Babe Ruth signed baseball with video of the signing leads Memory Lane auction
A Babe Ruth signed baseball is a major collectible on its own, but the example leading Memory Lane Inc.'s Spring Rarities Auction carries something even more unusual: video of Ruth signing the ball. The baseball was signed for a young boy at Yankee Stadium in the summer of 1929, and it is believed to be the only Babe Ruth autographed baseball documented by video of the actual signing.
The ball has appeared on the market before, first surfacing at Memory Lane in 2012 and later returning as part of the Thomas Newman Collection five years ago. It is now back again as the headline lot in the latest Memory Lane auction, accompanied by a PSA/DNA certificate of authentication and the signing video.
Memory Lane Spring Rarities Auction dates and scope
The Spring Rarities Auction opens May 21 and runs through June 6. Memory Lane says the sale includes more than 1,460 high-end vintage cards and memorabilia lots, with a strong mix of classic baseball cards, tobacco cards, autograph cards and game-used material.
Among the highlights are hundreds of high-grade vintage cards, including a large run of 1952 and 1953 Topps baseball cards, plus more than 168 tobacco-card lots. The auction also features a major group of Roberto Clemente items and several notable pieces from other eras of the hobby.
Roberto Clemente Collection brings more than 90 lots
One of the largest sections of the auction is more than 90 lots from the Roberto Clemente Collection. Memory Lane describes it as one of the most comprehensive single-player archives ever presented at public auction. The collection spans Topps issues from 1955 through 1972, along with rare regional, team, test and Topps Venezuelan cards.
Several Clemente cards stand out in the offering, including a 1955 Topps #164 Rookie graded PSA 8, a 1968 Topps 3-D Clemente graded PSA 10, and a 1961 Topps #41 N.L. Batting Leaders card graded PSA 10.
Vintage baseball cards include Ruth and Satchel Paige
Beyond the Ruth signed baseball, the auction includes other important vintage baseball cards and memorabilia. Among the featured baseball highlights is a 1948 Leaf #8 Satchel Paige Rookie graded PSA 7, along with multiple 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth cards.
The presence of several Babe Ruth items gives the auction a strong historical anchor, especially when paired with the signed baseball and its unusual video documentation. For collectors focused on early baseball history, the combination of Ruth, Paige and Clemente material makes the sale especially deep.
High-end autograph cards in the sale
Memory Lane's auction also includes a notable group of autograph cards from across baseball history. The highlighted autograph cards include:
- 1969 Topps #260 Reggie Jackson rookie, PSA 9, Auto 10
- 1969 Topps #25 Lew Alcindor, later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, rookie, PSA 8, Auto 10
- 1955 Topps #50 Jackie Robinson, PSA 3, Auto 8
- 1970 Topps Super #12 Roberto Clemente, PSA 7, Auto 9
These cards add another layer to the auction, blending key rookies, Hall of Fame names and strong autograph grades. The Reggie Jackson and Lew Alcindor rookies are especially notable for collectors who focus on signed vintage cards from the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Basketball highlight includes sealed Michael Jordan rookie team set
The basketball section is led by a sealed 1984-85 Star Chicago Bulls team set that contains the Michael Jordan rookie card in its original factory packaging. That kind of sealed presentation is a major draw for collectors interested in untouched vintage basketball material, especially when it includes one of the most important rookie cards in the hobby.
The auction's basketball presence is smaller than its baseball offering, but the Jordan item gives the sale a crossover appeal that extends beyond traditional baseball collectors.
Modern cards feature Ohtani and Jeter
Memory Lane's sale also reaches into the modern era with a pair of premium cards. One is a 2024 Topps 50/50 Shohei Ohtani Autograph Relic-Gold numbered 20/50, graded PSA 10 with an Auto 10. The other is a 1/1 2024 Topps Dynasty Derek Jeter Auto Logo Patch card with the AU MLB logo, also graded PSA 10.
Those modern pieces sit alongside the vintage material to show the breadth of the auction. While the Ruth baseball remains the headline attraction, the inclusion of Ohtani and Jeter helps round out a catalog that spans multiple collecting eras and player markets.
Why the Ruth baseball stands out
Babe Ruth signed baseballs are not rare in the broader memorabilia market, and they often command strong prices. What separates this example from nearly every other Ruth baseball is the video of the actual signing. According to the auction description, the ball was signed at Yankee Stadium in the summer of 1929 for a young boy, and the footage makes it the only Ruth-autographed baseball believed to be documented by video of the signing itself.
That kind of provenance is unusual even in the upper tier of sports memorabilia. For collectors, the combination of a direct visual record, PSA/DNA authentication and a long auction history adds to the significance of the piece. It is the sort of item that sits at the intersection of baseball history, film documentation and autograph collecting.
What else collectors will find in the auction
Memory Lane's Spring Rarities Auction is built around depth as much as marquee names. The catalog includes a broad range of vintage baseball cards, tobacco-card lots and high-end memorabilia, with enough variety to attract collectors at several different price points. The 1952 and 1953 Topps run gives set collectors a strong reason to watch the sale, while the tobacco-card section adds another layer of prewar and early postwar material.
The Roberto Clemente Collection is another major draw because of its size and the range of issue types represented. Collectors who focus on Hall of Fame player runs, regional issues or international Topps releases will find plenty to study in that section alone.
With the auction opening May 21 and closing June 6, the Ruth signed baseball sets the tone for a catalog that leans heavily on historically important material. From the 1929 Yankee Stadium signing to the modern Ohtani and Jeter cards, the sale covers a wide stretch of hobby history while keeping the focus on premium, authenticated pieces.
For collectors tracking landmark memorabilia, the Ruth baseball is the item drawing the most attention, but the surrounding catalog gives the auction broader appeal across vintage baseball, Clemente collecting, autograph cards, basketball and modern high-end issues.
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