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Real Babe Ruth?

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Permalink Reply by ITguy1984 on October 29, 2019 at 8:47am

It seems like that stance has more to do with price paid, then the signature.. I have a feeling if I had not mentioned that, nothing would of been said. That is what I am calling out.. Because I have experienced first hand getting a bargain on a genuine autograph. I do not factor cost.. But I use it as a red flag when determining legitimacy. It one piece of the puzzle, not the whole piece.. Now its being treated as the whole piece.

Yes, there is a lot of variables. Yes, this person could know its a forgery, and thus why its never been authenticated. Or because they have their doubts.. Because at that point it's worthless if it is deemed a forgery. And they are out the expensive authentication fee plus their investment.. And it's literally shifting the risk to me. But I have already called Ebay, the most I am out is $200 plus shipping it to the authenticator at this point.

Well, since we are on the topic of things just noticed..

How about the raised stamping of the mail processing. Did they have that equipment in the 30's and 40's?

I would also think that Beckett gave it a really good look over and seen the feathering before issuing their opinion, but who knows.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on October 29, 2019 at 9:17am

Again, I didn't say your autograph had feathering. I said that the PSA exemplar did. The photo of your autograph isn't clear enough for anyone to tell that.

That wasn't a quick post I wrote last night. I wrote it to explain the likely supply chain, and how at least the consignor of the Babe Ruth and the party he bought it from mustn't have known what Ruth autographs are worth if this one is real, since the Ruth sold for $950, in a fancy frame, at auction. And then there's the person you bought it from selling it for a song.

I wrote it out of concern for you.

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Permalink Reply by Steve on October 29, 2019 at 11:12am

Steve, I completely agree with the chain of thinking you presented. It is clear, concise, and makes sense. In this hobby, you have to do your due diligence and question everything, especially at a higher dollar amount.

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Permalink Reply by ITguy1984 on November 13, 2019 at 10:23am

Hi Steve,

As a follow up I did talk with the seller and he is going to refund me if JSA does not pass with their authentication. He also said, he had no idea what a Ruth was worth when he sold it to me. I collects mostly entertainment and nothing in sports. He said had he known, he would of sent it off for authentication and flipped it. He also sent two Marilyn Monroe's off to JSA that he purchased from the same no reserve auction. If they come back failed and so does the Ruth he is going after Kevin Martin, who the auction house bought all the memorabilia off of at retail cost.

I still have not heard from JSA almost two weeks later, I anticipate that I will next week.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on October 29, 2019 at 10:31am

BTW, before you send take it to JSA, consider taking large, sharp images of the Ruth and asking BAS again.

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Permalink Reply by ITguy1984 on October 29, 2019 at 11:21am

That’s a good idea.

thank you

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Permalink Reply by Mike Shepherd on October 29, 2019 at 12:06pm

Trust Steve’s advice. He has clearly spent a lot of time on this. Please keep us posted. I am curious, particularly about whether or not it is authenticated by JSA.

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Permalink Reply by ITguy1984 on October 29, 2019 at 12:24pm

I will definitely keep everyone posted.

All I’ve done the past 2 days is research Ruth. And this might be the best forgery to date on him if JSA fails it.

im also going to send it back to Beckett for another quick opinion with close ups of the signature. If Beckett gives it likely to pass again and JSA passes it, I have the real deal IMO at probably the best bargain ever

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on October 29, 2019 at 12:50pm

There are AMAZING Babe Ruth forgeries. Probably the best collector forgeries ever are Babes. His is the most popular valuable autograph in America and there's insatiable demand.

A great forgery can get past even a top authenticator for years until they catch it. That's often not sloppiness; you often need to see numerous examples before you find telltale signs.

If yours looks as good in a sharp photo as it does in the one you posted, yes...it's a great forgery if it isn't real.

Permalink Reply by Mike Shepherd on October 29, 2019 at 1:04pm

I agree.

Permalink Reply by Woody2Shoes on October 29, 2019 at 10:58pm

It's not a forgery. What it can be is a reproduction or transference of a real Ruth. But not a forgery. Every aspect of the track is perfect. Even the varying thickness at the correct points due to characteristic pressure changes in the telemetry. That is Ruth's handwriting. Nobody forged a Ruth like this freehand on the fly. And when the final verdict comes in, we'll see if that contention and general consensus that nobody here really knows Ruth is true or not.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on October 30, 2019 at 12:24am

Woody,

There are forgers so talented, and so practiced on their most profitable names, that they can seemingly sign some forgeries like they’re signing their own signature.