Donruss Buys a Ruth jersey for $260,000+

Xtrainningscards · June 30, 2003 9:53AM

This was posted on another site, and thought I would pass it on to the readers on this site.

Got this off of Beckett On Line Front Page
Rare Ruth Jersey Headed to Trading Cards
6/26/2003 12:12:06 PM

The same day that Barry Bonds' 73rd home run ball sold in a live, televised auction, Donruss/Playoff revealed it had paid more than a quarter of a million dollars last month to purchase a rare Babe Ruth game-worn jersey - a piece they plan to cut up and place on cards.

Donruss paid $264,210 for a Ruth-worn 1925 Yankees pinstripe home jersey, one of only three Ruth home jerseys known to exist, winning the jersey through bidding in Lelands.com's May auction. That auction, incidentally, generated a 15-year-old company record $4.2 million for the auction house.

According to Lelands, the Ruth jersey - with "G.H. Ruth" embroidered into the fabric - is the earliest known in existence.

Donruss revealed plans to display the jersey at the company's corporate booth at both the Major League Baseball All-Star FanFest in Chicago July 11-15, and the National Sports Collectors Convention in Atlantic City July 24-27.

From there, the Ruth jersey will make its trading card debut next year in 2004 Donruss Classics Baseball.

"Jerseys like this traditionally have been available only to society's mega-rich," Donruss president Bill Dully said Wednesday night. "Donruss has taken a leadership position and for the cost of a pack of trading cards, people across America can experience the thrill of owning a piece of this great baseball icon."

The company has heard from collectors opposed to cutting up the jersey. However, the company believes more fans and collectors can experience history by doing so.

"Thousands of people will now get the opportunity to own a 'piece' of history verses one, and I'm all for the masses sharing in this exquisite piece," says Mike Gardner, Donruss vice president of sales and marketing.

EHTHOCKEY09 · June 30, 2003 10:43AM

SWEET! I'll get to see it at Nats.

AiRjOrDaN22 · June 30, 2003 10:51AM

Yeah I heard about that a week ago....Thats terrible donruss would do that!

dherm360 · June 30, 2003 10:52AM

I agree, it is wrong to continue to destroy these great pieces.

ajbry · June 30, 2003 11:17AM

Yeah really. They shouldnt cut it up.

xxchamp34xx · June 30, 2003 11:36AM

if you paid a quarter mil. for a jersey, wouldnt you want to be able to do whatever you want with it?

autobilia · June 30, 2003 12:02PM

<< <i>I agree, it is wrong to continue to destroy these great pieces. >>

If it wasn't Donruss, someone else would do it.

autobilia · June 30, 2003 12:04PM

<< <i>if you paid a quarter mil. for a jersey, wouldnt you want to be able to do whatever you want with it?

>>

My thoughts exactly. And if it was priceless, it should have been auctioned off in the first place. Can't blame donruss for that.

bjork73 · June 30, 2003 12:10PM

If it were between Donruss and the Hall of Fame, of course I'd rather have it be in the hands of Cooperstown. However, if Donruss didn't win it the jersey would most likely end up in a private collection never to be seen by anybody except some rich person and his/her friends, so although the situation might not be ideal, it's about as good as it realistically can be (and those of you who say you'd donate it to Cooperstown... yeah, whatever, get that GU bat you're "saving" from Upper Deck out of your rear and admit you'd take the money like the rest of us

).

seth2720 · June 30, 2003 12:27PM

yea I think this stuff is getting pretty pathetic. I thought the Red Grange helmet and Jim Thorpe sweater was bad enough.

Seth

Donruss Buys a Ruth jersey for $260,000+

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