Babe Ruth: 1914 Baltimore News
Babe Ruth is the greatest baseball player of all time, so it's no surprise that he's the only figure to appear on the list twice. A public auction for the rare Babe Ruth: 1914 Baltimore News card brought $450,300, but a private bidder paid $575,000 in 2012, according to Rich Mueller of Sports Collectors Daily. The blue rarity was examined by Robert Edward Auctions. And that was for a card in excellent condition.
This is one of the hobby's greatest rarities, and it features The Sultan of Swat. While it's true that Babe Ruth's tremendous stick helped him become a legend, scouts were captivated to his arm. Ruth is depicted on the front of the card as a minor league pitcher for the International League's Baltimore Orioles. The team's schedule may be found on the back.
The Baltimore News set includes cards with players from the two local clubs, the Baltimore Orioles and the Federal League's Terrapins. Ruth was soon pitching for the Boston Red Sox and rapidly established himself as the best left-handed pitcher in the league. There are less than ten known copies of this legendary card as of this writing. Due to the fragile borders and paper stock, the copies that have been unearthed are mainly in low-to-mid grade condition. This pre-rookie card is a once-in-a-lifetime find in any grade.
Cost: $575,000
