Game Used Babe Ruth bats

At a recent New York auction in 1923 game used that of Babe Ruth sold for more than $1.3 million.  This amount set a record for the highest game used that sold at any auction of a game used Babe Ruth bat.  People would think with the economy on a downturn why would somebody spend so much money on a Babe Ruth game used Bat.  There are many reasons why the bat continues to raise eyebrows and probably will continue to appreciate over time.  Companies like upper deck and Topps purchased these bats and many times cut the bat into pieces so they can include them in their line of game used Babe Ruth merchandise cards.  These game used cards have become very popular in the sports card market and have sold for thousands of dollars themselves.  With Topps and upper deck purchasing these bats and destroying them the market on Babe Ruth game used bats has gone up in the past five years.  Don’t get me wrong Babe Ruth bats were always worth a lot of money but it’s a simple fact supply and demand.

Babe Ruth Autographs

Babe Ruth autographs are not as rare as people might originally think.  The babes signed a lot of baseball’s when he was a player for young children as well as every adult that asked for one. Babe Ruth was a very generous human being and because of that his autographs can be found on eBay, many auction houses, and baseball card shows.  Even though Babe Ruth autographs are plentiful they still bring a nice premium.  the hard part about purchasing Babe Ruth autograph’s is that his wife signed many of the balls for Babe Ruth.  Her autograph is very plentiful and it is actually is very hard to discern which ones she signed and which ones Babe Ruth actually signed.  Babe Ruth autograph baseballs sell from anywhere of $3000 to $10,000 depending on the condition of the autograph.  A PSA\DNA authenticated Babe Ruth autographed baseball graded a Gem MT 10 sold a recent auction for over $45,000.

Babe Ruth Memorabilia Cards

As Topps and Upper Deck continue to produce Babe Ruth memorabilia cards the demands continues to increase.  They have done a wonderful job of creating beautiful cards that collectors continue to hoard of the great Babe Ruth and his different poses.  They have added game used bats, autographed checks, game used jerseys, as well as autographed baseball clippings to keep collectors coming back for more.  Topps and Upper Deck have numbered these cards to make their value stay price that only investors can afford.

Baseball Card Shows

few want to find some of the nicest Babe Ruth baseball cards he will have to attend some of the year’s largest card shows. Tough stuff magazine has a listing of some of the best shows of the year including the national convention in Chicago. It costs about $10 to get into the show but to have a chance to get the largest selection of Babe Ruth baseball cards. At these shows you will see some of the largest dealers in the country with the largest collections which will give you the best option to find Babe Ruth baseball card that you are looking for. These large card shows give you the option to negotiate as well as trade to obtain the cards that you’re looking for. You will also be able to find Babe Ruth baseball cards that have been graded by some of the larger grading card companies. When you go to these baseball card shows you will find dealers that sell mostly old cards and some that mostly some newer cards. As expected you will want to look at all the tables to make sure you don’t miss anything. If you have children these baseball card shows can be a fun experience and something your kids will really enjoy.

Buying Babe Ruth Baseball cards on eBay

eBay is one of the largest online marketplaces. EBay auctions gives customers the opportunity to find some of the rarest Babe Ruth baseball cards that have ever been made. These cards can range from high end graded cards to very old Babe Ruth cards that have never been rated. If you find a Babe Ruth baseball card that you like I would advise that you look at the persons feedback that you will be purchasing the card from. Most of the best baseball card dealers in the country sell eBay. Normally if the dealers feedback is over a thousand you should have no problems with the transaction. Just make sure you read the feedback to make sure there has been no recent negative activity. if you find a Babe Ruth baseball card that you like and you purchase it from a reputable dealer tried to pay with PayPal and make sure that the car dealer that sold you the card is verified by PayPal. This will take out some of the risk of purchasing high-end Babe Ruth cards. If you are still afraid of buying Babe Ruth baseball cards on eBay you can ask the seller for references of other eBay sellers that have dealt with them in the past. It’s your money so don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Buying Babe Ruth baseball cards on Craig’s list

Craig’s list is online marketplace where people can list some of their belongings for sale. I have seen many collections online that had been purchased at very reasonable prices. Craig’s list does not have any feedback for their sellers so make sure your extra cautious when buying here. With that being said there are a few things you can do to protect yourself when I’m on Craig’s list. there are a few third-party companies that will help you with transactions on Craig’s list. You can send the money to the third-party as the seller sends the cards to the third-party. The third-party will then confirm both arrived and ship the product to the person that made the purchase.

