Is there anything more mesmerizing in this hobby than a spread of Babe Ruth baseball cards?

I mean, sure, Ruth doesn’t have a singular big-ticket card to measure up to T206 Honus Wagner or 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, but the Bambino is the greatest player ever.

The mystique of his cardboard is palpable, even across the interwebs … and that means massive prices are usually attached.

To wit, check out these ten most expensive Babe Ruth baseball cards to change hands on eBay during summer of 2019.

1916 W-UNC Big Head Strip Card Babe Ruth

1916 W-UNC Big Head Strip Card Babe Ruth

Though the listing designates this card as having been issued in 1916, truth is, there’s some debate over the exact dates … generally you see these listed as 1916-1920.

OK, generally you don’t see these listed at all, but still.

Anyway, the W-UNC Big Heads were issued in strips, and singles like this were hand-cut to get that way (single, that is).

They were also unnumbered and blank-backed, and the artwork wasn’t exactly spot-on (in Ruth’s case, at least).

But this is a rare early card of the greatest player ever, and it shows him batting at a time when he was one of the greatest pitchers in the game.

Cool, cool stuff, and this SGC 2.5 copy sold for nearly $15,000 on the strength of 15 bids.

Check out the original listing here (affiliate link).

1932 U.S. Caramel Babe Ruth

1932 U.S. Caramel Babe Ruth

This set was dubbed “Famous Athletes” and featured big-name golfers and boxers among a slew of Hall of Fame baseball players.

In addition to Ruth, such luminaries as Ty Cobb, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, and Yankees teammate Lou Gehrig made the field of 32.

The Bambino graded out at PSA 5 and sold for $12,500 in Buy-It-Now mode.

Check out the original listing here (affiliate link).

1933 Goudey Babe Ruth (#53)

1933 Goudey Babe Ruth (#53)

The 1933 Goudey issue has long been one of the most popular pre-war sets of all-time.

Not only is it loaded with Hall of Famers like Ruth, Gehrig, Rogers Hornsby, Mel Ott, and many others, but it’s huge — for the time — with a 240-card checklist.

It’s visually striking, too, with realistic player paintings against bold single-color backgrounds (mostly). And, of course, the phantom Nap Lajoie card is one of the most rare and valuable cards in the hobby.

Against all that, little wonder that this SGC 6 Ruth brought $11,751 on 39 bids.

Check out the original listing here (affiliate link).

1922 E120 American Caramel Babe Ruth

1922 E120 American Caramel Babe Ruth

As old as this set is, it looks even older, somehow — like a series of old west photos or something.

Like other cards on this list, the E120 Ruth is part of a set filled with other denizens of Cooperstown, including Home Run Baker and Frankie Frisch.

Young Babe is the plum of the whole shebang, though, and this PSA 4 copy drew 29 bids before hammering down at $10,900.

Check out the original listing here (affiliate link).

1933 Goudey Babe Ruth (#144)

1933 Goudey Babe Ruth (#144)

This card is sort of a zoomed-out version of card #53 (above), with the same classic Ruth home run follow-through.

Instead of the typical solid background, though, we get a bucolic ballpark scene.

It’s a gorgeous card, as the 81 bidders who drove this SGC 5 copy to $10,600 can attest.

Check out the original listing here (affiliate link).

1933 Goudey Babe Ruth (#181)

1933 Goudey Babe Ruth (#181)

Babe decided to take a load off after all the hitting he put in on those other two 1933 Goudeys, up above (and also down below).

Holding a bat, Ruth is looking off to his right and seems like he wants to say something.

Somebody is about to get an earful!

And somebody else got an awesome PSA 5 card after 37 bids pushed the price to $9709.

Check out the original listing here (affiliate link).

1922 E121 American Caramel Babe Ruth Photo Montage

1922 E121 American Caramel Babe Ruth Photo Montage

This 120-card candy set is rife with both the biggest names in the game and variations.

There are three versions of Cobb’s card for example, and other stars in the set include Rabbit Maranville, Dave Bancroft, John McGraw, and Eppa Rixey.

This Ruth showing the great hitter in a couple of photos is one of several Babe variations, and the PSA 4 copy here sold in Buy-It-Now fashion for $9500.

Check out the original listing here (affiliate link).

1933 Goudey Babe Ruth (#149)

1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #149

Ho hum … another Goudey Ruth, another big price tag.

This one is pretty much identical to #53, except with a red background instead of yellow.

The PSA 4 copy here drew 65 bids for a final price of $8832.32.

Check out the original listing here (affiliate link).

1920 W519-2 Strip Card Babe Ruth — Unnumbered Hand-cut

1920 W519-2 Strip Card Babe Ruth -- Unnumbered Hand-cut

There are ten known cards in this set, though their numbers run from 12 through 20 … with some players sharing a number.

That goes for Babe Ruth who is number 20, a designation he shares with Wallie Schange (or Wally Schang).

This hand-cut beauty features what looks to be pencil art and sold for $7913 on 38 bids for a PSA 5 copy.

Check out the original listing here (affiliate link).

1933 Goudey Sport Kings Babe Ruth (#3)

1933 Goudey Sport Kings Babe Ruth

Didn’t get enough Goudey eye candy in the listings above?

Good news!

Goudey released another set in 1933, the Sport Kings issue that included superstars from baseball, football, hockey, and more obscure sports like bed-making (kidding … maybe).

They sure crammed a lot into a 48-card checklist, but Ruth always draws the lion’s share of attention.

This PSA 6 copy went Buy-It-Now for $7500.

Check out the original listing here (affiliate link).

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