth home run balls out there, but I don't follow memorabilia much.
JimB

Can someone explain this one to me?
 

I believe the proceeds go to Gibson's foundation, but really?! $575k?

http://www.scpauctions.com/LotDetail...eo=KIRK-GIBSON

I realize this isn't an item your gonna snipe for $1,000 on Ebay, and I also realize there are plenty of baseball collectors with tons of money to burn. Autographed baseballs of the Babe are far from rare and #702 just doesn't seem like a milestone that would command this price. Obviously 2 people felt it was worthy of the price. I just personally don't understand it. Probably the reason I don't buy autographs.

Along the same vein, and maybe even more suprising, Kirk Gibson's
home run bat from the historic '88 Series brought $575K in SCP's
recent auction. This was a charity auction, however, which may
explain the higher price(?). It's nice to see Gibby's Dodgers items
become a part of the Dreier's amazing collection.

http://www.freep.com/article/2010111...-goes-for-575K

oh, I see this has been posted....