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View Full Version : How do you tell if a 1949 Babe Ruth Leaf Gum is real or fake?


UOFLfan7
06-10-2012, 05:59 PM
So as I said in a previouse post I recently won 9000 baseball cards at an auction, and since I found some really rare rookie cards and non-rookie cards I contacted the woman who auctioned them off to see if she went through them before putting them up for auction.
She told me that her cousin willed them to her, and that she did NOT go through any of the cards as she wasn't into basbeall or baseball cards and it was too daunting of a task.
Well I went through some of them, and found a 1949 Babe Ruth Leaf Gum card. It was in pretty good condition, but did show signs of age and had some discoloration. So I did some research on the card and it seems to be pretty authentic, but some reprints look scarily similar to the originals, so i was wondering if you guys here know how to tell a fake 1949 Babe Ruth from an original 1949 babe Ruth.

bbcard1
06-10-2012, 07:57 PM
It's unlikely, but you never know. I once had a genuine 33 Goudey Ruth come to me in a similar way.

tjb1952tjb
06-10-2012, 08:04 PM
Posting scans here of front and back would help..........

UOFLfan7
06-10-2012, 08:35 PM
Here are some pics...now as I understand if it it has a space between the shoulders and the edge it is generally a reprint, but I have seen a some authentic ones graded by PSA that have that same space, so I don't know...I'll let you guys decide.
Also, just to let you know I did find it in a really old looking card sleeve, but had to take it out of the sleeve due to glare when taking the picture.

Cooper1927
06-10-2012, 08:41 PM
My vote is genuine. The 'white' in the uniform is the same as the border...

UOFLfan7
06-10-2012, 08:57 PM
My vote is genuine. The 'white' in the uniform is the same as the border...

Thanks for the help. I'll get a few more opinions before I get it graded, but I have showed it to an avid collector who is one my neighbors and he says it looks authentic also.
Its amazing what you can find at auction houses!

CW
06-10-2012, 09:05 PM
Looks like it might be real, but possibly trimmed? If it's not trimmed, that is in great shape (minus the surface issues).

Here's an interesting thread discussing the space between the shoulders and the edge on this card....

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?p=877861

Matthew H
06-10-2012, 09:35 PM
What is that sliver of white along the right side border? Is it just the picture or is it on the card?

UOFLfan7
06-10-2012, 09:37 PM
Looks like it might be real, but possibly trimmed? If it's not trimmed, that is in great shape (minus the surface issues).

Here's an interesting thread discussing the space between the shoulders and the edge on this card....

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?p=877861

Thanks for your opinion.
And that thread was pretty interesting. Hopefully this card is authentic!

UOFLfan7
06-10-2012, 09:38 PM
What is that sliver of white along the right side border? Is it just the picture or is it on the card?

If you are talking about the little line on the right side in the first picture then it is just the background paper.

Johnny Ballgame
06-11-2012, 01:30 AM
I'm sorry, but this is a reprint. It exhibits the exact same surface wear patterns on the "aged reprints" floating around. For example:

http://i.imgur.com/aP7PG.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/OP3UD.jpg

Note the front crease locations, spots, and the scuff to the right of the "H" in Ruth, along with the fading on the word "Gum" at the bottom back left.

These images are from an Etsy listing (http://www.etsy.com/listing/82723578/1949-leaf-babe-ruth-authentic-looking). We can revisit the whole issue of people "antiquing" their reprints, but I'd rather not. It just stinks. (And the idea of that card exhibiting four sharp corners should give anyone pause.)

FrankWakefield
06-11-2012, 06:11 AM
UoFL... where are you getting these cards?

Print that post #10 of mine from that Cracker Jack thread... fold that paper and carry it with you. Anytime you're about to buy some old cards, unfold the paper and read it. You're amassing a good set of reprints and fakes the way you're going now. You at least need a black light.

UOFLfan7
06-11-2012, 07:50 AM
UoFL... where are you getting these cards?

Print that post #10 of mine from that Cracker Jack thread... fold that paper and carry it with you. Anytime you're about to buy some old cards, unfold the paper and read it. You're amassing a good set of reprints and fakes the way you're going now. You at least need a black light.
Haha, I didn't buy the cracker jacks. Those were on Ebay and like I said in the original post, I got this one in an auction with 8999 other cards so if this is a reprint it's fine with me, sure it would be nice if it was real and yeah i'm a little dissapointed but its fine haha.
Just look at some of my June pickups in the post war cards thread.

UOFLfan7
06-11-2012, 07:54 AM
I'm sorry, but this is a reprint. It exhibits the exact same surface wear patterns on the "aged reprints" floating around. For example:

http://i.imgur.com/aP7PG.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/OP3UD.jpg

Note the front crease locations, spots, and the scuff to the right of the "H" in Ruth, along with the fading on the word "Gum" at the bottom back left.

These images are from an Etsy listing (http://www.etsy.com/listing/82723578/1949-leaf-babe-ruth-authentic-looking). We can revisit the whole issue of people "antiquing" their reprints, but I'd rather not. It just stinks. (And the idea of that card exhibiting four sharp corners should give anyone pause.)
Wow does that suck haha, but it's not really that big of a loss as ugly with a Tom of other cards. This one may be fake but the others are real, just not worth 800-6000 dollars by themselves...