When the siblings made their humble foray into their late parents’ attic, they expected to find dusty relics of times gone by—perhaps some forgotten photo albums or old Christmas ornaments. Instead, they unearthed what any baseball enthusiast would call a jackpot: an old cigar box filled not with cigars, but with vintage baseball cards that would soon take center stage at an auction.
The hidden treasure, discovered amidst the cobwebs in a Northeast Ohio attic, included an extraordinary collection of vintage baseball cards, headlined by none other than the Sultan of Swat, Babe Ruth. Auctioneer Jack Kiko, who orchestrated the event from Stark County’s renowned Kiko Auctions, recalled the siblings’ cautious optimism about the value of their find. Safe bet, indeed. The collection swung for the fences at the auction, ultimately scoring $120,000.
Before we dive into the details of the treasure trove, let’s acknowledge the hard-hitting statistics. The auction, enthusiastically reported by The Canton Repository, ran from May 28 to June 2 and featured an impressive 623 lots. Remarkably, the overwhelming majority of these were baseball cards, with over 200 cards plucked straight from the iconic 1933 Goudey Big League Gum set—the holy grail for avid collectors.
The 1933 Goudey cards, with their vintage charm and celebrated Hall of Famers, nod to an era when sticking bubble gum in packs became a stroke of marketing genius, boosting the set’s popularity to mythic proportions. For collectors, the 1933 Goudey set represents a time when cracking open a pack of baseball cards was as tantalizing as awaiting the crack of the bat on a summer’s day.
By the time the virtual gavel fell, determined bidders had committed $120,699, which when compounded by a 10% internet premium and a 6.5% sales tax, surged past $140,000. Among those prowling the online auction, one sharp-eyed bidder apparently scooped up a substantial slice of the collection. The crown jewel, a 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth card boasting a striking red backdrop, fetched a formidable $8,000. Collectively, the quintet of Ruth cards scored a princely $35,250 before the inevitable accounting for fees and taxes.
The cards, varied in condition, bore no embellishment of professional grading, sparking a gamble for the courageous bidders. In the unpredictable and thrilling realm of vintage card collecting, it’s the uncertainty—the tantalizing “what if”—that keeps the heart racing, much like waiting for a hail mary play in the bottom of the ninth.
It’s a tale that encapsulates a love for America’s national pastime and nostalgia that spans generations. From the unassuming Ohio attic to the virtual auction rooms viewed by collectors worldwide, these baseball artifacts serve as tangible connections to yesteryear.
For many, each card tells a story that once unfolded under fluorescent ballpark lights and roaring crowds. Each piece of gum once stuck to a legendary card—now brittle with age—was a talisman of childhood dreams of hitting a homer in the big leagues. Even as these treasures exchange hands, the intrinsic charm of baseball—and the infectious allure of its storied history—continues to thrive. This auction may have ended, but the magic ride for these relics of a bygone era is far from over.
