This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/27/2010
Approximately 600 examples of Babe Ruth's famous yellow-backed 1933 Goudey Big League Chewing Gum issue have been evaluated by PSA, the hobby's most trusted authority in third-party grading and authentication, and one would have to believe that 99% of the unaltered, high-grade-worthy, virgin examples tucked away in attics and forgotten hiding places around the country have already been discovered as well, and yet only two near priceless examples have ever graded higher than the presented specimen, while just 15 have fared remotely like it in the ultra advanced NM/MT 8 classification from PSA. As most informed collectors are well aware, the notorious 1933 Goudey "Yellow Ruth" is by far the most difficult of the iconic quartet of 1933 Goudey Ruth cards to encounter in top grades, reporting about half the total number of known NM/MT 8 copies compared to the famous full-body pose, card #144, and the enchanting green back, card #181, the easiest of the four. While the alluring red back is universally considered an elevated challenge in high-grade as well--19 known PSA NM/MT 8 copies with likewise 2 higher--it doesn't quite vaunt the same elite and near mythical status as the famed yellow back, which has captivated collectors' imaginations for more than a few decades now. With few, if any, high-grade examples publicly trading hands over the last half decade, it's a difficult proposition to compare the featured example with others in its class, but lucky for us it appears to be a stalwart NM/MT example boasting an average of uniformly NM/MT to even MINT characteristics for its final grade, with no single sub-standard imperfection that is decidedly responsible for the NM/MT assessment. Centering self-evidently favors the right and bottom edges, but not so much as to limit the comforting visual effect of a fairly equidistant frame of borders on all sides. In fact, relative to its more-than-adequate bottom and right borders, the top and left appear to measure a few hairs beefier than the norm, an observation that can be supported by the presence of a hardly bothersome red print cutting line just south of the top edge (and evident almost exclusively on the left half). Other than some rather mild and expected age toning apparent in these same two over-sized borders, the remaining front surface appears to border on perfection. The registration, while not microscopically perfect, is nevertheless precise and powerful enough to produce a noticeably bold and accurate likeness of the immortal slugger, who is universally regarded as baseball's greatest-ever player, while the characteristic canary yellow backdrop presents no distinctly identifiable defects larger than the expected microscopic pin pricks of print dust that can be found on virtually all 1933 Goudey cards. Moving on to the back surface, we encounter no real stains or print defects other than a light touch of excessive blue from where the "R" of "GEORGE" has either bled through from the front surface or bled onto the back from the very next production sheet, either of which scenario being a very good indication that the powerful print impression of the iconic yellow-backed image is every bit as bold as it appears in our scan and as delightful as these words portend. Are you ready to add one of the hobby's highest-graded examples of one of the sporting world's most colorful and wanted Babe Ruth cards to your cherished collection? You've dreamt about it long enough, and with so few significant high-grade copies to choose from, a comparable opportunity may not arise again in your lifetime, so treat yourself--in true Ruthian fashion--and place a colossal bid today!