View Full Version : Gray-backed Batter Ups?
Chris Counts
10-14-2011, 10:47 AM
I was going to bid on a Batter Up on eBay until I looked at the back. Have anybody ever seen a gray back before? It's high number, for whatever that's worth. I looked at my Batter Ups (low and high #s) and they all have a distinctive light golden brown color. The front of the card in question, by the way, is also B&W, which is curious as well, because I only have B&W Batter Ups in low numbers. All my high #s have subtle green, blue and sepia tints.
Also, it's clear from the scan I posted that this was a color scan and not a B&W scan because both front and back have some very small brown stains or foxing. If this was an Exhibit, it would be called a fake. Does anybody have any opinions or comments? Thanks, Chris
leftygrove10
10-14-2011, 10:58 AM
Chris:
You and I have discussed this many times.... Here are my three Grove high numbers.... All three are different colors. The one in the middle looks more B/W than the others, so it may be B/W...
Brad
http://www.bandkgreen.net/lefty_grove/vintagelefty_files/1934_batterup153_colors.jpg
Chris Counts
10-14-2011, 11:32 AM
Hi Brad, it's the back of the card I posted that's my biggest concern. Are the backs of your various Grove cards gray or tan? I have about 40 Batter Ups and all have tan backs ...
My few have tan backs....and here is a scarce premium and it too has a tan back :)...
barrysloate
10-14-2011, 02:16 PM
Like the 1948 Franklin Half.
leftygrove10
10-15-2011, 04:37 AM
I don't normally make back scans of blank-back cards, but if I can find one or two of these this weekend, I will make some scans for you. I can probably put it next to a low number batter-up back to give you an idea of how it compares.
brianp-beme
10-15-2011, 07:53 AM
My collection is almost strictly from 1-80, and all of mine have tan-ish backs.
Brian
Chris Counts
10-15-2011, 09:12 AM
Like Exhibit cards, it seems to me that Batter Ups would be easy to fake. The back of the card I posted looks to me just like the back of one of those fake "1950s" Exhibits I see from time to time on eBay ...
CobbSpikedMe
10-15-2011, 01:29 PM
Chris,
All of my Batter Ups are low numbers, but they too all have tan backs. One of them does have the tan back peeling away and it is clearly grey underneath, but the card you're questioning doesn't appear to be skinned so I doubt that's the explanation for the entire back being grey.
Best,
AndyH
Checked my Batter Ups (still need No. 145 Joe Medwick) and all 191 have uniform tan (golden brown) backs. Still, it's possible a few R318s were printed on the wrong stock.
I was going to bid on a Batter Up on eBay until I looked at the back. Have anybody ever seen a gray back before? It's high number, for whatever that's worth. I looked at my Batter Ups (low and high #s) and they all have a distinctive light golden brown color. The front of the card in question, by the way, is also B&W, which is curious as well, because I only have B&W Batter Ups in low numbers. All my high #s have subtle green, blue and sepia tints.
Also, it's clear from the scan I posted that this was a color scan and not a B&W scan because both front and back have some very small brown stains or foxing. If this was an Exhibit, it would be called a fake. Does anybody have any opinions or comments? Thanks, Chris