Pre-War Baseball Cards (1909–1947)

1933 Goudey #53 Babe Ruth

Goudey produced four Ruth cards in 1933 (#53, #144, #149, #181). The red-background #53 is the most iconic. PSA 9 examples are pop-12 or below depending on revision; this one cleared the high estimate.

Sale price
$800K
USD · hammer + buyer's premium
Sale date
August 15, 2024
Venue
Heritage Auctions
Authentication
PSA 9 (Mint)

Provenance

Private East-Coast collection, consigned 2024 with full chain-of-custody documentation back to 1989.

Condition

Saturated red background, four sharp corners, slight off-centering top-to-bottom.

Editorial note

Goudey produced four Ruth cards in 1933 (#53, #144, #149, #181). The red-background #53 is the most iconic. PSA 9 examples are pop-12 or below depending on revision; this one cleared the high estimate.

Sources cited

  • Heritage Auctions catalog 50057

    auction house

  • PSA Set Registry — 1933 Goudey

    grading service

Reported figures reflect publicly-cited hammer + buyer's premium as of source date. May differ slightly from auction-house internal records. Educational reference, not appraisal.

Comparable comps

Similar items in the Field Index.

Curated by the editors as relevant comparable sales — same category, same era, or same authentication tier. Useful for triangulating value when no single comp answers the question.

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