Babe Ruth Memorabilia Auction Already Well Into Millions of Dollars

Goldin Auctions’ first session ends at midnight on Friday, July 11. The second such session ends at midnight on July 18. Ken Goldin of Goldin Auctions sent us some basic data and we are expecting the auction to generate into the millions  of dollars.

The estimated market value or combined sale price estimate was put at more than $6 million, and that was for lots 1 to 126. Other Babe Ruth items up for auction include baseball cards, autographed contracts, autographed baseballs, game-used uniform pants, game tickets, signed photos, advertisements and many other items.

As of Wednesday, the top 5 items already were bid at close to $1.1 million. Now we have the items already above $100,000 (now 7 items) each adding up to $2.14 million. They are as follows:

• 1918 Babe Ruth Boston Red Sox Contract — Ruth’s own copy and the earliest existing Ruth player contract known — starting bid $250,000; now $670,000
• 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth graded PSA 1 and now considered the ‘real’ Ruth rookie card — starting bid $100,000; now $390,000
• 1918 to 1920 Babe Ruth game-used and signed Louisville Slugger baseball bat “The Curse of the Bambino” with Buck Weaver Connection — starting bid $150,000; Now $420,000
• An ink hand print of George Herman Ruth, signed in 1934 — starting bid $50,000; Now $300,000
• 1916 to 1918 rookie era Babe Ruth game used Hillerich & Bradsby bat (one of only two authenticated examples) — starting bid $50,000; Now $120,000
• 1916 Weil Baking Co. Baseball card Graded SGC 60 (highest of all grades) starting bid $30,000; Now $125,000
• Promissory Note from Yankees to Red Sox for Sale of Babe Ruth contract – starting bid $50,000; Now $115,000

Keep in mind that there are 202 “Babe Ruth” items up for auction, and you have to go to the 24th place before any of them  current bids get down under $10,000 for any of the items.

If you want to know just how big the business of baseball memorabilia and collectibles has become, look no further. A recent auction (of Goldin Auctions as well) of the famed T206 Honus Wagner 1909 to 1911 tobacco baseball card went for a whopping $2.1 million.

Collectors and investors can easily find authentic Babe Ruth collectibles and cards to their collection on eBay or in sports collectibles conventions because there are so many out there, but the a selection of this magnitude and diversity is unique to be able to bid for at any given time.