Rare Babe Ruth treasures highlight Winter Rarities Auction at Memory Lane

Baseball legend Babe Ruth was well known for playing Santa Claus for kids, including a 1947 appearance just months before he died.

More than 70 years later, Ruth could play Santa Claus again for lucky collectors as several of his most rare collectibles are up for bid in Memory Lane’s Winter Rarities Auction, which opens Dec. 21.

The auction features more than 1,950 lots of sports cards and memorabilia, with the Babe bringing some of his most rare gifts.

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Lot 1 features an authenticated and graded circa 1915 Ruth rookie-era postcard — one of only two known examples. The unique image, which does not appear on any Ruth trading card, was taken at the Boston Red Sox Spring Training camp in Hot Springs, Ark. and is considered a real photo postcard, having been developed on period photo paper directly from the original glass negative. It has a minimum bid of $50,000.

Also up for bid is one of nine promotional cards for the 1920 movie “Headin’ Home” starring Ruth. The back of the card features a promotion for the movie at the Frolic Theater in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood. One of only three known examples, it is graded PSA 2 and has a minimum bid of $15,000.

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Another 1920 Ruth card in the auction promotes a barnstorming tour Ruth headlined after the season. Also, one of just three known examples, the card is graded PSA 1.5 and shows Ruth at bat completing a swing as he heads toward first base.

Numerous other Ruth cards are also featured in the auction, including several from a group of high-grade 1930s Goudey cards. Some are the highest PSA grades known to exist, including a PSA 8 Jimmie Foxx; two Carl Hubbell cards graded PSA 8; an NM/MT Dizzy Dean; a 1934 Goudey Lou Gehrig #37 graded PSA 7; and a 1933 Sport Kings Nat Holman graded 8, the highest grade known to exist.

The auction also features a 1911 Turkey Red set break with 10 cards ranked among the highest ever graded by PSA, including Hall of Famers Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, Cy Young, and Nap Lajoie.

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Also featured is the 12th-ranked set of 1952 Bowman Baseball with cards of Mickey Mantle (PSA 7), Willie Mays (PSA 7), and Minnie Minoso’s rookie card (PSA 8) featured individually, with the rest of the 252 cards offered as a single lot.

A high-grade 1953 Topps set break features PSA 9 copies of Yogi Berra, Billy Martin, and Phil Rizzuto cards and PSA 6 examples of Mantle and Mays.

The auction also features eight Mantle autographed cards, five with autographs graded PSA 10. The group features Mantle cards from 1953 Bowman, 1954 Bowman, 1957 Topps, and 1958 Topps.

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The auction includes dozens of vintage unopened packs and boxes, including 1978 and ’79 Topps Baseball vending cases.

The Babe also highlights an impressive collection of memorabilia, including an array of autographed items, including a dual-signed personal check from July of 1945. Made out to his wife Claire for $100, it comes with the original note she sent to a fan/autograph seeker explaining that the check was the last of her husband’s signatures she had available. There’s also a signed 1923 $1 silver certificate, an album page signed by Ruth and Jimmie Foxx, and two signed autographed golf scorecards.

The auction opens Dec. 21 and runs through Jan. 13.