1921 Shotwell Babe Ruth on News

[kateighty]

Also found this article https://auburnpub.com/lifestyles/it-...a4e293c64.html and took note of the graded cards in the picture:

The two PSA graded cards in his picture:
#23266801 Ruth Bulgaria Sport Photo - Three out of four PSA Auction Prices realized are PWCC. Sold TWICE in 2019 (3/12/19 and 5/8/19). Four sales overall since 2017.
#42799168 - W551 Walter Johnson - eBay sale 3/14/19

Interesting to say the least.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

My letter to Mr. Wilcox,

David,


Well at least you acknowledged the fact that many of us in the hobby know the Ruth is a photographic reprint (counterfeit) of the known existing copy. You can see the crease in the lower left reproduced on the copy.

I hope the image used on the top of the article isn't his collection as it is chock full of counterfeits, like the T206 Wagner, and cheap examples of big names, like the Bulgaria Sport Ruth. Not exactly the epic cards one would expect from the collection he claims he has. That's without even addressing the autographs.

Oh, and did you ever wonder about 200 million cards? Do you know the kind of space that would occupy? If they were all ungraded and not in holders, packed the most efficient way possible they would weigh approximately 600 tons, and occupy 18,000 cubic feet, or a 2,250 square foot warehouse 8 feet high, with literally every inch fully packed, no aisles, not even shelves, just 5000 count boxes floor to ceiling every square inch.

There is a huge scandal in card collecting right now that has very little to do with this clown, but it's "journalism" like the articles and TV coverage that he's garnered with a counterfeit card that in part help create the atmosphere where the abuses we are seeing can occur.


Scott Russell

[benjulmag]

Originally Posted by kateighty

Also found this article https://auburnpub.com/lifestyles/it-...a4e293c64.html and took note of the graded cards in the picture:

The two PSA graded cards in his picture:
#23266801 Ruth Bulgaria Sport Photo - Three out of four PSA Auction Prices realized are PWCC. Sold TWICE in 2019 (3/12/19 and 5/8/19). Four sales overall since 2017.
#42799168 - W551 Walter Johnson - eBay sale 3/14/19

Interesting to say the least.

It is precisely this kind of journalistic garbage that gives sustenance to the "Fake News" movement. Shame on any publication that publishes it.

[barrysloate]

Absolute garbage. This hobby is starting to wear me down.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Amazingly Mr. Wilcox has reached out to me.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

Amazingly Mr. Wilcox has reached out to me.

So what did he say? Drinks on him?

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Said he wanted to do a follow up piece and would I be willing to talk on the record and did I know anyone else that he could talk to that I would recommend. I asked him where the line forms...

[Leon]

He is a maroon.

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

Said he wanted to do a follow up piece and would I be willing to talk on the record and did I know anyone else that he could talk to that I would recommend. I asked him where the line forms...

[kateighty]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

Amazingly Mr. Wilcox has reached out to me.

Are you serious!?

And yeah I'm with all of you. I thought for sure the article had to be fake news or a prank and had to share. 200 million cards! Stands to leave the auction house with anywhere from $1 million to $40 million! Terrible yet hilarious at the same time. If anything hopefully it provided a good Monday morning chuckle for everyone.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by kateighty

Are you serious!?

And yeah I'm with all of you. I thought for sure the article had to be fake news or a prank and had to share. 200 million cards! Stands to leave the auction house with anywhere from $1 million to $40 million! Terrible yet hilarious at the same time. If anything hopefully it provided a good Monday morning chuckle for everyone.

This guy (the card's owner) has made it his life's work the last few months of getting this story into print anywhere he can. If you google Shotwell Ruth you will find a dozen, maybe more articles about him from the last several months.

[barrysloate]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

This guy (the card's owner) has made it his life's work the last few months of getting this story into print anywhere he can. If you google Shotwell Ruth you will find a dozen, maybe more articles about him from the last several months.

Agreed. This guy just wants to be famous. The baseball cards are secondary.

