Babe Ruth baseball card expected to fetch over $10 million

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Category: Sports

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Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. memorabilia / ˌmɛm ər əˈbɪl i ə / (n.) – objects or items that have historical value, often associated with a specific person, event, or period
    Example:

    The museum showed a collection of Beatles memorabilia, including guitars, handwritten lyrics, and concert posters.


  2. lucrative / ˈlu krə tɪv / (adj.) – profitable or capable of generating a significant amount of money or financial gain
    Example:

    Martin started a lucrative online business, earning huge profits within the first year.


  3. rummage / ˈrʌm ɪdʒ / (v.) – to search or look for something difficult to find among other things
    Example:

    She’s rummaging through her bag to look for a pen.


  4. treasure trove / ˈtrɛʒ ər troʊv / (n.) – a collection of valuable things
    Example:

    The well-known painter showed the public the treasure troves of paintings he made.


  5. heirloom / ˈɛərˌlum / (n.) – a valuable object, typically passed down through generations within a family, holding historical significance
    Example:

    The silver pocket watch that my grandfather gave me is one of our family’s most cherished heirlooms.


Article

Read the text below.

A New Jersey auction house says it was expecting a 1914 baseball card of Babe Ruth in his rookie year—one of only ten known to exist—to sell for upwards of $10 million.


The 1914 baseball card is the holy grail for Babe Ruth fans, and it was up for sale. Brian Dwyer of Robert Edward Auctions said bidding was already above $6 million for the card with a week and a half to go before the auction closed. “It’s hugely significant for many, many, many reasons,” said Dwyer.


“It is from 1914. One of only ten in existence. And it pictures Babe Ruth as a 19-year-old member of the Baltimore Orioles of the International League. This is the first time that Babe Ruth ever appears on any collectible.”


The card was the latest high-profile sale in a sports memorabilia market that’s grown exponentially more lucrative.


Last year, a 1951 Mickey Mantle baseball card sold for $12.6 million, blasting into the record books as the most-ever paid-for sports memorabilia.


Michael Kowpak, who manages a sports memorabilia store named Bleecker Trading in New York City’s Greenwich Village neighborhood and has no connection to the Babe Ruth card auction, said the recent boost in prices for sports memorabilia is based on nostalgia.


The pandemic partly drove the growth in demand, as people spent more time at home rummaging through potential treasure troves of childhood memories and family heirlooms and putting them for sale.


“We’ve seen a crazy explosion in sports cards the past few years, and something like that. What might have been shocking five years ago, to me today might not be the craziest thing,” says Kowpak.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • If you had the opportunity to own a rare piece of sports memorabilia, what would it be and why? How much would you be willing to pay for it? Discuss.
  • How do you feel about the idea of sports memorabilia being sold at such high prices? Does it enhance or diminish the sentimental value associated with these items? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • In your opinion, is the current interest in sports cards and collectibles a temporary trend or a long-term phenomenon? Why do you think so? Discuss.
  • What do you consider a potential treasure trove (ex. a collection of books, a collection of jewelry)? Why? Would you collect such items? Why or why not? Discuss.