Babe ruth blue pencil auto?
 

Hello everyone, longtime lurker on this site until I purchased a ruth fan letter once belonging to a nice member on here who suggested I go ahead and join. Long time collector of the modern stuff autos and game used. Just getting into the jungle of the high end vintage stuff.

Ok well to the business at hand, this item is being offered to me with a story of being cut out of a 1920s yankees scorecard (blue pencils supplied at the time???) any info on authenticity is appreciated!

Attachment 149669

Auto looks authentic IMO. Not sure why the blue pencil, but perhaps someone here who's well-versed on the Yankees (like David A) is familiar.

Eager to hear what others say...

Thanks, anyone else charge to chime in? Any and all opinions appreciated.

Anyone have anything to add?

Wrong section. It would elicit responses if it were under the Autograph section.

Thank you!

From the small scan it looks okay, but so do a lot of forgeries. If that's the scan the seller gave you, I wouldn't touch it, but I am extra-cautious with Ruth items and wouldn't touch any Ruth cut.

I was also concerned about the scan, I did receive a better picture:

The small 'b' looks like it's been messed with.

Looking at the scans close it looks like the auto just has some lighter and darker areas from pressure I would assume, or the auto is fading over time

I don't like it. And like Scott said, stay away from cuts.

The one thing about pencil autographs is that they don't fade over time, whereas ink can fade, FWIW

Without commenting on this specific item, I am often wary of pencil signatures.

Unlike ink that makes slowness or slight hesitation obvious, pencil hides a lot of sins.

What makes it look fake to you guys? I am no expert but I don't see any issues.

Alex, sometimes when you've looked at a lot of good signatures, a bad one sticks out and you aren't sure exactly why - but I did mention the small 'b'.

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I agree totally, and that is why the rarest 25-30 HoFers are hard to determine real vs. fake... There is very little "feel" with them as well as examples. With Ruth, even with multiple Ruth's in my collection,and Gehrig I still have trouble.
Your pencil signature seems slow in speed and flow from the first B in Babe all the way through.

Are there sizing/ formation issues? That is to say to me the signature does not stand out as an out and out clear forgery. I'm not the kind of person to hope an item is real and contradict all who say it isn't. I just want to be a bit more educated so I don't have a horror story on my hand.

My recommendation would be to carefully re-read the responses in this thread. You can become a bit more educated by also looking at the plethora of threads in this forum regarding Ruth autographs.

I've gotten a few opinions both ways, I guess I should pass. I guess nobody would be able to say 100% nowadays! Great to ask for collectors opinions and not have to pay hundreds! Thanks to all who replied. If anyone wants to add anything else it's more than appreciated

This is not one I would buy. The e is upturned very sharply and the second looks almost patched.

Like I always say to my friends "When in doubt, do without."

As with any autograph you might desire, study, study and keep studying.

As Jim Stinson would advise, the most expensive autograph that you'll ever buy is one that is not genuine.

Err on the side of caution to avoid owning a bad autograph forever... ;)

Does anyone think this auto looks suspiciously similar to the original I posted?

Pic 1

Given the slightly different angles and photo resolution, it is hard to tell if one is a copy of the other or they are unnaturally similar cookie cutter fakes.

Either way, at least one of them is a problem.

JimStinson
 

With cuts depends on who the seller is , if he has a longstanding reputation of honesty and integrity , and has been around the block a few times you are probably OK...speaking for myself I rarely if ever buy just "Cuts" especially of high end autographs like Ruth etc. But I will often sell cuts from a collection of autograph books albums etc. That I've purchased intact and have talked to or researched the actual source. If there is even a slight level of discomfort I don't buy and certainly don't sell.

So its not so much the "cut" as to where it was coming from. Just ask ...reputable dealers will explain the source thoroughly. As they put their reputation on the line every time they sell an autograph.....And if that is not enough ASK AROUND about the seller if no one has ever heard of the guy...don't buy.

Oh and if he looks like either one of these rascals ..prudent to Bow Out
____________________________
jim@stinsonsports.com

Vintage Autographs For Sale Daily
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Not saying either one is fake but what are the odds two blue pencil autos are 1. Signed so similar 2. Survived so long in pristine condition

My guess is that they are both tracings. One is matted and the other stuck to a card, so it's easy enough to hide the thickness of the paper.

I don't like either one. Just my opinion. The little B's and E don't look right to me. They look like they were signed by same person. In the 2nd one it almost looks like a pause between the b and e also. Maybe one or both are real but just my opinion. I wouldn't touch either. When it comes to a guy like Ruth you want to be 100% comfortable with the piece before you buy.