NEW YORK -- It's a card so rare, featuring a player so iconic, that even The Smithsonian has one in their collection. But on Friday morning, a copy of the card -- a 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth No. 149, in even better condition than the one on display at one of America's most venerated museums -- made its way to the MLB Flagship Store in Manhattan.
Known as the "Red Ruth" for its distinctive background (the same set also has a "Yellow Ruth" and a "Green Ruth" that are -- you guessed it -- yellow or green), the card is currently being auctioned by Fanatics Collect and is expected to fetch between $1.5 and $3 million. Before one of the most highly sought collectibles changes hands, though, fans were able to get an up-close look at the iconic collectible.
"Typically, cards like this don't come to auction," Chris Lamontagne, president of Fanatics Live & Fanatics Collect, told MLB.com. The current owner, though anonymous, is a Yankees fan and just the second to own the card in its history. "You could say this is a once-in-a-generation-type moment, given the provenance and the history of a card like this. It's 90 years old at this point, it's a super high grade of a card. So, when this started to transpire as something that was going to be a thing, we were like, 'Hey, we've got to share this with lots of people.'"
The auction continues through Thursday.
It's not hard to understand why the card is so popular: Ruth remains a larger-than-life figure, one whose penchant for the spotlight and talent on the field have kept him a superstar nearly a century after his career finished.
"I think if you say 'Babe Ruth' to people, it strikes a chord straight away," Lamontagne noted. "First of all, it strikes a chord for baseball fans, but I think also in the collecting space, as well. He's someone who transcends the hobby and transcends the space. We thought we wanted to use this as an opportunity to storytell to people who haven't been able to see things like this before."
Lamontagne got to see the card's appeal up close: This morning, he met a man who drove up from Maryland for a chance to view the card.
"He was just telling me that he started collecting with his grandfather and then with his uncle, and then came today because he felt like it'd be an amazing photo and moment for him," Lamontagne said. "That's why we do this stuff. That's why it's worth it."
Graded as an 8.5 by Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), there are only two other Red Ruths out there that share a similar grade, but none have been found in better condition. (The one in the Smithsonian is an 8.)
"Excluding qualifiers, we have never graded a copy of this card higher than this PSA 8.5 example, and the more time that passes, odds get smaller and smaller that we ever will," PSA President Ryan Hoge said. "It's a true family heirloom-type piece, and it's always cool to see the buzz -- and bidding action -- generated when a true piece of baseball history like this goes to auction."
While a card like this one may go on auction once every generation, Lamontagne is hopeful for more opportunities like this in the future, where fans and collectors can come together to share in the love of the hobby.
"We're in this really interesting moment for the hobby in general, you know, the card collecting space. We at Fanatics are continuing to invest within the marketplace and within Fanatics Collect," Lamontagne said. "We have The Vault. We have the ability to store your cards safely and securely, to be able to grow on that side. What comes next? I think this is just actually the beginning."