Rare vintage Babe Ruth cards top Fall Vintage Auction at Goldin

The legendary Babe Ruth is still a giant when it comes to vintage baseball cards, with three of his vintage gems setting records in the Fall Vintage Auction at Goldin.
By SCD Staff
OCT 7, 2025

No matter how many vintage or modern sports cards set records, there is always one legendary athlete who stands tall when it comes to vintage baseball cards—Babe Ruth.

With his 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth rookie card coming to market soon, Ruth cards continue to set records, with three Babe gems headlining the Fall Vintage Auction at Goldin.

A 1917 Collins McCarthy E135 Babe Ruth card graded PSA 4.5 topped the auction, fetching $452,010, a record for the grade.

Goldin

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Also topping six figures was a 1916 M101-5 Sporting News Babe Ruth rookie with a blank back, which sold for $292,800, a record blank-back.

A Babe Ruth photo also set a record with a 1920 studio portrait Type I Original Photo from Babe’s first season with the Yankees selling for $167,140, a record for a Ruth Yankees photo.

Also reeling in an impressive price was a rare 1927 Exhibits Babe Ruth #52 signed card, which sold for $68,320, a record for a signed 1927 Exhibit Ruth card.

The other top seller in the auction was a 1916 Joe Jackson Famous & Barr Co. card (PSA 7), which sent for $170,800, a record for any 1916 M101 Jackson card in any grade.

Other record-breaking sales include:

• 1971 Topps Baseball Series 4 Unopened Wax Box (24 packs) $159,820.

• 1950 Bowman Jackie Robinson #22 (PSA 9) $158,600.  

• 1956 Topps Jackie Robinson White Back #30 (PSA 9) $137,860.

• Pre-MLB 1908 Greenville Spinners Joe Jackson 12-by-14 Cabinet $134,200.

• 1970 Topps Willie Mays #600 (PSA 10) $103,700.

• Rare 1909 E92 Nadja Caramels Ty Cobb (PSA 1.5) $98,820.

• 1970 Topps Tom Seaver #300 (PSA 10) $90,280.  

• Rare 1902 W600 Sporting Life Cabinet Edward Plank Type 1 Mount Street Clothes Rookie Card (PSA 5) $80,520.

• 1971-72 Topps Basketball Unopened Wax Box (24 packs) $76,250.  

• 1970 Topps Hank Aaron #500 (PSA 10) $61,000.  

• 1970 Topps Johnny Bench #660 (PSA 10) $32,940.  

• Rare 1919 Chicago White Sox Joe Jackson Postcard w/all Eight “Black Sox” players included (SGC FR 1.5; Pop 1) $32,940.  

SCD StaffAuthor