Babe Ruth rookie card, 1927 movie banner top $10M Memory Lane auction

Memory Lane Inc. slugged its way to more than $10.6 million in sales during its Winter Rarities Auction behind the power of baseball’s most legendary slugger.

The auction was highlighted by a 1916 M101 #151 Babe Ruth Blank Back rookie card. The card, graded SGC 5.5, the highest SGC graded Ruth rookie, sold for $612,000.

The most unique item in the auction — a colorful movie banner from the 1927 film “Babe Ruth Comes Home” — was the second highest-selling item at $246,000.

Also See: 75 years later, Jackie Robinson items still attracting big dollars 

The auction also featured another Ruth card that cracked the top 10 and sold for six figures — a 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #144, signed and graded PSA 2, that sold for $145,906.

The auction featured 16 cards and items that topped six figures.

The top-selling modern cards were a 2007 Topps Chrome #131 Kevin Durant White Refractor rookie card (graded PSA 10) for $220,736 and a 2003-04 SP Authentic LeBron James Autographed Limited Rookie card (graded 9.5) for $148,736.

The auction was dominated, however, by rare vintage cards that sold for big dollars. Among the top vintage cards were:

• A 1957 Topps Bill Russell rookie card, graded PSA 8, for $204,608.

See Also: Topps making iconic 1952 Mantle card into NFT 

• A 1986 Fleer Basketball Wax Box, BBCE Authenticated, for $180,608.

• A 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky rookie card, graded PSA 9, for $160,736.

• A 1961 Fleer Wilt Chamberlain rookie card, graded SGC 9, for $159,484.

• A 1948 Bowman George Mikan rookie card, graded PSA 8, for $147,484.

• A 1952 Topps Joe Nuxhall “High Number” rookie card, graded PSA 9, for $115,374.

• A 1976 Topps Walter Payton rookie card, graded PSA 10, for $114,098.

• A 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan rookie card, graded PSA 9, for $112,003.

• A 1952 Topps Dick Williams “High Number” rookie card, graded PSA 9, for $104,843.

• A 1952 Herman Wehmeier “Red Back, graded PSA 8.5, for $104,843.

• A 1959 Topps Mickey Mantle, graded PSA 9, for $98,562.

• A 1971 Topps Roberto Clemente, graded PSA 10, for $92,309.

• A 1961 Topps Juan Marichal rookie card, graded PSA 10, for $89,249.

• A 1970 Topps Pete Maravich rookie card, graded PSA 9, sold for $86,947. 

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