Babe ruth ton 10 cards to own?
 

Hi guys!

I'm relatively new to the forum. I don't post much but am gathering a ton of helpful information learning about vintage cards.

I'm starting my journey into collecting Ruth cards.. I'm working on making a list of top 10 ruth cards to collect. I'm familiar with his rookie, the collins McCarthey card, goudey, and leaf. From there it gets really fuzzy for me. I dont know much about the caramel or confection cards.

For those who collect them, what would you consider his top 10-15 cards to own? If this question has been asked before i apologize in advance.

You can't go wrong with his 1921 Exhibits, I'm not a Ruth guy but I love the fielding pose, any of the four Goudys are also awesome.

You need to define your terms. Top in terms of value?

My list
 

1916 Rookie (Many options mostly low supply, though rarely trade hands)
1917 2nd year (again some options - low supply and rarely available)
1921 Exhibit
1925 Champion Exhibit
1933 Goudey #144
1933 Goudey #53

Those are the ones that stood out in my mind without much thought, so I'll leave it to others to expand.

You def need to grab one each of the "Red" and the "Blue" Baltimore News cards.

*Kidding...I've heard there are like 10 combined in existence and they trade in the millions if/when one pops up.

Get the honey boy in hwritage tonight. Very scarce!

Heritage auctions

Some of my favorites -

1. 1914 Baltimore News
2. 1916 Sporting news and other ad backs
3. 1917 Collins McCarthy/Boston Store
4. 1920 Headin Home
5. 1921 Frederick Foto
6. 1921 Proctor's Theatre
6. 1921 e220 National Caramel
7. 1921 American Caramel (all variations)
8. 1922 American Caramel (all variations
e120, e121, e122)
9. 1922 V89 William Patterson Babe Ruth
10. 1927 American Caramel (his last American Caramel card, and an important year for Ruth)
11. 1928 Star Player Candy
12. Goudey (all 4 in this order #144, 53, 149, 181)

Depending on your budget you could keep busy for a while with Ruth's American Caramel cards from the 1920's. There are several American Caramel cards of Ruth and a lot of variations of those Caramel cards too.
The American Caramel Ruth's are from 1921, 1922 and 1927. In my opinion there is nothing that better represents Babe Ruth in his prime in the 1920's. The design and appeal are amazing on these. This was also a unique era with mostly black and white cards. These truly have a special place in history.

Every thread needs a card, and this "card" was released in Dec 1916, so I guess that makes the first of his eight m114 releases (with another 15 variations) his rookie, too?

Sorry my question was sort of vague.. Yes value and collector appeal. I;m looking for long term holds to add. I'm sure it will take me years but I'd lie to start small and work my way up.

This is actually a good example of what I'm talking about. This particular photo was used for so many cards, and some are rarer than others. It kind of makes my head spin

Thanks much appreciated

Haha.. thanks. If my powerball numbers come up I'll give it a thought.

Edited to say, thanks for the quick chat on the phone. All good and good luck in the quest.

Top 10 Ruth Cards
 

Here’s my top 20 list:

1. 1914 Baltimore News Ruth (only 10 known - Will cost millions)
2. 1916 M101 Rookie
3. 1917 Collins McCarthy/Boston Store
4. 1921 Frederick Foto Service (ultra-rare)
5. 1915 Red Sox Team Postcard w/Ruth (scarce)
6. 1922 E220 National Caramel
7. 1921 E121 American Caramel
8. 1920 Headin Home (any of the 8 possible poses)
9. 1928 or ‘29 Star Player Candy (very scarce)
10. 1921 Oxford Confectionery
11. 1922 William Patterson (near-impossible to find)
11. 1922 E121 Holding Ball
12. 1922 E120 American Caramel
13. 1925 Champions Exhibit (E220 Pose)
14. 1921 Exhibits (Hands on Knees)
15. 1933 Goudey Ruth’s
16. 1932 U.S. Caramel
17. 1933 Sport Kings
18. Various mid-late 1920’s Exhibits
19. 1919-21 W514 Strip Card
20. Various early 1920s Strip Cards

Top Ruth Cards
 

You can add Ruth’s scarce Honey Boy & Neilson’s Chocolate (Type 1 & 2) subjects to that list. Both are Canadian issues.

