The fall event at Robert Edward Auctions is set to conclude on December 3, but a rare piece of baseball history featuring Babe Ruth has already emerged as a highlight. This particular item is not the well-known 1914 Baltimore News card, but a scarce 1921 Frederick Foto card depicting the legendary baseball figure. Competitive early bids have already pushed the card’s value to $110,000, making it a highly coveted collector’s item.
Only six of these Frederick Foto cards are known to exist from the past century, and the card in question holds a grade of 2 from SGC, denoting its rare vintage condition. Its value has significantly increased over the years, with REA having sold it for just $42,000 in 2015, making the current bid a remarkable jump in price.
What sets the Frederick Foto card apart is its obscurity compared to the already scarce Baltimore News card. The 1921 series, which included both major and minor league players, remains shrouded in mystery, as a complete checklist has yet to be confirmed. The cards in the series are not numbered, making it even more challenging to determine a full set, though estimates suggest there are over 100 cards in the series.
The Frederick Foto Service of Sacramento, California is credited with issuing these cards, but unfortunately, the production quality was not top-notch. Player photographs were simply glued onto cardboard, with the front featuring the player’s name, team, and the Frederick Foto brand. The back of the cards is blank. While their size generally aligns with tobacco cards from the era, variations in size and large white borders are common due to crude production techniques or subsequent trimming.
Determining the exact date of the series has been a topic of debate among collectors, with 1921 generally accepted as the year of issue, although opinions differ on the precise timing.
The Babe Ruth card from this series is particularly notable, not only because it features him with the ‘N.Y.’ insignia of the Yankees but also because it depicts him in a Red Sox uniform. This adds to its rarity as one of the earliest cards showing Ruth associated with the Yankees, considering his iconic tenure with the team began in 1920.
One unique feature of this card is the photograph itself. REA has noted that the image of Ruth on this specific card does not appear on any other card or in any other type of media, making it a singular representation of the baseball legend.
The auction for this rare piece of baseball memorabilia will conclude on December 3, and it is already garnering attention from collectors and historians alike. With its scarcity, unique image, and association with Babe Ruth, this 1921 Frederick Foto card is poised to become an important addition to any baseball card collection.
