Key Point Summary – Babe Ruth rookie card

• A 1916 Babe Ruth rookie card sold for $812,000
• The card was discovered at a Danvers estate sale
• The anonymous owner inherited it from his father
• It featured rare Morehouse Bakery advertising on the back
• Jeff Gross helped sell the card through Robert Edward Auctions
• Over 100 cards were found, including two Ruth rookies
• Proceeds will help the owner fund a vacation with his wife

A Shocking Discovery in Danvers

One man’s trash turned into another man’s treasure in Danvers, Massachusetts. A rare 1916 Babe Ruth rookie card was unearthed at a modest estate sale last June. The card, part of a vintage promotional set from Morehouse Bakery, had been sitting untouched for decades.

The card’s discovery has since rocked the sports memorabilia world.

The Bambino Before The Bombs

Before Babe Ruth became a slugging sensation with the Yankees, he was a lean left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. The card, dating back to that period, captures him before superstardom.

The anonymous seller revealed it came from his late father’s collection. Tucked away in old boxes were over 100 promotional cards, including two featuring Ruth.

A Collector’s Dream Unfolds

Jeff Gross, a seasoned collector and memorabilia consultant, encountered the card at the estate sale. Realizing the potential value, he helped the owner connect with Robert Edward Auctions, known for handling high-stakes sports collectibles.

“This is Babe Ruth, 1916, rookie pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. He wasn’t a Yankee yet; he wasn’t hitting home runs,” Gross recalled. “Just a skinny kid on the mound.”

The Magic Behind the Card

What makes this find particularly rare? It’s the reverse side of the card. The Morehouse Bakery advertisement stamped on the back elevates the card’s uniqueness and value.

PJ Kinsella of Robert Edward Auctions explained, “That advertising back is what collectors drool over. It’s the kind of detail that transforms a card from rare to legendary.”

A Home Run at Auction

The card went up for bidding and fetched an eye-watering $812,000 on Sunday. For Gross and the seller, it capped off a whirlwind six-month journey.

“To have been in the middle of all that, starting with a yard sale, is still mind-blowing,” Gross said. The seller plans to use a portion of the proceeds for a well-earned vacation with his wife.

Nostalgia Fuels the Sports Memorabilia Boom

This isn’t the only big baseball find recently. Earlier this year, an unopened 1952 Bowman card pack was discovered during a demolition project in Chatham, Massachusetts. It had slipped behind a staircase and remained there for decades.

Finds like these continue to stir excitement across the collectibles community. They prove that buried treasures still lie in attics, basements, and forgotten drawers.

An Outlook for Future Discoveries

With prices soaring for vintage sports memorabilia, experts say the market is ripe for more shocking discoveries. Items once thought worthless are now commanding six-figure sums.

As for Babe Ruth, his legacy grows with every card that hits the market. More than a century after his Red Sox debut, the Sultan of Swat remains a dominant force in the world of sports collectibles.

Collectors everywhere are now scrambling to reassess old boxes and collections, hoping for their own brush with baseball history.

And who knows? The next million-dollar card might be sitting in your attic right now.

Stay tuned for more updates on shocking finds and jaw-dropping auctions.