Babe Ruth is a legendary name in baseball, and he continues to be one of the most beloved and collectible names in the baseball card collecting hobby.
The 7-time World Series champion built a lasting legacy over his 22 season playing career in MLB; He dominated the sport, and he’s widely considered one of the greatest players of all time.
So, it’s only natural that his baseball cards are some of the most coveted and sought-after in the hobby.
Many of the cards from his playing days were obscure offerings, and very rare to find today. There’s no doubt he has some of the most well-known baseball cards ever released, so I’ve taken a look at the 10 most iconic, and valuable, Babe Ruth cards ever released, below.
1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth’s very first card is the coveted 1914 Baltimore News release, which is also his most valuable card.
The extremely rare piece has a red colored version and a blue colored version, which features an image of a young Ruth as a minor league pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles.
Very few copies of either version are known to exist today, and a record sale of $7.2 million for an SGC 3-graded copy of the red version, in 2023, made it the third most expensive sports card of all time.
1916 M101-4 Sporting News Babe Ruth #151
The Bambino’s first card as a pro is this iconic Sporting News card from 1916.
While it’s not his first, this one is widely considered to be Babe Ruth’s rookie card – I think we can safely say that the rare gem is among the crown jewels in the hobby of baseball card collecting.
It shows an image of Ruth in action for the Boston Red Sox, and it’s unsurprisingly one of his most treasured and valuable cards.
1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #53, #144, #149, #181
The super-popular 1933 Goudey set includes no less than 4 iconic cards featuring the Sultan of Swat.
They might have been released a long time after his first cards, but they represent Babe Ruth’s ‘official’ rookie cards, and they’re some of the most valuable baseball cards ever released.
The yellow background card (#53) is generally the toughest to find, and more expensive to buy; A PSA 9 graded copy of it sold for $4.2 million in 2021.
However, all versions are valuable and sought-after, and I think any baseball collector would happily own any 1 of these 4 beauties.
1917 E135 Collins-McCarthy Babe Ruth #147
This 1917 Collins-McCarthy card is another early Babe Ruth release, which has big similarities to the 1916 Sporting News card.
Again it features the Bambino in action for the Red Sox, and unsurprisingly it’s also scarce in supply these days, which helps make it another valuable Ruth card.
1933 Goudey Sport Kings Babe Ruth #2
An iconic set, and another iconic Babe Ruth baseball card; He might’ve been number 2 in the set, but he very much remains number 1 when it comes to popularity and demand.
While the ‘33 Goudey ‘regular’ set includes 4 Ruth cards, there’s only this 1 gem in the Sport Kings release. In terms of scarcity, it’s often compared closely to the #149 card from the ‘regular’ release.
The set showcased stars from a wide variety of different sports, and Ruth was 1 of only 3 baseball players.
The brilliant design of this one helps it stand out among some of his other cards.
1948 Leaf Babe Ruth #3
The 1948 Leaf card represents the last major release featuring the Sultan of Swat before his death in 1948 – I personally love this card.
It came a long time after his playing days were over, but it’s a cherished card of the great slugger, and it remains a collector favorite.
It’s no doubt condition sensitive, with centering issues and differing print quality between copies, so the rare high-graded copies hold a premium.
1932 R328 U.S. Caramel Babe Ruth
The 1932 R328 U.S. Caramel card is similar to the Leaf card above, with an image of Babe Ruth, wearing the iconic New York Yankees cap, on a red background; It really catches the eye.
The set itself was a multi-sport release, featuring boxers, golfers and baseball players, like the legend himself, Babe Ruth; It’s another one of his key and rarest baseball cards.
What’s The Record Sale For A Babe Ruth Card?
In 2023, an SGC 3-graded copy of the red 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth card sold for $7.2 million, to become the 3rd highest sports card sale of all time, and Ruth’s record baseball card sale.
