There are plenty of decent memorabilia options that are still affordable. I have snapshots of Ruth, a scorecard with him on the cover (33 all star game), a couple of store model bats, and other oddball items. All of those were significantly cheaper than his cards from the same era.
I thought 33 Goudey Ruth cards were overpriced 20 years ago when they were 500 or so for a decent one (don't get me started on what they go for now). I have had much greater pleasure collecting memorabilia compared to cards.
If you are looking to make money in memorabilia, it is usually more about buying it at a good price than buying it at retail and hoping it increases in the future. Memorabilia also has a bit of a learning curve, especially if you are buying in non traditional venues (I have built most of my collection through shopping at antique stores and shows).
Regarding the original topic, I agree with most of the other posters about Ruth's popularity. To me, both pieces being discussed would be great to own but I am fine with my Cobb snapshot with teammates in street clothes from the Marty McIntyre album that I paid 80.00 for. For Ruth, I am happy to own the 1915 Spalding guide that has his picture with Baltimore (showing the 1914 team) that I paid 40.00 for.
Alan
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