I agree with Pete. Not only are there a lot of postcard collectors out there, they are worldwide, not just in the US. The percentage of post cards that are graded is minuscule. Thus, more-so than for baseball cards, there is the potential for a lot more 1915 BoSox postcards that are not included in pop reports.

1915 Red Sox PC
 

My understanding is that the postcards were issued to fans attending an October game in Boston....unlike the 10s of thousands of 1914 Cracker Jack cards that were purchased in candy boxes. So I guess the question is, how many fans attended and actually took the PC home? Yes, a box of them could be in some back room at the ballpark. If someone hears of that being discovered, please PM me. 😊

Ruth Rookie
 

Let’s see them....when they surface, then we will re-evaluate the value. Jay, you know as well as I do that “speculation” is worth nothing more than a nickel in this hobby.

Where did you get this info from? I have no doubt that these postcards were sold either at the game or local souvenir shops, but I have never heard about them being given out to those in attendance.

Babe Ruth
 

+1

Nice story, but I don't believe it. My guess is that they were sold locally, and maybe widely.

The Dietsche Cobb is just now starting to take off. However, there are other 1907 Cobb postcards (some more rare than the fielding dietsche) and the w600, so the dietsche isn’t the only 1907 Cobb. This appears to be the only 1915 Ruth, and the first in a Red Sox uniform. People are a bit irrational when it comes to Ruth. Understandably so. He is the GOAT. Not to mention, as you wrote, there aren’t many cards of Ruth in a Red Sox uniform.

I agree that there are a good amount of postcard collectors. However, most postcard sets were regional and were printed in very small quantities. Even postcard collectors (or their heirs) who are ignorant about baseball know who Babe Ruth and TyCobb were. The internet has been around for over 20 years where they could look up their hidden gem and immediately know what it’s worth. Do you not think that postcard collectors know what they are collecting or what they are worth? Is postcard collecting the one hobby where collectors somehow have no clue of the value or importance of the items they collect? For the most part, a collector isn’t going to be ignorant about the value of an item that HE PURCHASED. And his heirs will most certainly look into the value of his collection once he has passed away.

These things have been around for over 100 years and we know of only 12 of these Ruths. I doubt that more than 10-15 new copies will ever surface. And as I mentioned in a previous post, extreme rarity isn’t always a good thing for a card’s value anyway. When you think about the high-dollar cards in our hobby, they aren’t exactly the pop 5 cards. The Wagner is up over 40 that we know of. The 1914 joe Jackson is up over 50. There are over 100 of the m101 Ruth. On my way home I tripped over a 1952 mantle. I’m just not sure that your concern over the potential discovery of a few more of these is really valid. I don’t think you believe there are hundreds of these floating around. So if another 20 pop up, I don’t think it would crush the value as much as you fear it may.

Photo was taken 9/30/15 by Sommers by the way.

I know I'm in the minority, but I actually prefer a type one photo from that session to the postcard having owned them both. Larger, more clear, more detailed, more rare, etc. but again that's just me.

https://photos.imageevent.com/bicem/...Photograph.jpg

Ruth Rookie
 

Absolutely correct! In fact, 10+ more surfacing over the next few years might even elevate its exposure. Look at the Lucky 7 find (now 8). There are now 23 known tobacco Ty Cobb as backs and their value is stronger than ever. Over 100 Ruth rookies and their value remains solid with room to grow. There are numerous collectors that seek out Babe Ruth Red Sox cardboard, and a few more on the market will only help this craze.

Ruth Rookie
 

Great photo Jeff....outstanding contrast and clarity!

Awesome photo Jeff. How many different poses are known from this sitting? I think that I have seen four different - all with minor differences. I always thought that it was interesting that Sommers released so many different poses instead of just picking their favorite and going with that one.

Agreed Jeff. I'd take the photo any day!! I'm a photo guy though..

+1

I agree Jeff. Since I consider neither to be baseball cards I would rather have the larger, sharper image which would be the photo.

Photo / Postcard
 

I've had the photo...it's wicked nice, but I'm a cardboard guy. Felt like the postcard was a clear upgrade for me.

If they were, it was a World series game--Boston ended its 1915 regular season on the road, with no home games in October. They only played two World Series games at home, drawing more than 40k at each. Although they could have been handed out or sold at those games, I agree with others they would have been available elsewhere and later also. Still, the 1919 Reds issue comes to mind, where the postcards were all issued with NL. Champs first and then World Champions after the Series. Since Boston won it all in 1915, one could argue the caption would or at least could have stated World's Champions if the issuer waited until around the third week in October before releasing them.

They were definitely issued before the end of the World Series. There are two postcards known with postmarks - October 11 and 12th 1915 respectively.

That's what I figured. But it makes me wonder why they were not issued again thereafter with an updated caption? By the way, the two dates you referenced are the two days the games were played in Boston--somewhat supporting that they may have been made available for the big event, which by the way was played at brand spanking new Braves Field so as to draw bigger crowds.

Don't think they did, one would have been discovered by now.

I agree Jeff. But that too lends credence to the idea that they were ballpark giveaways/sales or were only available for a very limited time, IMO. Otherwise just update the caption starting October 14th, after the World Series was over, at likely little additional production cost. I thus may have to retract my earlier though that these were available elsewhere and later--certainly could be so, but not by a whole lot, it would seem.

I gues that I read this to mean that the postcards may have been handed out like a program would be today: https://sports.ha.com/itm/baseball-c.../50004-50192.s

I pictured someone giving them out as people walked in.

Amazing photo, Jeff
I'm really in the minority as I love the photo and the postcard equally well!

Written by player-manager Bill Carrigan's wife, Connie, after game 3 of the World Series played at Fenway on October 11th. Love the baseball content. You already know what the front looks like.
To the left is a Thompson photo of Carrigan I just won this past week to display with the 1915 Red Sox postcard

1915 Ruth PC
 

Nice postcard Craig!