If you are looking for some of the rarest Babe Ruth baseball cards you will have to look at all these options as possible locations to find what you’re looking for. Babe Ruth baseball cards are not a dime a dozen. They are worth a lot of money because of their scarcity. If you do your homework you will be able to find some of the best Babe Ruth baseball cards by using the sources.

Babe Ruth was born in Baltimore, Maryland and lives only a block away from Camden Yards. Babe Ruth’s parents were German immigrants worked very long hours and did not have time to take care of him. They ended up sending the Babe to St. Mary’s industrial school for boys, an orphanage. While Babe Ruth attended St. Mary’s industrial school for boys he caught the eye of one of the teachers. The teacher was so impressed with how Babe Ruth swung the bat he called on a scout to see the Babe hit the ball.

Babe Ruth was signed by the Boston Red Sox he appeared in five games for the Red Sox in 1914. The Boston Red Sox had many superstars on their team so they ended up optioning Ruth back to the minors. He played the remainder of the 1914 season for the Providence Grays and Rhode Island. In 1915 Babe Ruth found a starting spot on the Red Sox rotation. Babe Ruth went on to win 18 games in his rookie season for the Red Sox. Ruth ended up being one of the best starters for the Boston Red Sox as he recorded nine shutouts in 1916 an AL record for left-handers. In 1917 Babe Ruth had an astonishing 24 and 13 record with a miniscule 2.10 ERA. Not only the records six shutouts in 1917 he also hit .325 but the Red Sox finished in second place. In 1918 Babe Ruth played outfield most of the time he pitched 20 games and ended up with a 13-7 record.

The Red Sox sell Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees

On December 26, 1919 the Boston Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. This was the beginning of the New York Yankees dynasty and dominance over the Boston Red Sox for the next 50 years. Babe Ruth played outfield for the New York Yankees. He established himself as one of the greatest power hitters to ever play the game. The Babe held every record including home runs, batting average, and RBIs. His homeruns were mammoth shots that landed normally 400 to 500 feet away. One of the main things that people don’t understand in the 1920s is that Babe Ruth hit three to four times more homeruns than most teams did. This is why he dominated his era and is one of the most iconic players to ever play the game. It’s not that the Babe hit 60 home runs that so impressive if that he hit 60 home runs when most teams didn’t hit 30. Babe Ruth will be known as the greatest homerun hitter in the history of baseball.

In 1927 Babe Ruth was the leader of the famous New York Yankees Murderer’s Row. Because of the strength of the Yankees hitting lineup they are known today to having the most feared lineup to ever play the game. The Yankees had Babe Ruth batting cleanup with Lou Gehrig batting in third spot. The Iron Horse in the Babe had some amazing numbers while playing together.

Grading Card Companies

There are a few baseball card grading companies that do quite a good job when it comes to grading and authenticating baseball cards.  The biggest thing to take into consideration is price and reputation.  You will have to way the choices for yourself but we will talk about some of the grading companies that we have used in the past and why.

PSA Grading

PSA has been around for a very long time and is one of the leading Grading card companies in the United States.  PSA is located in California and have a strong following when it comes to Vintage Baseball Cards. Here is a lsit of some of the Pros and Cons of sending your cards to PSA.

Pros: * Great Reputation and one of the best known companies in the Industry

* Experts on Vintage Cards and have a strong customer following

Cons: * PSA is extremely Pricey.  About $15-$35 per card plus you have to be a member of the membership   club which cost another $99.00

* Slow Turn Around times.  What they post on the form is not accurate either.

Beckett Grading is another known company.  They are mostly know for their price guide which has been around for ages.

Pros: * Beckett is a trusted name in the Indutsry

* Beckett is pretty good about turnaround time

Cons: * Beckett grading can be a little inaccurate when it comes to grading.  There BCCG service is what of the most inaccurate in the industry.

* Beckett charges about $10-$35 per card to have graded based on the turnaround time

GMA Grading has been around since 2001 which is fairly new to the industry but have made a name for themselves from having there cards appear on Home Shopping Network

Pros: * GMA Grading has the best turnaround time in the industry.  5 Business Days

* GMA has the best pricing compared to Becket and PSA at only $2.00 per card

Cons: * GMA does not have the followers as does PSA or Beckett.

Please take your time to review the Pro and Cons to determine which grading card company best serves you.  They all do a great job and each one has its benefits.  If you have Babe Ruth Baseball Cards that you want to get graded don’t be afraid to use these companies.

