Babe Ruth rookie card fetches $552,000

Ruth Rookie Card fetches $552,000 - Babe Ruth continued to prove he was the king on and off the field as his 1916 M101-5 Blank Back (Sporting News) Babe Ruth Rookie #151 PSA NM 7 baseball card sold for $552,000 to lead the Heritage Auctions Sports Collectibles Auction.

The May 11-13 auction saw collectibles from the most historic names in sports sell for impressive values as the total price realized for the auction reached nearly $10 million.

Mickey Mantle cards from the early 1950s captured the attention of collectors. A 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle #135 PSA Gem Mint 10, one of only four known to exist, sold for $360,000 while Mantle’s 1951 Bowman #253 PSA NM-MT 8 and his 1952 Topps #311 PSA NM 7 each realized $168,000.

A 1914 Cracker Jack Ty Cobb #30 PSA NM-MT 8 sold for $144,000, more than double its pre-auction estimate, and a 1915 Cracker Jack Joe Jackson #103 PSA NM-MT 8 realized $102,000.

Fetching $84,000, the 1916 M101-5 Blank Back (Sporting News) Joe Jackson #86 PSA NM-MT 8 sold for more than double its pre-auction estimate, which was the same price the 1933 Goudey Lou Gehrig #92 PSA NM-MT+ 8.5 realized. A 1907 Seamless Steel Tubes Post Card Ty Cobb Rookie that featured a Cobb handwritten and signed baseball-related message, authenticated and encapsulated by PSA/DNA, rocketed past its $10,000+ pre-auction estimate and sold for $84,000.

A trash-to-treasure garage sale purchase, a 1976 Thurman Munson World Series Game Four Worn New York Yankees Jersey sold for $78,000 in its first appearance at auction. Bought in the tri-state area the jersey was worn by a band as a Halloween costume before being photo-matched and authenticated as game-worn during Game Four of the 1976 World Series.

Yankees legend Yogi Berra’s 1956 New York Yankees World Series Championship Rolex Gold Wristwatch Presented to Berra sold for $72,000 – more than three times pre-auction estimates – and the jersey Hank Aaron wore during his run to Ruth’s home run record, a 1973 Game Worn Atlanta Braves Jersey, garnered $60,000.

Two turn of the century baseball cards exceeded expectations as the 1902-11 W600 Sporting Life - Type 1 Napoleon Lajoie (Street) SGC 55 VG/EX+ 4.5 sold for $60,000, double its estimate, and the 1909-11 E90-1 American Caramel Joe Jackson PSA VG 3 sold for $57,600, almost triple its estimate.

Mantle, Ruth and Lou Gehrig rounded out the highest earning collectibles for the auction as a 1952 Topps Mantle #311 PSA EX-MT 6 sold for $57,600, while a 1927-28 Ruth & Gehrig Dual-Signed Barnstorming Photograph sold for $57,600, well over its $40,000 estimate, and a NM-MT 1940-42 Ruth Single Signed Baseball sold for $55,200.

Additional auction highlights included:

• 1926 Walter Hagen PGA Championship Gold Medal - $52,800

• 1910 Philadelphia Athletics World Championship Award Pin Presented to Outfielder Bristol Lord - $48,000

• 1888-89 N173 Old Judge Cabinet Ed Delahanty (#123-3) SGC 30 Good 2 - $48,000

• 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Rookie Ticket-Autograph Tom Brady #144 PSA NM-MT 8 - #016/100 - $20,400

• 1887 Chicago Amateur Baseball League Championship Silver Presentational Bat - $22,800

• 1912 World Series Game Five Full Ticket - $20,400