Much oblidged. Thanks for running a safe forum!

Here is my top 10:

1. 1914 Baltimore News
2. 1916 M101
3. 1917 Collins McCarthy
4. E121 Pitching
5. E121 Holding Ball
6. 1932 U.S. Caramel
7. 1933 Sport Kings
8-11. 1933 Goudey Ruth’s

These are not necessarily the rarest or most expensive, though 1,2,3 and would qualify for both of those.

I'm so bummed I never bought the E121 Ruths. I was never really in the market for the pitching pose, but I could have bought dozens of the Holding Ball, with Bird, and Montage cards for a few hundred dollars each and never did because I can't stand the images.

1921 Frederick Foto

Some years ago, Heritage Auctions was promoting a Baltimore News card in their auction and gave us all multiple reprints (both red & blue) of that card. :D

Thanks guys for all the information. Its greatly appreciated

Anyone know if the type 1 for this exists? Would be iconic

I would also include the m101-6 Ruth New York and a card from the Murderer's Row years, maybe an R315 or one of the ice cream sets from 1928.

Here's my list:

1. 1914 Baltimore News
2. 1916 M101-5/4 RC (including different back variations)
3. 1915 Red Sox Team Postcard with Ruth
4. 1917 Boston Store
5. 1933 R306 Butter Cream
6. 1917-20 Felix Mendelsohn (Red Sox)
7. 1917 Collins-McCarthy / Standard Biscuit
8. 1921 Frederick Foto
9. 1917-20 Felix Mendelsohn (Yankees)
10. 1921 E121 Babe Ruth

The Uncle Jacks is a nice pose of the Bambino.

Ruth
 

Scarce Canadian issue Neilson Chocolate Ruth to fit in somewhere on a list

https://photos.imageevent.com/mordec...lsonsRuth3.jpghttps://photos.imageevent.com/mordec...lsonsRuth2.jpg

Here's a link for very old thread on same topic:https://www.net54baseball.com/showth...t=top+ten+ruth

My personal list would be something like:

1. 1914 Baltimore News
2. 1916 M101-4/5 RC all variations extra premium for ad backs and rarer backs
3. 1917 any back Collins / Boston Store/ Biscuit...
4 (A). 1917-20 M101-6 Huge premium on Red Sox, then Yankees version 4B.
(The Red Sox version would tie as a top 3 really. )
5. 1921 E121-80 American Caramel pitching pose
6. 1920 Headin Home theatre cards (any, premium for nicer card stock/ better poses)
7. 1921 Frederick Foto , value and rarity wise merits a higher spot here but so unobtainable.
8. 1915 Red Sox Team PC
9. 1921-23 E220 National Caramel
10. 1932/33 US Caramel
11. 1933 Goudey all 4 poses, not rare but as classic as they come
12. 1923-24 White border Exhibits , exhibit rarity same pose as 1921
13. 1921 E253 Oxford Confectionery
14. 1925 Champions Exhibits
15. 1920 Carl Mays Tour postcards (ultra rare)
16. 1921 Proctor Theatre vaudville ad card (ultra rare)
17. 1926-29 Pose exhibits
18. 1922 W575-2 auto on shoulder
19. 1922 William Patterson
20. 1922 E122 (Rare, but grainer image than E121)

Honorable mentions no order(some of these would blow away some others above by value*): Star Player Candy, Uncle Jacks, Butter Cream, W503, all 1922 E121 poses, 1921 Exhibits, Other 20's exhibits and 1932 formal suit exhibits, E126, 1927/28 types york, yuengling/ harringtons, Pathe Freres Phonograph, Sport Kings, R315, Rare and attractive RPPC's, Big head strip Red Sox (ugly but early!) plenty of others as well.

My favorite RPPC shown here with Brother Matthias, Fred Merkle and wife (only copy I've seen)

These Ruths are unique, I think:
1921-22 Schapira Bros. Candy
1920 Peggy Popcorn
1932 Whiz Bang Gum
1921 Queen City Cigar

If anyone owns the 1921 queen city cigar Ruth I'd love to see it. One of my favorite backs.

I'd get those slabbed and put into an auction, Alan, you never know!

Aside from pretty much all his cards from 1914-1917, I would say E121 pitching, E121 montage, E126 montage, "1932" U.S. Caramel, and 1933 Goudey #53 and #181.

