The 1920 Tex Rickard Babe Ruth “Headin’ Home” Card: A Legendary Vintage Icon
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The year 1920 was a great of a time to be alive. The economy was strong, the United States was coming off a tremendous performance in World War I, and both Baseball and Cinema were capturing the hearts and minds of the American People. For vintage baseball card collectors, 1920 was one of the earliest known times the world of professional baseball and the world of Hollywood film would come together in the form of baseball card.
In 1920, legendary sports promoter turned marketing executive Tex Rickard would feature none other than George Herman “Babe” Ruth on a series of promotional cards and marketing materials for the silent film “Headin’ Home”.
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According to RottenTomatoes, the film tells the story of “Country boy Babe’s (Babe Ruth) dreams of playing baseball in the major leagues. The young man has home-run talent, but owner John Tobin (Ralph Harolds) refuses to give him a spot on the local team due to his feud with pitcher Harry Knight (William Sheer). Undeterred, Babe joins up with their long-standing rivals. When his batting skills help defeat Tobin's team, Babe earns the enmity of everyone in town and flees to New York City to find his destiny on the diamond”. (RottonTomatoes.com).
When it comes to the 1920 baseball card, there are less than 20 copies that are known to exist with only a handful of those being graded by PSA. According to PSA’s population report there are a total of eight “Headin’ Homes” graded across three variations of the card with the highest grade being that of a PSA 2.
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When it comes to the valuation of this card, given its exetreme scarcity, it’s value is something that has steadily climbed over the years. While mainstream Ruth cards like the 1933 Goudey dominate headlines, the Tex Rickard “Headin’ Home” card is a sleeper among true vintage card collectors.
For example, a PSA/DNA Authenticated version of that card (considered by some to be a ticket, although no such markings are present), that was signed by “Babe Ruth” and received an autograph grade of PSA 9, sold back in 2014 for $16,730.
The amazing things about cards from the 1900’s, 1910’s and even the 1920’s is the fact that they represent a time where the intersection of sports, film, and even folklore all came together to provide future generations with a glimpse into the past. Babe Ruth wasn't just the Big Bambino or the Sultan of Swat, he was the raw uncut version of everything that we as Americans define as Cultural Americana.
Passionate sports card collector and writer based in Queens, NY. Lifelong fan of the New York Mets, Jets, and Rangers. Covering sports cards and collectibles with deep industry knowledge and enthusiasm, while bringing a fresh perspective to the ever-evolving hobby world on http://SI.com/collectibles.
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