Babe Ruth 100th Anniversary Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/12/2014
Three of the key factors for being a classic baseball card within the hobby are rarity, condition sensitivity and subject portrayed. When a card (or even a set) contains all three factors, that card is a “key card” within that set, and perhaps even within the entire hobby. Offered is one of these cards, one of the scarcest cards of one of the toughest sets, well established as the most difficult issue to obtain in high grade. Oh, and to top it off, the subject is none other than Babe Ruth…the most popular and recognizable athlete of all time! Offered is a high grade example of the 1932 U.S. Caramel #32 Babe Ruth card, one of the most difficult cards from the 1930s, the height of the period’s baseball card frenzy. The year of 1932, is also the same as one of Ruth’s greatest on field achievements, the famous “Called Shot” in the 1932 World Series. While issued during the heyday of the gum and candy card era, the 1932 U.S. Caramel cards are definitely the most difficult to obtain, and are extremely scarce in high grade, as is this offered example.
Graded by PSA at NM 7, it is one of only eight cards graded at that level. In fact, the 1932 Caramel Ruth is so scarce, only a total of 121 Ruth cards from this issue have even been graded by PSA. Compare that to the 396 Sport King cards of the No. 2 Ruth graded by PSA, and you see the scarcity of one to the other. These two card sets are similar test subjects in they are period multi-sport smaller card set featuring both current and retired athletes. As a further comparison, of the four Ruth cards issued in the classic 1933 Goudey set, the lowest number of PSA entries is 715. Still, even the extremely scarce redemption card #106 Napoleon Lajoie of that Goudey set has 81 graded examples, of which 13 are graded PSA 7 and nine are graded PSA MINT 9!
Relative to contemporary Ruthian examples, the 1932 U.S. Caramel #32 Babe Ruth card is very scarce and difficult to obtain in high grade.
Of the entire issue, there is no consensus as to how the 1932 U.S. Caramels were distributed, and when they were issued (exactly when and for how long?). A problematic occurrence with caramel cards are simply the product which they were packaged. Many of the examples of this set are darkly toned and covered with print defects including sheet ink transfers. And as the last card in the set, the Ruth is very susceptible to excess wear and rubber band indentations. This issue is tough to find in high grade! This offered PSA NM 7 card of Ruth is nearly perfectly centered with bright red color and crisp registration. The obverse exhibits zero print issues, four square corners with extremely light touches to the two lower corners. The reverse has perfect black print, but does have some light toning near the top and visible on a few corners. This is an extremely high grade, and highly desirable card of the great Bambino, one which has all three qualities of a “key card” (scarcity, condition sensitivity, subject), and issued during one of his most famous seasons. Graded by PSA NM 7.