This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/21/2014
It has been over 60 years since Babe Ruth walked this Earth. As is true with any iconic figure, the more time that passes, the more mythical of a figure Ruth becomes. But while time has proven to be an ally to Ruth’s legacy, it has had the reverse effect on one avenue of his life: his autograph. The value of The Bambino’s coveted scripting continues to rise, in part because the number of well-preserved Ruth autographs within the market are few and far between. With Ruth rising to prominence in an era when an autograph was seen merely as a souvenir and not an investment, most of the items he signed were either discarded or kept in not-so-optimal conditions, with the majority of Ruth’s signatures simply fading away over the decades. A willing signer, Ruth granted many an eager enthusiast's request for an autograph. Few of those treasured scripts have survived the test of time and present with a radiance as fine as that of the offered heirloom. Presented is an exceptionally clean, vintage baseball graced with Ruth's resplendent, blue fountain-tip signature. This Reach Official American League baseball (Harridge) is a creamy off-white sphere that hails from the early 1940s manufacturing period. The ball's solid red laces have retained their vibrant hues and the stampings have faded somewhat, but remain quite legible. While the qualities of the ball itself are decidedly alluring, Ruth's flowing and curvaceous signature (graded "7" by PSA/DNA) is undoubtedly the headlining feature here. The rich blue fountain pen ink that flowed from Ruth’s pen is nearly as vibrant as the day it was originally penned, and stands as one of the premier examples to surface within the hobby. Throughout the industry, a Ruth-signed ball is a treasure in any case. But the glamorous and immaculate nature of this one is as breathtaking as Ruth's swing itself. Accompanied by a full Letter of Authenticity and Grading from PSA/DNA, with grades of “7” for the autograph, “5” for the baseball itself (which we view as quite modest given the ball’s fine condition), and a final overall grade of “6”. A true investment-grade Ruth relic!