This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/24/2020
In our previous action, Mile High Card Company was fortunate enough to offer a nearly-perfect signature of Babe Ruth on his epic 1933 Sport Kings issue. Between that card and a trio of signed 1933 Goudey cards, sold privately, we figured it would be a long time before something even remotely comparable would come along. Well, it didn't take that long, and what we now have is ever better! When the Goudey set and accompanying Sport Kings series were released in 1933, "The Babe" was 38-years old and in the twilight of his career, still proving his mettle at the plate but with 34 homers and a .301 batting average, was no longer the complete offensive juggernaut that destroyed the major league record books on a yearly basis. By then, he'd been there, he'd done that, and everyone with at least a passing interest in baseball wanted his autograph. But not many people got "The Babe's" mark on paper early in his career, and certainly not on a baseball card as the 1920s were mostly relegated to smaller, more regional issues. But lo and behold, a new champion rises in the autographed Babe Ruth baseball card game! Presented is the best example of a Babe Ruth autographed card we've ever seen; a 1921 Exhibits (Set 1) Babe Ruth card with a perfect PSA/DNA 10 GEM MINT example of "The Bambino's" stunning early-career signature. When the 1921 Exhibits card came out, Ruth had just completed his first season in New York City, vastly improving on his final season in Boston by upping his home run total from an amazing 29 homers to an unfathomable 54 round-trippers with just 26 more at-bats while improving on his .322 average the previous year to .376. As great a pitcher as the Babe was, and he was great, his exploits at the plate were unprecedented. An admirer with the forethought and lucky enough to track down one of the Exhibit cards landed the Babe's signature, and in a word, it's perfect! The depth and boldness of the signature are perfectly consistent from start to finish and worthy of the GEM MINT 10 grade while the placement of the signature above the text almost makes it appear it was a printed part of the card. Clearly penned by Ruth early in his career, before the mountain of accolades, awards, and championships raised his status to the most famous person on the planet, outearning even the President of the United States, the signature doesn't sport the grandiose size and looping letter characteristics that are more familiar within the hobby. Nope, though the Babe was on the fast track to super-stardom, he was still in his mid-20s at the time and just learning his role as a team leader after winning two World Series championships in a supporting role in Boston. Simply put, if there is a more museum-worthy example of a Babe Ruth autographed baseball card out there, we'd sure like to see it. And over the past six months, we've seen some spectacular ones!