Old Babe Ruth Baseball Cards are not Glossy

One of the best ways to tell if an old Babe Ruth Baseball Card is fake is by the paper stock. I had a guy come to me at a recent show with a box full of cards for sale. Some of the cards were from the mid 80’s and some were suppose to be old and vintage cards form the 30’s and 40’s. The cards from the 30’s and 40’s were in screw downs and the cards from the 1980’s were in top loaders. When I asked to look at the Babe Ruth 1933 Goudey card the customer got a little nervous and was hesitant. After a short pause he said go ahead. I opened the case carefully and as I opened the case the customer started talking to me about my cards that I had for sale in my display case. A very interesting way of trying to divert my attention. As I proceeded to look at the card the guy just wouldn’t shut up and kept on asking me questions about my cards. I finally told him that if he wanted to sell me the cards he would have to wait with his questions. As I held the Babe Ruth Baseball Card in my hand I noticed the card was glossy. Cards in the early 30’s and 40’s were not glossy. As a matter of fact their were no glossy cards until 1989. So the first rule to watch out for is NO Gloss.

Babe Ruth Baseball Cards don’t smell like Coffee Grounds

When a card is printed it looks new coming off the press. Someone who is trying to sell you an old, vintage, counterfeit, Baseball card will have to try to mask this fresh new look to pull off the scam. One way to make a card look old an worn is by rubbing down the corners of the card, another way is to put the card in Coca Cola. That’s right Coca-Cola! Cards that card put in the Cola and than are put to the side to dry for a few days will look faded and used. Part of the reason is because the new cardboard soaks up the liquid which will make the card thicker and look much older. Some of the old Baseball Cards were printed on a thick yellowish paper stock so the Coca-Cola look will give it the same effect. Another cool trick to make a card look old and faded is by pitting the card in some coffee grounds. Coffee Grounds were used many times by the Mafia to make counterfeit bills look old and faded in the 60’s and 70’s. This works the same with baseball cards. If the card smells like coffee back away my friend back away.

I hope these tips will help you next time you go to a flea market or garage sale. I can’t tell you how many numerous customers I have had who believed they had a found gold mine from a box of Baseball cards they bought in the garage sale for $100.00 If you are looking to invest in an old or vintage Babe Ruth Baseball Cards pay attention to these bits of information, They might be the difference between a real score or a real ripoff.

Babe Ruth 1914 Baltimore Sun Rookie

In a recent Robert Edward’s auction the 1914 Babe Ruth minor league rookie card sold for $270,053.00  That is the highest that this Babe Ruth Baseball Cards has ever realized.  The scarcity of the card and value leave it only second to the well know Honus Wagner T206 card.  The card depicts Babe Ruth in his minor league uniform pitching for the Boston Red Sox.  Some experts believe this card is the most meaningful card in the industry because it shows Babe Ruth before the most famous trade between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox in which Ruth was sold to the New York Yankees.  This infamous move by the Red Sox changed the time line of history as the New York Yankees went on too win numerous Pennants and World Series titles with the help of the Babe.  Analysts believe that this Babe Ruth baseball card even at $270,000 is a good investment in the long ter,  I guess that is a lot of money to pay for a piece of card board but I guess money is made out of paper so what’s the difference.

We will continue to update the site with other online auctions results as well as some of the more well known auction houses. We will add a post tomorrow with more results of Babe Ruth Baseball Card auctions.

Babe Ruth Baseball Cards on Ebay

Ebay is the largest auction house on the internet and probably the world.  Ebay has more online customers than any online auction house as well.  Some of the most renowned Auction houses like Sothersby’s use ebay when they want to sell some more mainstream items.  You will be able to find almost any Babe Ruth Baseball Card you are looking for on ebay.  Just go to ebay and type in the search Babe Ruth.  You will have options to buy Babe Ruth Cards as well as Babe Ruth autographs and memorabilia.  Ebay will have the largest variety of items than anybody else online.  Just make sure before buying any cards from ebay you check the sellers feedback.

Things to watch out for when Buying Babe Ruth Baseball Cards

When buying Vintage Babe Ruth Baseball Cards online you have to make sure of a few things.  First is the card real.  Were there is money there are criminals.  People have tried to rip off sellers buy offering fake Babe Ruth Cards online and charging real prices.  One way to protect yourself is to make sure the Babe Ruth Baseball Card has been graded by a professional grading card company.  In a future post we will go into detail on what Grading card companies are the most reputable.  The next thing to watch out for when buy Babe Ruth Baseball Cards online is to make sure that the cards have not been altered or trimmed.  This means that the cards have not been cut or touched up to make the card look better than it really is.  When buying Babe Ruth Baseball Cards you are buying a piece of history.  Just make sure you are getting what you paid for.