One baseball legend that has withstood the test of time for relevance and demand among collectors is Babe Ruth. The former home run king was legendary in his era. One thing that Babe Ruth also did was maintain a public persona that included signing countless numbers of autographs. A signed Babe Ruth baseball or a signed “anything” of his is worth thousands of dollars if proven to be authentic. The harsh reality is that Babe Ruth’s signed baseballs keep hitting home runs when they come up for auction.

Collectors Dashboard evaluates collectibles as an alternative asset class. This means that the cost of high-end collectibles can be cast in the same light as stocks, bonds and real estate investments. It has become common that true collectors with a deep passion now have compete directly against investors for the exact same high-end assets. Buying an authenticated signed Babe Ruth baseball is going to cost you. With so many signatures, just how much are Babe Ruth signed baseballs ultimately worth?

The 2021 National Sports Collectors Convention had many vendors from card dealers to auction houses at the show in Chicago (Rosemont)/ They had many signed and unsigned vintage Babe Ruth cards, bats, photos, baseballs and more. These signed items still command a serious premium and price tag despite Ruth signatures being so common. A Babe Ruth signed baseball is no longer likely to be purchased for much less than $10,000 unless the ball’s condition is weak or unless the signature has faded over the decades.

It has already been established that vintage Babe Ruth cards and memorabilia will be in demand for many more decades. Where the cost of these signed items comes into a tiered structure is around the condition of the signed asset and the clarity of the Ruth signature. Many of those signatures have become quite faded in the 73 years since the year that Ruth passed away (1948).

Again, there were many Babe Ruth signed items at the 2021 National Sports Collectors Convention. Dealers were generally asking for premiums on site. The top auction houses all had booths highlighting upcoming auctions, many of which included top signed Babe Ruth memorabilia.

There was a dealer item from the America’s Pastime booth had a pristine autographed Babe Ruth baseball for sale for $79,995.00. The ball’s signature was immaculate and it was available to be purchased on site rather than the other high-end Ruth signed balls coming up for auction.

Heritage Auctions currently has a 1920s era Babe Ruth ball signed that is also in immaculate condition considering that it is nearly 100 years old. That ball has been graded PSA 8.5 and the current bid of $65,000 compared to a estimated auction price of $150,000.

Heritage also has a 1920 Babe Ruth game used signed bat (PSA/DNA GU 10 and MEARS A10) that was recently at a bid price of $290,000 with a guide value or estimate price of $800,000 or more. Mile High Card Company also has an auction of another Babe Ruth bat that was shown in the provenance to be used for 3 of Ruth’s home runs in the 19209-30 vintage.

Wheatland Auction Services hosted the “Uncle Jimmy Collection” in February of 2021, and the signed Babe Ruth cards commanded massive prices. A signed 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #149 Graded PSA 4 (with Auto Grade 8) sold for $761,100.00 at that auction and other signed Ruth cards had been sold prior to that auction. These were some of the prior prices realized after the buyer’s premium:

• 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #181 PSA 4 (Autograph Grade 8) sold for $436,600.00 in October 2020.
• 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #149 PSA 4.5 (Autograph Grade 6) sold for $324,500.00 in August 2020.
• 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #144 PSA 4 (Autograph Grade 6) sold for $289,100.00 in October 2020.
• 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #144 PSA 3.5 (Autograph Grade 6) sold for $218,300.00 in August 2020.

Heritage also has other signed Ruth balls coming for auction and some of the estimates are slightly under $10,000 at the current time.

Last but not lease, eBay has a vast inventory of sellers looking to sell Babe Ruth autographed baseballs and other memorabilia. These prices are generally Buy It Now rather than straight auctions. Their condition also ranges from poor to immaculate. And despite many items being listed in the $70,000 range and higher there are many items under that $10,000 threshold.

One purchase made by yours truly was a 1927 Babe Ruth single signed baseball. The letter of authenticity and the auction at the time noted that the ball’s signature was faint but it was with appeal to true Yankee historians because the stamping of this OAL (Johnson) ball pegged the ball definitively to the 1927 season. Photo is from Heritage Auctions.

Again, much of the pricing around a signed Babe Ruth baseball (and other memorabilia) will depend on the condition of the item and the clarity of the signature. This photo will show you just how many potential signed Babe Ruth baseballs are out there. Provenance, i.e. grading and authentication, are also a “must know” when it comes to Ruth’s signatures. After all, there are many very convincing fake autographed items that have been sold on to unsuspecting buyers.