Posted By:
Mark SteinbergAaron...
A bunch of these began showing up on ebay about 2 years ago. At first, they were selling for close to $2,000, and then (as more and more were offered) the prices realized got down below $100.
I would guess that over 25 of these were offered in a span of about a year and a half. There were other pieces being produced as well... Ruth/Gegrig Broadsides, Fan for a Fans, Babe Ruth Kaywoodie Pipe Easel-back displays, fake decal bats, etc.
All of the bogus pieces seemed to eminate from Ohio, or in some cases, Indiana. Somebody there was creating these, and circulating them as authentic. There was another thread here about 3 months ago, in which a Forum member said he met a swindler at a swapmeet or flea market, and he was selling these pieces out of his van. When asked about the origins, the seller replied that he had so much of this stuff, he couldn't know where it came from (or something similar...)
Sorry to report this bad news, but there are a ton of fake pieces out there. All examples of this particular piece appear to have the lower left corner damage (just like the Halper example). It has somehow been copied in some fashion. Perhaps additinal forum members can chime in with more specifics and additional info.