[pokerplyr80]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

This guy (the card's owner) has made it his life's work the last few months of getting this story into print anywhere he can. If you google Shotwell Ruth you will find a dozen, maybe more articles about him from the last several months.

A modern version of the long con? My guess he figures someone with deep pockets and poor research skills will eventually make a 6 figure offer.

[kateighty]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

This guy (the card's owner) has made it his life's work the last few months of getting this story into print anywhere he can. If you google Shotwell Ruth you will find a dozen, maybe more articles about him from the last several months.

Um duh Scott. I'm well aware. Seriously though, I've read every single article on this guy since his big find. Part of why I came back to net54 after a several year hiatus. When this stuff first happened I was all "damn I bet my net54 guys have something to say about this!" so I started reading more and eventually came back after getting way too many blank stares from my friends and family whenever I brought this up as well as anything old school baseball. Try duckduckgo it's way better than google.

[ruth_rookie]

Originally Posted by kateighty

Also found this article https://auburnpub.com/lifestyles/it-...a4e293c64.html and took note of the graded cards in the picture:

The two PSA graded cards in his picture:
#23266801 Ruth Bulgaria Sport Photo - Three out of four PSA Auction Prices realized are PWCC. Sold TWICE in 2019 (3/12/19 and 5/8/19). Four sales overall since 2017.
#42799168 - W551 Walter Johnson - eBay sale 3/14/19

Interesting to say the least.

Thanks for the updates on this story, Scott and Kat. I’m very interested to see the outcome of this guy’s shenanigans. Laughable how he throws in a fake T206 Wagner with the ever-so-rare ‘71 Killebrew. And I can’t even put into words how gorgeous that autographed Cobb ball is. Doesn’t look anything like the PSA/DNA Cobb check I have on the wall of my man cave. Please keep us posted on any new developments.

Better yet, if anyone knows this guy please reach out to him and ask him to become a 54 member. I’d love to hear the story unfold straight from the horse’s mouth.

[trdcrdkid]

Originally Posted by ruth_rookie

Better yet, if anyone knows this guy please reach out to him and ask him to become a 54 member. I’d love to hear the story unfold straight from the horse’s mouth.

Or from another orifice of the horse.

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by trdcrdkid

Or from another orifice of the horse.

Ear?

[kateighty]

Thanks for the props Jason.

[Promethius88]

I need an update….any update on this HOT story. I love a good dumpster fire and this is great. He's on my love/hate level of Ken Bone but completely on the complete sh*tbag side of the line.

[Orioles1954]

https://auburnpub.com/news/local/pub...home-top-story

The reporter reached out to me a couple of weeks ago and did a great job in verifying and trying to “get it right.” I have no idea what Mr. Ball’s motives are but it’s nice to see his fake material exposed.

James F.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Nice to see behind the scenes work pay off for a change!

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by Orioles1954

https://auburnpub.com/news/local/pub...home-top-story

The reporter reached out to me a couple of weeks ago and did a great job in verifying and trying to “get it right.” I have no idea what Mr. Ball’s motives are but it’s nice to see his fake material exposed.

James F.

I like to read these kinds of things carefully. Egomaniacs often end up unwittingly showing their true colors if you let them talk long enough:


Port Byron native Dale Ball spent the first half of 2019 making headlines after buying what he claims is a million-dollar Babe Ruth baseball card for $2.

Additionally, after interviewing a few collectors and following up with Ball, The Citizen found several inconsistencies in his story. Those inconsistencies suggest that not only is his Ruth indeed fake, but that Ball has consciously deceived the media into reporting otherwise. Ball, for his part, rejected the accusation in a July 25 phone interview. He doesn't need publicity or money, he said.

In his July 25 interview with The Citizen, Ball dismissed collectors like Feagin and Russell as jealous.

"People want to be negative because they can't be happy for someone," he said. "I love it, because all it does is stir up drama and I get more publicity."

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

That was definitely one of my favorites Mark.