CSG Certifies Two Vintage Babe Ruth Baseball Cards

In the past few weeks, the expert graders at Certified Sports Guaranty® (CSG®) have graded two rare and valuable vintage Babe Ruth baseball cards. One is tied for the highest grade in the CSG Population Report while the other is the first example certified by CSG.

Known as “The Sultan of Swat,” Ruth established hitting records that stood for decades, including netting 714 career home runs in his 22 seasons in the league. He began his career in 1916 pitching for the Red Sox, and by 1933, Ruth had cemented his reputation as one of the greatest baseball players in the history of the sport.

CSG recently evaluated a 1921 E121 American Caramel Babe Ruth Series of 80, which was certified as CSG Authentic Altered. For highly valuable rare cards such as this one, CSG will print Authentic Altered in the grade box if a card is authentic but has been altered. CSG has certified 11 other cards from this set, including Ty Cobb and John McGraw, but this is the first example of the Babe Ruth card.

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CSG also certified a 1933 Goudey #144 Babe Ruth, which is graded CSG 2.5. There are currently six examples recorded in the CSG Population Report, and this card is tied for the highest grade.

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In the world of baseball card collecting, few sets are as cherished as the one released in 1933 by Goudey Gum Company of Boston. In addition to #144, Goudey featured Ruth on three other cards from their iconic set — #53, #149 and #181 — commonly known by the colors that serve as the background for the cards. CSG has also certified five examples of the #53 (“Yellow Ruth”) card, as well as one example each of the #149 (“Red Ruth”) and #181 (“Green Ruth”).

Increasingly, collectors are turning to CSG to certify some of the greatest sports cards in the hobby. This includes a 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle graded CSG 8, which is estimated to be worth over $2 million. To learn more about how to submit your cards to CSG, click here.

Related Links:

• CSG Population Report: 1921 E121 American Caramel set
• CSG Population Report: 1933 Goudey #144 Babe Ruth