The ‘American Pickers’ Babe Ruth Ball Could’ve Fetched a Lot More Money if It Had Been Mint

If the idea of scouring antique stores for rare finds gets you all hot and bothered, then you've probably watched American Pickers. The History Channel series chronicles the efforts of antediluvian collectible enthusiasts Mike Wolfe and the late Frank Fritz, as they travel across the United States for valuable historical items just waiting to be discovered.

One of the more astounding pieces they managed to locate was an autographed Babe Ruth baseball. But was it the real deal?

Even if you aren't a fan of America's Favorite Pastime, there's a good chance you know who Babe Ruth is. He's one of the most iconic sports figures in history, with 714 career home runs, an MLB record that stood for 53 years until Hank Aaron broke it in 1974. To this day, Ruth's ball-hitting percentage remains unbeaten, with a .690 average.

Despite athletes becoming stronger and faster throughout the years, Ruth's total number of home runs remains impressive, too. He still holds the number three all-time spot behind Aaron and Barry Bonds, as of this writing.

Since his final game took place on May 30, 1935, any memorabilia associated with the baseball icon can fetch a hefty price.

This is why Mike and Frank were excited after spotting a 1928 Yankees World Series baseball that was purportedly signed by both Ruth and teammate Lou Gehrig on Season 19, Episode 18 of the popular series.

First, the state of the ball posed some worry. Ruth's signature was clearly imprinted on the ball, but Gehrig's could barely be made out.

While the old ball certainly looked like it had withstood nearly a century of ownership, the reality TV personalities were unsure as to whether or not it was an authentic unit. After all, forgery in the world of sports artifacts isn't exactly uncommon.

In 2025, a sports memorabilia dealer admitted to being "addicted" to forging valuable items, amounting to around $350 million in sales, CBS reported.

For the American Pickers duo, being able to discern the validity of the ball on the spot was a tough prospect, so they took a chance and dropped $3,000 on the ball in the hopes of selling it for $5,000 to turn a profit.

Later on in the season, in Episode 23, Danielle Colby has the ball assessed by an autograph authenticator who rules on the ball's validity. He says that the signatures featured on it were indeed Gehrig's and Ruth's, but that its condition ultimately impeded its value.

Had it been mint, the pickers could've fetched anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000 for it. But since it was beat up, the valuation dropped to $5,000, which is what Mike and Frank were hoping to get for it anyway. Danielle shares the happy news with the team, and the risk that they took ends up paying off for them.

The buy pales in comparison to the costliest purchase in the show's history, which occurred in Season 17 on an episode called "The $90,000 question." In it, the team drops 90 bands on a motorcycle made by the Ace Motor Corporation.

Ace Motors didn't make bikes for that long, and the pickers paid $45,000 for the single ride, along with another $45k for other bikes they located in an Oregon barn. While fully restoring the bike was a difficult prospect due to the limited availability of parts for it, the $45k Sporting Solo they bought fetched nearly $200,000 at auction, more than justifying their purchase, according to SlashGear.