W551 Ruth - Status in the Hobby

[Rhotchkiss]

For reference, here is a W551 Ruth (not mine, image from internet).

Personally, I don’t like “W” series cards, unless they are real pictures (like the Ruth below, which I do own), and even then I own very few and only if they are rare and/or unique poses. I particularly do not like strip cards like the W551, and own none. To me, they are goofy and “less than”; maybe it’s their small size, the dark cardboard, or the clowny images, but they just don’t appeal to me. This includes Wagner items, and I collect almost anything Wagner. That said, they do provide an affordable option to acquire a playing-days version of Ruth, which are otherwise usually very expensive

For me, the one exception is the 1916-1920 UNC Bighead Ruth. It’s a a Red Sox issue, it’s pretty rare, and it’s purposefully goofy so the goofiness doesn’t bother me as much