The Three Babe Ruths
My little town in upstate New York has a few things that we’re proud of; the Revolutionary War was fought around here (I still hope to find me a rebel skull in the backyard), Thomas Edison stayed in a house in our state park for a few months, we’re one of three US super-hotspots for extraterrestrial activity, and Babe Ruth hit a few balls in our town park once. So, while I have no particular affinity for baseball, the transcendent pop culture significance of Babe Ruth doesn’t escape me.
Nothing about sports escapes toymaker Todd McFarlane, though. In addition to helming the most revolutionary action figure company of our time, McFarlane is also a sports paraphernalia collector. Most notably, he’s the proud owner of Mark McGwire’s $3 million 70th home run ball, which he parades around mercilessly. McFarlane Toys has based numerous series of figures 
around various sports personalities also, spanning Hockey, Football, Basketball and Baseball – all displayed in dynamic action poses, and sculpted with stunning accuracy.
Because these figures are based on real people with real lives and team changes, they naturally lend themselves to outfit variations. Hey – if the jocks can call my action figures ‘dolls’, I can call their matching uniforms ‘outfits’. I’ll also be renaming the traditional football ‘tackle’. From now on, it’s called a ‘fancy power hug’.
By way of example, while there might be a huge number of Brett Favre figures in his usual Green Bay Packers uniform, McFarlane would also hypothetically release a Favre in his new Jets outfit also. The same goes for variations in home and away colors, as well changes in team numbers, and changes that occur to team uniforms over time. While it’s impossible to cover all of the bases, no pun intended, these figures that represent the occasional variation in uniform are very sought after by collectors, and when you combine the fervor of sports fans and the awkward passion of toy collectors like myself, you get a frightening level of excitement.
McFarlane has just announced a second Babe Ruth figure, to be released in their 6th Cooperstown Legends line. Two versions will be released : one in his Red Sox uniform, and one in his Yankees uniform. While almost all of these Yankees Ruth figures will represent one appearance of Babe Ruth, McFarlane is producing five Ruths that are different. Just five, for the whole world – and two of these are going to be stored away in the McFarlane archives. So, out there on some mysterious toy shelf somewhere, you might find the rarest action figure ever ‘mass produced’. Keep an eye out for a dark blue Yankees hat, and the package itself will be sealed with blue tape along the back.
Previously, McFarlane had released a variation of Jets player Teemu Selanne. While most of his figures featured his usual number ‘8′, 13 limited figures were released that featured his rookie number ‘13′ – and the secondary market price exploded up to $8500, so even if you’re not a sports fan, keep an eye peeled for ol’ Babe Ruth in a dark blue hat.
n bus trips we would visit the usual tourist places like the Madison State 
Capitol, Devils Lake, Wisconsin Dells or Cave of the Mounds.
was bragging proof I had actually ventured outside of the county limits.
The came in a couple sizes to fit into your budget. Later I added some baseball and Wisconsin Badger pennants. Since mine were hung, sunlight faded the fabric. Vintage examples for sale today often show fading and loss or cracked paint from being rolled up or from handling, leaving most in less than perfect condition. Newer examples have light printing on stiffer material and no ties, some even have pre-punched hanging holes.
special games are always in demand. A sports hero signing one can add great value to any pennant. Sports collectors often display pennants on walls with other memorabilia. 
These colorful pieces are attractive wall hangings for a bedroom, den, family room, or office. And let’s not forget the vast number of sports bars around the country, somebody had to collect all the goodies hanging on the walls in these places.
