The most recognizable name in baseball history has a rookie card sitting in Goldin's winter auction with a bid north of $760,000. Three days of bidding left. The Goldin 100 closes March 7.
The card is a 1916 M101-5 Sporting News #151 Babe Ruth, blank back, graded PSA NM 7. Only three copies exist at that grade. Only three grade higher. Out of roughly 35 total blank-back examples PSA has ever graded.
This is one of those cards that doesn't just set a price. It sets a tone for the entire vintage market.
The Ruth Price History Tells a Story
The last time an M101-5 blank-back Ruth in PSA 7 changed hands was April 2018 at Heritage. It went for $384,000. Before that, $552,000 in May 2017. And $717,000 in August 2016.
That's a declining trend from 2016 to 2018. The vintage card market cooled. Attention shifted to modern.
Now this copy is blowing past $760,000 with days left. The correction is over. The vintage grail market is running again.
One important distinction for anyone comparing comps. The M101-4 variant of this card (same set, same image, but with advertising backs instead of blank) has sold for significantly more. An M101-4 in PSA 7 hit $2.46 million at Mile High Card Company in November 2021. These are related but not identical cards. The M101-5 blank-back has historically traded at a discount. Which makes this bid trajectory all the more notable.
The Rest of the Goldin 100
This auction is not a one-card show. 100 lots. The lineup reads like a cross-vertical collectibles exhibit.
Tom Brady 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Autograph (#041/100), BGS MINT 9 with Beckett 10 auto. Pop 7. Highest-graded copy in existence. Current bid: $220,000.
Victor Wembanyama 2025-26 Topps Chrome Autographs Superfractor. 1/1. Current bid: $120,000.
Cooper Flagg 2025-26 Topps Chrome Sapphire Autographs Padparadscha. 1/1. The hottest rookie in basketball gets a one-of-one.
Michael Jordan 1997-98 SkyBox Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Red #23 (#060/100), PSA EX 5. A PMG Red in any grade is a six-figure card.
Stephen Curry 2024-25 Panini National Treasures Logoman Autograph. 1/1. PSA GEM MT 10. Game-worn patch from January 12, 2024. 27 points, 9 assists, 6 three-pointers that night.
Superman #1 (1939 DC) CGC 4.5. The origin of Superman issue. For context, a CGC 9.0 copy sold for $9.12 million at Heritage in November 2025. A PSA 1.0 sold for $176,900 at Goldin in February.
Charizard 1996 Japanese Base Set Holo #6, No Rarity Symbol, PSA GEM MT 10, with the case signed by original artist Mitsuhiro Arita. Beckett LOA. A No Rarity Symbol Charizard in PSA 10 is already a trophy card. One signed by Arita is something else entirely.
Shohei Ohtani 2018 Bowman Chrome Autographs #1 Carrying Bag Signed (#06/25), PSA GEM MT 10. Pop 4.
The Market Context
This auction doesn't exist in a vacuum.
Two weeks ago, a T206 Honus Wagner in PSA 1 sold for $5.124 million at Goldin's Winter Vintage Elite auction. In February, Logan Paul's Illustrator Pikachu went for $16.49 million. Heritage closed 2025 above $2.15 billion in total sales. Fifth consecutive annual record.
The money at the top is real and accelerating. The grail market doesn't care about overprinted base cards or retail pack fatigue. It runs on scarcity, authentication, and cultural weight.
A 1916 Babe Ruth rookie card has all three.
What to Watch Friday
Where does the Ruth land? $1 million is not out of the question. That would represent a complete reversal of the 2016-2018 decline and establish a new ceiling for M101-5 blank-back examples.
Does the Brady break $500,000? The highest-graded Championship Ticket on Earth has room to run.
And the Wembanyama Superfractor at $120,000 with three days left. The first major 1/1 from the Topps Chrome era of basketball cards. This sets the benchmark for what Topps-era basketball grails will look like going forward.
The Goldin 100 closes March 7. Set your reminders.
