How Much Is A Signed Baseball By Babe Ruth Worth?

If you collect baseball history, nothing tops a Babe Ruth autograph. But values can vary wildly, from the lower five figures to well into six figures, depending on condition, placement, era, and authenticity. Below is a guide with recent auction results and what affects value.

At a Glance: The Value Range

Typical range (authentic, single-signed): ~$10,000 - $225,000+, depending on signature strength, ball condition, and sweet-spot placement (PSA’s price guide lists Ruth single-signed baseballs at $28.5k (PSA 7), $52.5k (PSA 8), and $225k (PSA 9). (PSA)

Recent six-figure sales:

$180,000 - Circa-1920 single-signed ball, PSA/DNA NM/MT+ 8.5 with a MINT 9 signature (Spring 2024). Collectrea

$108,000 - Circa-1920 single-signed ball, PSA/DNA NM/MT+ 8.5 with MINT 9 signature (Spring 2023). Collectrea

$388,375 - The Finest Babe Ruth Single Signed Baseball Known, PSA/DNA Mint+ 9.5 (2012). Heritage Auctions

Prices fluctuate with supply, presentation, and timing. Use recent comps and third-party grades to anchor expectations.

Recent Lower-End Sales (Heavily Aged or Faded Examples)

$2,640 - Babe Ruth Single-Signed Baseball - JSA (Spring 2025) Collectrea

$3,120 - Circa 1925 Babe Ruth Signed Baseball - Displays as a Single - JSA (Spring 2022) Collectrea

$3,240 - Babe Ruth Single-Signed Baseball - JSA (Spring 2025) Collectrea

These examples highlight the low-end reality of Ruth’s autograph market: authenticity alone doesn’t guarantee a high price. Factors like fading, restoration, ball condition, and overall presentation can pull an otherwise legendary signature down into the low-thousands range, still valuable, but far removed from the museum-quality pieces that command six-figure sums.

What Drives the Price of a Babe Ruth Signed Baseball?

1) Authentication (the #1 factor)

Babe Ruth’s autograph is one of the most commonly forged in the world of sports memorabilia, which makes authentication an important part of understanding its value. Experts at companies like PSA/DNA, JSA, and Beckett study countless examples of his handwriting to verify genuine signatures. Over the years, Ruth’s autograph appeared in several variations, ranging from “George H. Babe Ruth” form to the more familiar “Babe Ruth” seen later in his career.

PSA/DNA and hobby publications have long warned about the high rejection/forgery rates with famous names like Ruth, one reason third-party authentication is considered essential. 

2) Signature placement & strength

Collectors pay a premium for a bold, legible sweet-spot autograph. While PSA’s grading doesn’t add points for sweet-spot versus side-panel (they grade condition/ink strength only), the market does prefer sweet-spot placement. 

3) Ball & ink condition

Crisp, evenly toned baseballs with strong fountain-pen ink command more. Period-appropriate materials and the absence of heavy shellac/varnish also influence value. 

4) Era & context

Earlier Yankees-era examples (c. 1920s-early 1930s) can carry extra cachet, especially when paired with provenance (photos or letters).

5) Third-party grades

When graded by PSA/DNA as a ball grade + autograph grade (e.g., NM/MT+ 8.5 ball, MINT 9 signature), values can jump because bidders understand the quality at a glance.

Are Team-Signed or Personalized Balls Worth Less?

Team-signed (Yankees) balls featuring Ruth can be valuable, but pure, single-signed examples are the most liquid and easiest to comp head-to-head.

Personalizations (“To Joe…”) often discount value for investors, though some collectors find them charming and historically rich.

What’s the cheapest authentic Ruth ball you can expect to find?

Entry points move with the market, but authenticated examples with lighter ink or less-desirable placement can sell for $3,000 to $5,000. Use PSA’s guide and recent auction results as your baseline.

Bottom Line

An authentic, single-signed Babe Ruth baseball typically ranges $10,000 - $225,000+, with top-graded, sweet-spot, period-correct examples frequently bringing six figures at major auctions. 

The lower-end examples tell the other side of the story. Authentic Ruth-signed balls in rough shape or with faded autographs, like those featured can sell for just a few thousand dollars. These pieces still carry incredible historical appeal but demonstrate how heavily condition and presentation influence price.

Together, these examples reveal the wide spectrum of value in the Ruth autograph market, from museum-quality showpieces to timeworn relics of the same hand that changed baseball forever.

For serious buyers or sellers, anchor your decision to third-party grading and recent auction comps from REA, Heritage, or Goldin.