Is my Babe Ruth fake?
 

I purchased the below Ruth signed Worlds Fair ticket from Lelands' recent December auction. After a comment by a fellow Board member, I am worried about its authenticity.

Should I be worried? If so, I'd like to get in touch with Lelands immediately. I am happy to make a donation for your thoughts.

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...mybaberuth.jpg

I'll repeat what I wrote in a previous thread.

It was penned by the infamous "FM."

Who is FM? I will no doubt need to provide Lelands with more information if I am going to ask for my money back.

Frank Manfredi has a lot of work out there:D


My suggestion is return it if you have any doubts. Leland's will return your money in a second.

Props to you, Shelly, for actually being informative, instead of resorting to that "here's his initials to show that I know, but I'm not sayin' any more than that" bullshit.

Yes, "props" to Shelly.

Shelly and I just discussed that "Ruth" on the phone and he said I'm going to publish his full name.

"Props" to Shelly.

Is that the same guy that forged the 1927 ball? I remember in that thread people wouldn't say his name?

Glad you agree, Chris.

No, that was "JF."

Hey, Shelly... Who's "JF"?

Yeah, Shelly, who is "JF?"

Don't bother, Shelly. I'll do it.

Johnny Fang.

John Fugazi

:):):):):):):):):):)

I hate to pollute the sub-forum with more questions about Ruth autographs, so hopefully this thread has run its course and I can sneak in a related Ruth question.

How does this one look to you all?

Shelly, sometimes it's not fair that we have this much fun on Net54...

Scott, you don't think that naming the actual forgers isn't as important as determining if one particular autograph is good?

(BTW, that one isn't.)

Looks like a circa 1926/27 Ruth. In my opinion: Authentic.

Someone else already asked me about it today.

Just trying to help out for a friend :)

Hi Scott. I was sent that Ruth earlier in the day by your "friend (and mine)" and gave him my opinion then.

edited to remove a poor joke :)

I have faith in Lelands. Just to be sure I'll be sending it to JSA and if it fails Lelands has said they would refund my purchase. Very happy with their customer service.

So if you have no faith in the members opinion here then why ask?

I know other autographs signed by the same person (forger) that have passed TPA.. So just cause it passes it doesn't mean its real.
Matt

james spence charges $250, so his opinion counts the most.

Its not that I want to spend money with Spence but how else can I show that its not authentic? I'd spend a little not to lose a lot.

Just direct them to this thread. It is their responsibility to prove to you why its real, not for you to show them why it is not.

I spoke to Lelands just now. They gave me the e-mail address of Mike Heffner and I have written him an e-mail about the ticket. I'd really hate to spend $250 on Spence if its a forgery, and even if it passes now I feel like the item is tainted.

Pac's, just send it back. There is no reason to have it looked at by anyone else. You will never be happy owning a piece that you really don' trust to be authentic.

I have heard from Mr. Heffner. He said in his e-mail that he feels the signature is good and is familiar with the work of Mr. Manfredi. He has graciously offered to submit the signature to a third party on my behalf and offered to cover the fee. If the item fails he assured me I would be refunded and given a $100 credit on a future auction.

I'd just like to say again that despite my reservations and the concerns of the forum, I am very happy with Lelands handling of the situation. And I thank all of you for your help. This forum is amazing.

Nice job by Lelands on this mess. Good luck w your item

Pretty sure that's a tainted Ruth...I trust the opinions of the folks here much more than that of the guys that have a financial transaction on the line....

I feel conflicted. I trust the members of the forum, but I also have a lot of respect for Lelands and their community of experts. They seem to receive a lot of positive comments from the Board, which is why I have faith in them as I said. But at the same time, I also respect and trust the opinions of our Board members. No one is right 100 percent of the time. I'm happy with their solution of having it examined by a third party and am particularly happy with their offer to pay for the service. Can't ask for anymore than that.

Even if Spence approves, you're always gonna have a tiny worry. You don't need that. Return it, and buy a Ruth everyone agrees on.
(Spence thought my first '27 ball was just fine.)

+1

I will feel confident in the signature if both Spence and Lelands agree. Like I said no one can be right 100 percent of the time and I wouldn't fault Lelands for being wrong this time if they are. Just as Lelands can be wrong, so can a forum member. We all make mistakes. I would love for it to be real.

You'll always have lingering doubts. Why do you want that particular Ruth? It isn't even a particularly nice example. There are (literally) a million other, genuine, Ruths out there.

It satisfies my preferences of having a single signed item that isn't a cut. I also like the idea of the original owner being at the fair and running into Ruth. It also fell within my budget limitations and I do think it is a nice example. I have doubts about all autographs but I feel comfortable buying them if they have passed authentication. This Ruth would be no different. There is no downside to the purchase. I will receive a refund if it fails and feel confident in it if both Lelands and JSA agree on its authenticity.

Well, best of luck, then. Hope it works out in your favor.