1930 Ray O Prints...

[Leon]

Recent pick up of this Ruth (around $30) goes well with the stand used to develop these type cards. It is said these could easily be reproduced due to their method of manufacture, but I have not really seen any that made me think they were newer cards. I am sure it's been done though . It's hard to find a period Babe Ruth for under $50 but this is one of them (sometimes they go a little higher as they aren't all that common)!!

[ullmandds]

i once read/heard they can be developed later...so the actually "card" is real...it just wasn't "developed" when the card was made(the 30's). It may have been developed last year...but I've never heard of reproduction cards per say?

[packs]

I never bought the stigma associated with these cards. I have a Ruth too. It may be possible to reproduce them, but you would need all of the original materials to do it. I would liken it to any other strip card. Produced in high numbers cheaply but still period.

[drcy]

What Pete said.

You can make a fair judgement by examining the photopaper. If it is toned, or at least off white, and fibery/matte on back and all dried out and otherwise seems old, that's a good sign its old. Also, almost all modern paper fluoresces under black light, often has a plasticy/smooth back as its resin (plastic) coated and the stock is much whiter (often snow white).

As mentioned, a modern photo card made from the original negative isn't quite the same as a regular baseball reprint or fake, and might be worth something anyway to go along with the stand. Obviously, baseball card collectors desire the vintage 1930 version and a modern version by itself (sans stand/kit) will have little value, but it would be like making a modern photo made from that Conlon glass negative you won at auction to display with the negative. The Ray O Print kits (and stand) are worth a lot more than the actual card, even if the card is vintage, just as the value in that Conlon display would mostly due to the negative.

15, 20 years back a dealer had plethora of the complete Ray O Print sets in very high grade-- where most kit photo card singles are tough--, which made me think someone had made modern versions from the negatives. But old versus new photo paper is usually pretty clear and you can judge card by card.

If someone's a nervous or unsure about the issue, he can invest his collecting money in the kits (envelope, negative, stand or frame), which you will see for sale and auction. No one's reproduced the kits and they're highly collectible themselves-- with or without an accompanying card.