Outstanding example from the vastly underappreciated George Ruth Candy Company issue, a small set released around 1928 and including photos of Ruth taken during a 1924 West Coast tour and also including scenes from the film "Babe Comes Home." The original, authentic cards are very scarce today, perhaps because the set was accompanied by a redemption offer that promised a baseball with "Babe Ruth's genuine signature on it" in exchange for the complete set of six.

The reason we refer to "original, authentic" cards is because there is some confusion about the cards and their authenticity.  Essentially, there are two different styles of George Ruth Candy Company cards. The first was an extremely high-quality version, printed on thicker, white stock, with incredibly clear, detailed printing. The second was an inferior version, printed on more of a tan, lightweight stock, with printing of lesser quality.  To add to the confusion, the second version - the tan stock - was reprinted in the 1970s or 1980s, and the reprints are very difficult to discern from the originals, which has led grading companies to stop grading all the cards from the issue. As a result, they are very scarce.

Presented here is a gorgeous example printed on that high-quality white stock, a clear photo of Ruth and his first wife Helen, the card graded VG/EX 4 by SGC with noticeable corner wear but strong centering and a quality image. An exceptional card from a very underrated and misunderstood issue.