There is an ongoing debate regarding which trading card of the legendary Babe Ruth should be regarded as his rookie card. One of the leading contenders is the 1914 Baltimore News card, a piece issued during Ruth's time in the Baltimore Orioles' minor league system. This card is significant as it represents Ruth's early beginnings in professional baseball.
The second contender is the 1916 Moneyline card, which holds the distinction of being the first card ever issued by Major League Baseball. Despite being released after the Baltimore News card, it is referred to more accurately as his rookie card due to its official MLB designation. Recently, the 1914 Baltimore News card fetched a remarkable $7.2 million at auction, highlighting the immense value and interest in Ruth's memorabilia.
The 1916 card is set to go under the hammer on November 22, and analysts expect it to generate a significantly lower price. As noted by Michael Salfino from The Athletic, while the 1916 Ruth card is anticipated to realize a small fraction of the price collected for the Baltimore News card, it is still considered more highly graded, receiving a PSA rating of 3.5, categorizing it as 'Very Good-Plus'. Both cards will be offered for sale by Robert Edward Auctions. The starting bid for the 1916 'true rookie' card is positioned at $150,000, with an estimated sale price around $500,000 in light of the card's rarity and the unique Morehouse backing. Hence, for collectors with substantial financial resources, the opportunity to acquire one of these coveted Ruth rookie cards will soon present itself.