One of the Rarest Babes
 

Recent Find Rare 1920 Shoulderless Series Babe Ruth Pop Zero for PSA/SGC

https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.co...derless-cards/

https://photos.imageevent.com/mordec...lderRuth1a.jpg

Scuffs are on the holder not the card will get it graded at some point

Matt - There are some Ruth cards coming up in Heritage this month.

https://sports.ha.com/c/search/resul...h-A-K-X-071316

If you have the money all these suggestions make solid options. Buy what appeals to you because you’ll have to look at it everyday.

Here's one...

I agree Mike. For me, the Goudey's are classics.

https://luckeycards.com/r319ruth2.jpg

and a uniquely known Ruth Babe Comes Home..

Another vote for the Goudeys. I picked up a couple several years ago and while I wouldn't turn up my nose at another issue, they are beautiful classic cards.

My top Babe Cards that are somewhat reasonably affordable
 

1 - 1932 US Caramel .... that blazing red, tilted hat and the NY logo
2 - 1919-21 W 514 .... strip
3- 1921 W 516 ..........strip
4- 1920 W 519 ...........strip
5 - 1927 E126 ... montage
6. 1933 Goudey ..... all 4
7- 1922 American Caramel E 121 - holding ball
8- 1927 York Caramel E210
9 - 1921 Exhibits
10- 1933 Eclipse Imp ..... nasty H/C image but a cool card

1922 E121 montage not included as the image is more pronounced on the 1927 E126. I was looking to max out on my favorite Babe images as so many are repeated.

My 3 favorite strip cards are above - fantastic, slightly more afordable but adds to the amazing story of cards from tobacco of the teens to the beginning of modern day cards in 1932 / 33. It's amazing to me that it's only been recently that many cards were updated to the correct year and the correct manufacturer.

I own about 12 more but I think the list above are my favorite for diversity, early / late career and having at least 1 card capture the best images.

My Top 10

1- Baltimore new 1914
2- M101-4 with Sporting news Back
3- Collins McCarthy *
4- Butter Cream
5- R304
6- Goudeys *
7- M113 Red Sox Team
8- 1915 Red Sox PC
9- Uncle Jacks
10 E126 * ( very few issues in 1927)

* cards I owned

My Personal collection focused on the R300 issues. Which is why I listed the Butter Cream R304 and Uncle Jack's. The Goudy R309 premium is also a personal favorite. A nice copy of the Quaker Oats photo is always a good place to start a Ruth Collection. The Youngling Harrington etc. Ice cream issues are also great cards. The strip issues can be fun to collect. With a few being very difficult the W520 and W572 both are scarce and have great images. And The Schulter and Johnsons I always liked but admit for the more advanced Ruth collection.

Hope this helps
Jonathan

I am with you on this, and would definitely rate Ruth's Goudey cards as the best looking ones ever produced. I guess I'm not a fan of the old black and white ones, and tend to really appreciate cards that are full-color much more so.

1-4. 1933 Goudey
5. 1914 Baltimore News
6. 1915 Red Sox Team Postcard with Ruth
7. 1916 M101-4/5
8. 1917 Boston Store / Collins-McCarthy / Standard Biscuit
9. 1917-20 Felix Mendelsohn
10. 1921 Exhibits Babe Ruth

Here is a top 10 list of Babe Ruth cards no one should own:

1934-36 Diamond Stars
1934-36 Batter-Up
1934 Goudey
1933 Delong
1933 Tattoo Orbit
1933 George C. Miller
1933 W574
1915 Cracker Jack
1917 Youth's Companion stamp featuring Rube Marquard
1935 Muratti card featuring swimmer Dorothy Poynton and coach


Brian

this is the best list!!!!! all those sets would be amazing for a ruth!!!!esp diamond stars , delong and cj!!!

Look at the 1927 ice cream cards. It’s in the middle of his career, actually during his peak, relatively scarce and its budget friendly. I Marie Kondo’d it out of my collection when rightsized my collection to what I’m passing to my son, but now regret I got rid of it - cool cards.

I don't have a Ruth from one of those series to show but here is a Schalk. Their only downside, as mentioned, is they are black and white.
They don't have the aesthetics of some of his other cards but are very cool nonetheless.