1894 orioles cabinet real?
 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1894-Baltimo...item27bda50271 i had seen this for sale on ebay and wanted to know if this is real or fake because i have seen alot of these type of cabinet p[hotos being reprinted

It's an old photograh of a cabinet card, not a cabinet card itself. I would guess from early 1900's - 1920's or so, not from 1894 when the cabinet card was produced though.

The seller is Lelands and they say it's original. I would think they would be able to identify a later reprint. It looks as it might have been cut down, but none the less would be worth quite a bit if original.

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Have you tried asking the seller?

I agree with Phil on this one. It appears to be an old photograph, but it is not the Betz cabinet card. Aside from the fact that it doesn't quite look right, we know this because the photograph on eBay is far too large.

This was offered in the last Leland's auction and did not sell.

Hope this has helped to clear this up,
Charles

I can't tell just from the pictures whether or not it's original, but I don't see reason to say it isn't.

David:

Since an original cabinet, untrimmed, has brought several thousand dollars each time it has sold (I should know, I paid it), there is no way that it would go unsold in a major auction or sit on e-bay for so long without a single bid if this was an original, especially a much larger version, which often times commands even more money than a smaller counterpart.

I have to agree with Phil again here.

David: Why don't we shift the burden of proof and ask what makes this an 1894 photograph?

The size of the photograph and its relationship to the 1894 Betz cabinet are enough to raise major flags for me. Also note that the auction description is vaguely, yet carefully, worded.

This is not a modern reproduction or some kind of fake, but is is not the original cabinet photo from 1894.

Best,
Charles

I 100% agree that the low pricing stand outs, and it struck me. I would think if it is original it would sell for a few thousand at the least. Clearly, others have an opinion about it.

I, however, stick with my earlier non-commital opinion. I haven't said it's original (have never seen it in person), but don't see that it's necessarily a later reprint. I know it's larger than the cabinet card.