This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/20/2011
Near perfectly preserved and very recently graded SGC 88 NM/MT 8, the presented 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth green-back boasts a remarkable and almost palpable pack-freshness in virtually every scrutable category that comprises the technical grading assessment. The image is absolutely, utterly, undeniably magnificent, marked by bold and thoroughly saturated colors, particularly in the detailed areas of Ruth's distinctive mug and hands and also in the shaded areas of his pinstriped jersey, particularly on the right side between his head and hands, lending the overall image a very pronounced three-dimensional effect uncommon to the issue in lower grades. Furthermore, unlike the popular red- and yellow-backed Ruth issues from the same set, card #181 employs a distinct image of the "Sultan of Swat" against a mouth-watering candy-green backdrop. Unlike the image used for those other issues, the image here manages to capture Ruth's massive size and larger-than-life persona perhaps better than any other issue produced during his playing days. The noticeably bold blue-back outlines highlighting the image deliver a sort of cartoonish 1930s era nostalgia that clashes with and almost contradicts the delightful and much more life-like detail of The Babe's eyes and other facial features. Indeed, it is precisely the coexistence of these stark visual features that transposes the admiring enthusiast to the nickel and dime-store dreams of his youth. Suffice it to say, they simply don't make 'em like this anymore! Directing our gaze away from the enchanting central image, we find a few scattered and perfectly characteristic microdots of print in the left field of the obverse, almost entirely limited to the vibrant lime-green backdrop except for a single, self-evident pin prick of print on The Babe's open shoulder. Centering appears accurate in all directions, although both the top and bottom borders appear a little fatter than is customary for '33 Goudeys. Corners and edges, finally, appear nearly as pack-fresh and perfectly preserved as the image itself, with the only discernable qualities indicative of the seemingly conservative score of NM/MT from the grading pros at SGC evident at the bottom two corners, which reveal feather-light NM/MT to NM/MT+ touches when examined under magnification, and also along the back top edge, which shows the same NM/MT roughness encountered on almost every original 1933 Goudey card. What else can we say about this magnificent Ruth? It ranks among the prettiest Goudey Ruths we've ever encountered.