Babe Ruth and Kobe?
February 26, 2010 by SteveGrad
Filed under Steve Grad
By STEVE GRAD
February 26, 2010
A few hours ago I got off the phone with my boss and we were talking about how great pieces seem to keep popping up all the time. I hear from dealers that I know how hard times are, and I know they are, no question about that. One of the most common cries from my friends is lack of fresh material. That basically means stuff that hasn’t been sold or hit the auction block. Once a month, on a Friday we hold Public Friday at Collectors Universe. Anyone can come in and submit their autographs, baseball cards, coins or stamps for authentication. I’m never surprised what walks in. Today, a true gem came through the doors. And no it wasn’t a bad signature of Kobe Bryant (though we saw a few of those!), it was a beautiful postcard sized image signed by Babe Ruth and his former boss Jacob Ruppert.
Sitting in what looks to be the middle of a field is Ruth along with Ruppert and I presume Ed Barrow signing a contract. The front is nicely signed by Ruppert and Ruth but what strikes me as extra special about this piece is the fact that Ruth has penned his complete full name, his middle initial, his nickname and last name. That was a real mouthful!
The great Ruth spelled it all out! “George H. Babe Ruth”. What a wonderful piece and this definitely proves that the good stuff is still out there. Keep your eyes open people.
