When it comes to treasures waiting to be discovered, a quiet attic in Northeast Ohio might not seem like the most likely starting place. But, tucked away among forgotten memorabilia and sealing what seemed merely a keepsake collection, an old cigar box emerged as a veritable treasure trove, brimming with vintage baseball cards that have now captivated the collecting community. The crown jewels of this dusty assemblage? A remarkable set of Babe Ruth cards, which recently soared to new heights at auction, leaving bidders dizzy and the sellers all smiles.
The unlikely heroes of this real-life treasure hunt are a pair of siblings who, while flipping through their late parents’ belongings, unearthed sports history gold. Though they prefer to keep their anonymity — perhaps preferring not to tempt fate with newfound fortune’s gaze — what they’ve achieved is akin to cracking a safe they didn’t even realize contained anything of real value.
Enter Jack Kiko, an auctioneer with Stark County’s Kiko Auctions, who smelled possibility and potential as strongly as a stick of bubblegum in a vintage baseball card pack. Encouraged by a hunch that these relics might carry weight far beyond nostalgia, Kiko set the stage for an auction that would become a spectacle in its own right.
Running from May 28 through June 2, the online auction was a dizzying atmosphere of anticipation and excitement as the bidding frenzy unfolded. In total, there were 623 lots available to the enthusiastic participants, with the vast majority being charming and occasionally awe-inspiring baseball cards. Among them, over 200 cards represented the storied 1933 Goudey Big League Gum set, an artifact of Americana that marries the exhilaration of sport with the sweetness promised by the gum it once encased.
For those not entrenched in the collector’s world, the 1933 Goudey cards aren’t just another set of relics. They were trailblazers in their time, the first to sweeten business with gum and forever transforming the sporting goods landscape. Laden with Hall of Famers, this collection is often considered the Holy Grail of baseball cards, still sought after with the fervor of a 9-inning pennant chase.
As virtual hammers swung and imaginations ran wild, these cards congregated a winning bid sum of $120,699 — and that’s before adding the obligatory 10% internet premium and the inevitable 6.5% in sales taxes, pushing total investments beyond $140,000. It’s quite the score, indeed.
Among the dispersed treasures was a much-coveted prize: a 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth card, featuring the legendary slugger aloft in a red background, selling for $8,000. In aggregate, five distinct Ruth cards alone managed a choreographed swirl of transactions, collectively commanding $35,250 before the bidder’s obligatory fees and taxes snuck in their final swing.
These cards, with their nostalgic aura and emblematic status, varied in condition. Curiously, none received professional grading prior to the sale, a dice roll for bidders — but isn’t a touch of risk the crackling allure of this old card game? It’s a gamble that fans and collectors alike seem all too willing to make, an homage to the unpredictability of the sport itself.
From a mostly forgotten attic corner to the buzzing landscape of a digital auction, these baseball relics once again proved that America’s pastime holds a timeless appeal. Sprinkled with the sweet aroma of nostalgia and the ever-promising potential of an undisclosed attic somewhere else, this parcel of history reaffirms that sometimes, just sometimes, extraordinary discoveries are nestled in the most unassuming of places.
In a time that idolizes new, shiny technology and the cutting-edge, there is something both comforting and exhilarating to see the enduring value placed on artifacts of the past. These cards, in their faded yet venerable glory, connect us to a different era and exemplify the everlasting allure of baseball. Not just a game, but a stitch in the very fabric of culture, these treasures from Ohio’s quiet recesses remind us of the stories and memories sports preserve, eagerly waiting for their chance to be rediscovered and cherished all over again. Could there be more gems undiscovered? Only time, and perhaps a bit of attic exploration, will tell.
