Real or Bogus 1933 Goudey Ruth #149

[sportsstuff629]

Came across this post on ebay. Started asking the seller questions because if he really was confident in the authenticity I think he would have stated so in the listing and/or had it graded or set a higher price. In back and forth messages, he tells me that he believes it's authentic but he doesn't want to to spend the money to get it authenticated. I asked if he was willing to stand behind it if I were to send it out and it comes back fake. he doesn't want to wait that long. he prefers a quick sale and be done with it. Can anyone share any tips or tricks on how to determine if it's authentic from a picture? Or do I need to have it in hand so I can put it under magnfication? Below should be the link to the listing. Thanks!


https://www.ebay.com/itm/203108464888?ul_noapp=true

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Fake

[x2drich2000]

ummm, yeah, not even close. Better question might be what isn't wrong with it. Wrong stock, wrong color, bad focus and that's just a start. It really screams fake. This might sound harsh and I don't intend to be mean about it, but if you or anyone else is really seriously interested in a card like this, I would really recommend getting to know what to look for so you can spot obvious fakes like this without a second thought or, alternatively, just get a copy already graded.

[sportsstuff629]

ummm, yeah, not even close. Better question might be what isn't wrong with it. Wrong stock, wrong color, bad focus and that's just a start. It really screams fake. This might sound harsh and I don't intend to be mean about it, but if you or anyone else is really seriously interested in a card like this, I would really recommend getting to know what to look for so you can spot obvious fakes like this without a second thought or, alternatively, just get a copy already graded.
I appreciate the candid reply. i was comparing it to the graded listing on this site. https://syckscards.weebly.com/. the coloring looks a bit different but I have found variations in other genuine cards that I bought due to fading, etc. so I wasn't sure if that could be a factor her. If there are other tell-tale signs that you can share on what to look for, I would love to know. Thanks in advance!

[Casey2296]

The edge aging is too precise, like his pet mouse chewed on it. He has 27 feedback at E-bay, clearly he deals in basketball items, anybody who wouldn't grade a Ruth card to maximize value is out of their mind. I'm sure his grandfather remembers the day he pulled it from the pack...

Etc.

[rdwyer]

His statements also screams fake. If it was real, he would've graded it by now. He knows it's fake.

[FrankWakefield]

What they said... the card is a reprint. If illuminated with uv light, it will brightly blaze purple.

[ajjohnsonsoxfan]

fake. have never seen edges like that

[x2drich2000]

I appreciate the candid reply. i was comparing it to the graded listing on this site. https://syckscards.weebly.com/. the coloring looks a bit different but I have found variations in other genuine cards that I bought due to fading, etc. so I wasn't sure if that could be a factor her. If there are other tell-tale signs that you can share on what to look for, I would love to know. Thanks in advance!

Here's is one comparison to check that makes it pretty obvious. One is the fake you posted, the other is an original.

[drcy]

A simplle question to ask is: Why is he selling it for just $800? The way he talks about the card, there is doubt he knows the value for a real one.

[sportsstuff629]

Thanks to everyone for their feedback. I had the same feelings as what most of you are calling out. I asked him why he would ever consider selling this card for $800 when he can get it graded and get $2k+. He said he just needed to get cash quick and had no desire to wait 2 months to get it back from grading. I also offered to pay for the grading ahead of time just to see if he would bite and he turned that down as well. I've been buying for 20+ years so my gut told me not to do this transaction but I would love to eventually learn the tricks of looking at a card itself in order to determine if it's real or fake. I did find some good resources out there for how to spot a fake Ruth #144 but couldn't find any on this particular card. The one thing I find interesting is the fact that many of these old Ruth cards still sell for several hundred dollars even though the listing clearly states they are being sold as "unknown", with no guarantee to their authenticity. I personally don't understand why someone would want to pay that much for a fake. i get not everyone can afford the real deal but it just doesn't seem like a good investment to spend that much on a reproduction, no matter how good it looks.

[hcv123]

When you handle enough of the real stuff - the fakes jump out at you. Lots of great advice already given. When they start up again - get out to shows and handle more of the cards you intend to buy (If you can't/won't do that, buy graded only or risk learning a VERY expensive lesson- Ones like the Ebay listing you linked will start to look as fake to you as it does to others in this thread.
That you made it to the point of conversation (what's there to talk about regarding an obvious fake) with the owner makes me scared for you. All said in the interest of helping.

[sportsstuff629]

Appreciate your candid feedback. I may seem a little naive but in reality my gut usually steers me right. In 20+ years I have been fortunate in that I have only ended up with 2 or 3 reprints in all. Not bad given how many I've purchased over the years. Thanks again, I do appreciate the advice and I can't wait for shows to start back up.

[lumberjack]

Nobody ever talks about this, but around 1976, Charles Brooks reprinted 1933 Goudey's.
This was 45 years ago and the quality of printing has evolved considerably, but at the time, a number of veteran collectors weren't too happy about this.
As I remember, there was a slug of type on the reverse that said "reprint," but how tough would it have been to remove the word.
This was, to my knowledge, the first time anybody had reprinted classic cards and if they looked passable enough in 1975 imagine what half a century of aging could do to them.
lumberjack

[riggs336]

Nobody ever talks about this, but around 1976, Charles Brooks reprinted 1933 Goudey's.
This was 45 years ago and the quality of printing has evolved considerably, but at the time, a number of veteran collectors weren't too happy about this.
As I remember, there was a slug of type on the reverse that said "reprint," but how tough would it have been to remove the word.
This was, to my knowledge, the first time anybody had reprinted classic cards and if they looked passable enough in 1975 imagine what half a century of aging could do to them.
lumberjack

Twenty years ago I bought one of those reprinted Ruths for $400 from a guy who said it was the real thing. Five years ago I finally got around to submitting it for grading. Oops. It cost me $2200 to replace the fake with a legitimate copy in a similar condition. Given today's prices it all worked out ok, but the moral of the story is don't buy an ungraded '33 Ruth.

[Bigdaddy]

And besides looking at the card, look at who is selling it. Would you buy this card out of a guy's trunk in the parking lot of Wal-mart? Well, that's what his eBay store is; just look at what he's trying to sell. 1989 raw Griffey Jr.s for $200 OBO and a bunch of NBA jerseys.

If I had any doubt about the card, one look at his store would be all the convincing I would need that this is fake and he knows it.

[x2drich2000]

And besides looking at the card, look at who is selling it. Would you buy this card out of a guy's trunk in the parking lot of Wal-mart? Well, that's what his eBay store is; just look at what he's trying to sell. 1989 raw Griffey Jr.s for $200 OBO and a bunch of NBA jerseys.

If I had any doubt about the card, one look at his store would be all the convincing I would need that this is fake and he knows it.

While I understand what you are trying to say, deals for legitimate cards have been been made in some very unusual places, including parking lots. Just ask Leon.