Don't feel embarrass, sometimes in life you have to take a calculated chance. You did the right thing by coming here before making payment. You had a little knowledge, you used it, and now you have a little bit more knowledge for the next time. Nothing loss, except for a disappointed eBay reprint seller, and I wouldn't shed a tear for them.
Raw authentic Goudey's can still be found on eBay every once in awhile. Including Ruth and Gehrig cards. You need a good handle on which ones to pull the trigger-on. But, at the end of the day it is not
rocket science quantum field theory; just takes some time and common sense. You are almost there!
Just remember, prewar cards are not like Topps 1972 cards. If you see a legitimate raw Ruth, rest assure, that a few others will have eyes on it as well, and real ones will never sell in the $300 range. A month ago, I snaged a raw 1933 Goudey Ruth (with some back damage) for $400 via the best offer option. That is the exception, but you can certainly find a 1933 Goudey Ruth in the mid $500 range. If you are willing to pay $300+ for a reprint Ruth, not much of a stretch to get into the $500 range (just plea for some $$$ on your next birthday, who needs a purple tie anyways...).
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=120645424732
Lovely Day...