Rare Babe Ruth rookie card from 1916 — once a store freebie — could fetch $500K at auction
Prepare to witness a bidding frenzy as a rare 1916 M101-4 Babe Ruth rookie card steps into the limelight at a Bonhams auction later this month.
Esteemed collectors are expected to throw down anywhere from a cool $250,000 to a jaw-dropping $500,000 for this historic piece of sports memorabilia.
Flashback to more than a century ago, in April of 1916, when Gimbels department store made headlines with a marketing campaign that had every kid’s heart aflutter.
Offering a free giveaway of 20 baseball cards featuring Major League stars to any child who strolled into the boy’s clothing section, little did they know they were birthing a treasure hunt.
Among those lucky recipients was the grandfather of the card’s current owner, who at a mere 10 years old snagged the legendary Great Bambino card. Since then, it’s been a cherished heirloom within the family’s lineage.
Crafted by baseball card maestro Felix Mendelsohn, the Ruthian relic boasts black and white photography, a departure from the usual color lithographs.
Graded a commendable five out of 10, its backside proudly sports an advertisement for Gimbels, proclaiming: “Everything for Boys of Every Age / Popular Prices / GIMBELS.”
According to the auction house, “Ruth rookie cards are one of the most sought-after trading cards in existence.”
Indeed, the Sultan of Swat’s larger-than-life persona, towering achievements and unforgettable moments — like the infamous “called shot” in the 1932 World Series — add to his immortal legend.
Ruth’s journey through the baseball cosmos is the stuff of legend. Initially signed by the early minor league Baltimore Orioles in 1914, he was swiftly traded to the Boston Red Sox, where he made his mark as both a pitcher and hitter.
His Boston move marked the beginning of an era. But it was his fateful trade to the New York Yankees in 1919 that cemented his place in baseball folklore, igniting the infamous Curse of the Bambino.
Last year, the sports memorabilia world was sent into a frenzy when a 109-year-old Ruth card fetched a staggering $7.2 million at an online auction, solidifying its position as one of the most valuable sports trading cards ever sold.
Now, the Gimbels version of the M101-4 1916 Babe Ruth rookie card will be presented at the Bonhams Fine Books and Manuscripts event, slated to run online and in New York from March 31 to April 10.
And it’s not just sports enthusiasts who will be salivating: literary buffs will also have a chance to snag treasures like a first edition, first printing of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.”
