Babe Ruth Japanese phone card

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Posted By: Ron

I have a Japanese phone card that has Babe Ruth on it. Would anybody be able to tell me how old it is and if it's worth anything? Thanks!

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Posted By: Paul S

Not Japanese, but at one point in time mine was worth 5 minutes.

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Posted By: Ron

ummm...not quite what I have. I have a few telling me it is from 1926 or 1927.

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Posted By: Randy Trierweiler

Well Ron, the first phone cards were issued in the early 1980s.

I don't think they had phone cards in 1926, got a scan?

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Posted By: Bilko G

I think you will have to provide a scan (like mentioned above) if you want the card identified, cause really i would be shocked to hear of a phone card that was produced in 1926.

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Posted By: Jeff S.

Maybe a Menko card of Ruth?

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Posted By: Ron

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Posted By: Ron

It says 1927 on the case but I cannot find a date on the card so that is why I am not sure if it is really from 1927.

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Posted By: Jason Silvey

Ron,

There is a Teleca that makes phone cards but they've only been around since 1994. There is also a Teleca that makes Korean baseball cards, but I'm not sure how long they've been around. Maybe this helps.

Jason

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Posted By: Ryan Christoff

Ruth was not one of the Major Leaguers who toured Japan in 1931, but he was part of the 1934 tour, which is generally credited for planting the seed of professional baseball in Japan.

I would guess the Teleca named on this phone card is the same one that started in 1994. The image is reprinted from a promotional matchbox distributed by the Osaka Electrical Industrial Union to promote their weekly publication by advertising the 1934 U.S. All-Star Tour of Japan. Actually, the phone card is the mirror of the image. Note the backwards American flag.

As mentioned earlier, its worth will depend on how many minutes are left on it.

-Ryan

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Posted By: Ron

How can I figure out how many minutes are on it?