This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/4/2020
When the 1933 Goudey series first hit the candy store shelves, the legendary Babe Ruth was celebrating his 38th birthday and still playing at a high level with 41 homers, a .341 average, and an allegedly successful "called shot" during another World Series championship in 1932. "The Bambino" had also made a complete mockery of the baseball record book, shattering previous marks with 652 lifetime home runs and over 2,000 RBI while also posting a .349 batting average, not to mention a 93-46 record from his pitching days. So you can't blame a fledgling company like Goudey for trying to do whatever they could to get their project off the ground. Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx are among 19 players that appear twice in the series, Heinie Manush and Joe Cronin are each featured on three cards, and Babe Ruth tops them all with a quartet of Goudey appearances. Every vintage collector has their favorite, whether it's the yellow Ruth, the green Ruth, the red Ruth, or full-body Ruth. And while the #53 yellow Ruth, due to the vulnerability of the bright backdrop, is the toughest of the four to find in a PSA 8 holder, the #149 red Ruth like the one offered here is almost as difficult, reporting a total of just 20 graded PSA 8 with two graded a half-point higher as opposed to 15 graded PSA 8 with one higher on the yellow Ruth. In an auction loaded with hobby icons, presented is one of the world's finest examples of the famous "red Ruth" from the groundbreaking 1933 Goudey Gum set. The first superior characteristic that immediately draws in the onlooker is the artwork depicting Ruth, having just completed his swing. Delivered with admirable sharpness against an intoxicating blood-red background that is bold and consistent, offering nothing unusual or unwanted in the way of stray print, the image of Ruth is encased by bright white borders that show subtle positioning toward the right edge. Each corner meets the qualifications for the rarely distributed grade and in some cases pushes the boundaries toward a MINT assessment. Unlike many specimens that manage to reach this level of distinction, the outstanding features are not limited merely to the front side of the pasteboard. The intense green print applied to the card's reverse is clean and sharply contrasts with the cream-white canvas that is virtually devoid of the common light red transfer of ink from the front of the card. We're quite confident that if your search for a stunning NM/MT 1933 Goudey Ruth card has led you to here, you'll see your journey end with satisfaction when the winning bid is placed!