Goldin Auctions’ PSA 9 Babe Ruth 1933 Goudey Card Sells for Record $319,150

Posted on August 3, 2018 by Pre-War Cards

Highest price on record for a 1933 Babe Ruth Card (#181)

A while back, I mentioned that Goldin Auctions would be offering a pretty rare Babe Ruth 1933 Goudey card. Now, the card itself isn’t rare. What is unique, though, is its high grade. It is one of only a handful of PSA 9s and, to date, only one PSA 10 example exists.

Bidding began online and the auction was completed live at the National. When it was all said and done, the card was sold for a record $319,150 – the highest price on record for that specific card (in any grade).

“Our annual event during The National is always special, but this was a truly remarkable night with great energy in the room and a flurry of bidding by our live guests as well as online and phone bidders,” said Ken Goldin, Founder of Goldin Auctions. “I congratulate our winning bidders and our consignors for such a successful night.”

The price helps to establish some sort of benchmark for high-graded Ruth Goudeys. This is the first public sale of a PSA 9 Ruth Goudey card in more than a decade.

That’s a pretty strong price, obviously. While we didn’t have any recent public PSA 9 sales, PSA 8s have been largely in the $40,000 – $50,000 range.

The Ruth pose is arguably the most famous of the four Ruth cards in the 1933 Goudey set. And while this is the one that has the most high-grade examples, it is an incredibly tough and impressive card.