Quote:
Originally Posted by glchen
This is because of set collectors. The 1933 Goudey set is a pretty popular set for set collectors, so folks have to get all 4 Ruths too in order to complete their set.
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Agree and that's a good point. Not only do you have the set collector factor, but it's also arguably one of the top 3 collected sets in the hobby along with T206 and 1952 Topps.
And with regards to, as Orlando put it, "why they are so revered in contrast to far earlier and more rare Ruth cards..." I don't think this is necessarily the case at all. The more rare Ruth cards are definitely revered in the hobby, but many collectors simply don't pursue them because they are so rare. The casual collector may not even know about such issues, let alone follow the auction houses that sell them.
The more esoteric Ruth cards are definitely increasing in value over the past few years, and I believe at a higher rate than the '33 Goudey Ruth cards, although I have no exact figures to back that up. The gap is narrowing, especially as more collectors gain knowledge and learn about the rarer issues.
Finally, some collectors might actually prefer a colorful, artistic rendering of a player over a black and white photo.