By BABE WAXPAK, Scripps Howard News Service

Dear Babe: My husband has a 1958 Topps Mickey Mantle card (No. 150), an Ed Mathews Topps (120) and a Whitey Ford Topps (160). All are in mint/near mint condition. All three have been autographed and he has the letters of authenticity. These are cards he got as a kid. He got the cards signed in Atlanta in 1992.

Dear Babe: We have a mission should you choose to accept. We acquired the attached old photos of Babe Ruth. I've been trying to identify the person and building in the background. From what I've been able to discern, it's not St. Mary's in Baltimore. Perhaps he made an appearance at a hospital? They are great old photos, probably earlier in his career as he is fairly thin.

Dear Babe: I have a box of programs from the last race Richard Petty ran in at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. They have never been out of the box and each program has a patch attached to the cover. I also have several that are autographed. -- Skipper Burns, Griffin, Ga.

Dear Babe: I was at the car wash in Fullerton, maybe 20 or so years ago, and guess who was there? I actually got Sandy Koufax to sign a ball for me. It was a cheap Little League baseball that I had in the trunk. -- Tom Brandt, Hemet, Calif.

Dear Babe: When my son was a teenager, he earned spending money by setting up as a dealer at baseball card shows. He still has in his possession an unopened 1982 Topps vending case (12,000 cards). After, 26 years, I assume it has significantly increased in value from the original purchase price of $186. -- Joe Dougherty, Murrieta, Calif.

Dear Babe: As part of an elementary school writing project in the 70s, I wrote a letter to Art Rooney Sr. Mr. Rooney replied. Included in his reply was a 3-x-5 drawing of him done by LeRoy Neiman. The drawing is signed by each of them and is labeled "Football Dinner, New York, May 22nd, 1972'' The signatures are each in ink.

Dear Babe: I recently began collecting autographs from baseball players. What would you suggest has the most value signed: a baseball, a bat or a flat item? If I am looking to add value to my collection, what should I be getting signed? -- Woody Van Treek, Alpharetta, Ga.It's all a matter of personal taste, what a collector has room to display and what one can afford.

Chalk this one up to nobody asked me, but... In light of the 100th anniversary of "Take Me Out To The Ballgame,'' Da Babe was curious about the value of original sheet music. It's not that much. The song was a hit from the get-go with millions of copies of sheet music sold, so a copy is only worth around $100, according to several auction sources.

Dear Babe: I have a picture of Charlie Dressen. He is with his wife and a couple of friends. It was taken at Sammy's Bowery Follies in New York. It is signed by Dressen dated 1946. I also have a Christmas card signed by him. -- Dolores Dobson, Flowery Branch, Ga.

Dear Babe: I have an autographed poster from the June 23, 1986, Old-Timers baseball game played at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. It was sponsored by Budweiser. In previous years, the game had been sponsored by Cracker Jack. The autographs are authentic as I collected them myself. I was an official on the field and in the locker room.