Lou Gehrig's Babe

[whitey19thcentury]

Has anyone noticed the Gehrig signed photo in Hunt's Babe Ruth Auction? The Babe salutation looks a lot like some "authenticated" Ruth sigs floating around.

[Bpm0014]

No it doesn’t. Not at all. But if you can find one please post it...

[scooter729]

I saw it and noted in the Hunt thread, that I wondered if Gehrig was ever a secretarial / ghost signer for Babe. I feel comfortable that it looks like a legit Gehrig signed photo, but his "Babe" looks very similar to how Ruth really signed his name, which is what made me wonder....

As I search for other Gehrig inscribed photos, where he finished a word with an "e", none of them were written in the way he wrote the "e" in "Babe". That's what really made me think he could have been used to signing "Babe" in a certain way, and why he may have signed it on the picture in that way.

[slidekellyslide]

I believe Gehrig was mimicking Babe's signature. Ruth's signature was already iconic.

[SetBuilder]

What is the value of a Babe Ruth autograph forged by Lou Gehrig?

[Lordstan]

Originally Posted by SetBuilder

What is the value of a Babe Ruth autograph forged by Lou Gehrig?

on a T206?

[SetBuilder]

Originally Posted by Lordstan

on a T206?

Now that you mention it, I'm surprised no one has put a Babe Ruth signature on a beater T206.

"My great grandfather was at the train station and all he had on him for Ruth to sign at the time was a Paddy Livingston T206 card..."

[Stampsfan]

Originally Posted by whitey19thcentury

Has anyone noticed the Gehrig signed photo in Hunt's Babe Ruth Auction? The Babe salutation looks a lot like some "authenticated" Ruth sigs floating around.

Maybe the Babe bought a generic Gehrig signed photo, and added his own "To Babe" to make it personalized.

[chalupacollects]

Originally Posted by Lordstan

on a T206?

Certified authentic also?

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by Bpm0014

No it doesn’t. Not at all. But if you can find one please post it...

I agree with you, but the OP's opinion is important to note. It reminds me that I need to step back about insisting that new collectors educate themselves before taking the opinion of a TPA. Some people don't have the skills to authenticate an autograph and never will, yet there is no reason why they shouldn't be able to collect. Not sure what to tell them, as trusting the big TPA's on expensive autographs is not a good idea.

Regarding the OP, it's certainly possible that he could study Ruth autographs and become an expert - I have no idea, as I don't know him or what he's done to educate himself. Maybe he has the skills that study can add to - maybe he doesn't. Hopefully he is able to collect at whatever level he chooses, regardless.

[Bpm0014]

He stated that there a lot of "authenticated" Ruth signatures out there....that look questionable. And I just wanted to see these "authenticated" signatures that look questionable. But no worries!

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by Lordstan

on a T206?

in a snow storm, on the fourth of July?

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by Bpm0014

He stated that there a lot of "authenticated" Ruth signatures out there....that look questionable. And I just wanted to see these "authenticated" signatures that look questionable. But no worries!

I would also like to see them. This will never happen, but I would like to see all authenticated (by the big ones) Ruths gradually looked at by a group of non-paid Ruth experts and each put in a category;e.g.-'real in our opinion', bad, 'don't know. If it were gratis I think it would be enlightening for some here. There are too many problems with such an idea to discuss here - it would have to probably be done in secret and you would have to give a super-secret handshake to get access to results.

I would also tag the 'bad' and some of the 'I don't know' with a 'probable forger' code if one is known.

[Bpm0014]

but I would like to see all authenticated (by the big ones) Ruths gradually looked at by a group of non-paid Ruth experts and each put in a category;e.g.-'real in our opinion', bad, 'don't know.

I'd be down with this. I'll gladly opine on any Ruth autograph questions thrown my way!

[Runscott]

Brendan, it won't happen. Only way would be a super-secret society of authentication that no one would benefit from except the 'authenticators' themselves.

The big TPA's have a strangle-hold on ALL autograph authentication, and it benefits all the big players (AH's, consignors, etc) financially to such an extent that nothing is going to change.

I avoided TPA's for twenty years, but recently dealt with both PSA and JSA and was very impressed with the expertise of each. Given the authenticated Ruth's we've seen, it's easy to see that this is about money - not expertise.