The Real Value of a Babe Ruth Signed Baseball

Summary

A signed Babe Ruth baseball is a win for any serious collector. The value is going to be thousands of dollars. How much depends on the condition of the ball and how clear and bold Babe Ruth's signature is. And of course, the signature has to be authenticated.

The most iconic autograph in baseball history is generally considered to be that of Babe Ruth. Most collectors will tell you that a signed Babe Ruth baseball is about as good as it gets. A signed bat or a signed baseball card would of course be first, but good luck affording one. Signed Babe Ruth baseballs are easily recognizable. Oddly enough, they really are not all that scarce. They will still cost you more than a pretty penny.

The real question is simple to ask but difficult to answer — What is the REAL Value of a Babe Ruth Signed Baseball?

For starters, most Babe Ruth signed balls now sell in a $10,000 ballpark range. If the condition of the ball is beaten up and the signature is faded, a signed Babe Ruth baseball can sell for half that $10,000 figure. And if the condition is pristine, the $10,000 ballpark may rise exponentially higher.

Ogg’s Cards LLC recently sold a Babe Ruth baseball in the Leland’s Spring Focus Gallery. This particular ball was also accompanied with a signature of Lou Gehrig. By the sound of it the ball should be in the exponentially higher category of signed Babe Ruth baseballs. The problem was the condition — a well worn baseball and signatures that were quite faded. That ball fetched $5,137.00 after the buyer’s premium.

Another signed Babe Ruth baseball was also up for auction by Leland’s at the same 2023 Spring Focus Gallery auction. This ball was pristine, and its price after the buyer’s premium came to $28,072.00.

Does a signed baseball by the sport’s most recognizable face count as being with the category of an alternative asset class. That depends upon whom you ask. The same capital that could have been invested into stocks or bonds can be used to buy a prized signed Babe Ruth baseball. That doesn’t have to make it an investment though. And of course there are zero guarantees of a profit even if the ball was purchased solely for investment purposes.

Any time “investing” and “collecting” are used in the same sentence it can get tricky. But many signed Babe Ruth baseballs are still out there that have yet to be authenticated. Those who have a signed Babe Ruth ball will want to know a ballpark number for what it’s worth. Just be advised that there are many fake Babe Ruth signatures. Many fakes are on baseballs that are actually from the 1920s or 1930s. And there are even some laser signatures that are so clean looking they will fool the naked eye.

Oggs’ Cards wanted to see what has happened with Babe Ruth autograph baseball prices. This is an area that is hard to draw any straight lines because the condition of the ball and the presentation of the signature can vary so much.

The $28,072 signed baseball sale is a truly clean example (image below by Lelands). The ball that was sold for $5,137 was a very beaten up and faded example, even more so for the Lou Gehrig signature.

As for 2022 sales prices, there were sales tracked on eBay, Heritage Auctions and Goldin. Another source was also evaluated.

And, again, buyers and would-be sellers of Babe Ruth signed items need to understand that replicas and forgeries are rampant. This is why authentication is an absolute must. Many great stories have been told about provenance and how the signed items were obtained — and some of those stories may even be true, but the signature is not assured to be authentic just because a family friend or a parent or a grandparent told a great story. when it comes to buying any signed baseballs (or anything else signed too!) by Babe Ruth.

Here are some 2022 sales from eBay where the signature was authenticated:

• Babe Ruth autographed baseball with a letter of authentication PSA/DNA sold February 2, 2022 for $7,200.00 after 10 bids.
• Babe Ruth autographed baseball with a letter of authentication by Beckett sold January 18, 2022 for $5,900.00 after 17 bids.
• 1932 Yankees team signed baseball with Babe Ruth Lou Gehrig and 21 more PSA/DNA sold January 4, 2022 for $5,150.00 after 3 bids.
• 1926 Babe Ruth signed baseball with a letter of authentication sold December 16, 2021 for $4,057.00 after 46 bids.

Heritage Auctions had these recent sales, although they have sold many baseballs, often the same ball, over the years:

1948 Babe Ruth autographed baseball with 1998 letter of provenance sold November 20, 2021 for $4,320.00 after 29 bids.
1924 single-signed Babe Ruth baseball sold for $23,400.00 after 32 bids (image below by Heritage Auctions).

1945 Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb & Carl Hubbell Multi-Signed “All-American Game” Baseball from The Al Kaline Collection sold for $51,600.00 after 55 bids.

The website www.baberuthautographs.com had these three authenticated baseballs available:

• Babe Ruth signed Pacific Coast League baseball with a letter of authenticity PSA/DNA for $9,995.00 (Image below by BabeRuthAutographs.com).
• Babe Ruth signed Harridge baseball with a letter of authentication PSA 7 for $39,000.00.
• 1930 Babe Ruth official American League Baseball with letter of authenticity PSA/DNA for $4,995.00.

It doesn’t really seem to matter that Babe Ruth has thousands upon thousands of signed items out there. Many have not survived the ravages of time, but many have. Countless numbers have survived. And there is no way to know how many signed Babe Ruth items have yet to be certified and authenticated. Several points come to mind here:

• The provenance and authentication of the signature are major concerns for the value of the ball.
• It has to be a wonder if Babe Ruth knew the value he was giving to the public so long after his death.
• Babe would sign just about anything for people — particularly kids!

The image below is an example of a signed ball that was for sale at the 2021 National Sports Collectors Convention. That ball had a massive list price of $79,995.00. What the ultimate sale price was remains unknown.

If you are ever curious to know just how many signed baseballs and index cards and photos there are of Babe Ruth, no one can say for sure. What they can say is that it’s a lot. A whole lot, and Forbes and Collectors Universe have photos of Babe Ruth signing multiple balls (images not displayed over license issues).

If you are ever lucky enough to stumble across key collectibles like a signed Babe Ruth baseball, check, index card, photo or any other item of importance, please feel free to email jonogg@oggscards.com or leave a voicemail by phone at 830-302-4135 to find out more. I can accept the ball on consignment or we can discuss a purchase price. Just don’t forget that the ball will have to go through the authentication process before any money changes hands.

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