This Ruth/Gehrig Ball is Amazing

[Archive]

Posted By: Rob L

Look at the 'graphs first but I'm sold after reading this description...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=27260&item=5161855692&rd=1

When will this end!!!

[Archive]

Posted By: jay behrens

Looks like a lot of those sigs were done by the same person. The Ruth isn't close. The Gehrig isn't bad but still doesn't look good. Never paid attention to sigs from the others, but the writting style sure seems similar among all the sigs

Jay

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming --- WOW, What a ride!

[Archive]

Posted By: MW

Pathetic.

[Archive]

Posted By: Rob L

doesn't have the half moon shape on the lower loop. Actually, the shape of the letters is more similar to Elenanor Gehrig's ghost signature, but your right Jay, all of the signatures appear to have been signed by the same person using the same pen. Ouch!!!

[Archive]

Posted By: dennis

looks like a ball that was "forged" in the 1930's to fool somebody,maybe a child?

[Archive]

Posted By: canjond

Regardless of how fake that ball is, I still believe him when he says "I would put my autograph authenticating ability up against anyone. That includes Steve G. and Jim Spence at PSA/DNA and the rest." I'm sure this guy DOES ACTUALLY know as much as PSA/DNA!

[Archive]

Posted By: Rob L

I agree, with the problems that PSA/DNA has of late, I would also put my own limited credentials up against theirs.

[Archive]

Posted By: PASJD

"I do encourage the winner to send this ball off to any other authenticator for there opinion if that will ease your mind. I will honor their decision should it be any different from mine."

It does sound like he will stand behind the item, and he has a remarkable feedback record suggesting he means it. So I would say if you guys are right he is perhaps misinformed but certainly not trying to perpetrate a scam.

[Archive]

Posted By: Richard Simon

This ball blows, I bid 25 cents.

[Archive]

Posted By: Rob L

Okay Richard, if you are bidding I guess I'm in. Can I use your "this ball blows" as an LOA?

[Archive]

Posted By: Richard Simon

Hey I am no longer gonna list autographs that I bid on, if guys here start topping my bids .
And if you do win it, feel free to use my line as your LOA .

[Archive]

Posted By: Anonymous

Wow. Gone already. I guess his LOA wouldn't hold up.

[Archive]

Posted By: PASJD

Invalid Item
This listing (5161855692) has been removed by eBay. Make sure that you've entered the item number correctly.

[Archive]

Posted By: Richard Simon

On occasion ebay is made aware of some terribly bogus items and will remove them. This was one of those times.

[Archive]

Posted By: Rob L

this time the price is a little cheaper and he isn't betting his rep against the others.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=27260&item=5162959861&rd=1

[Archive]

Posted By: dennis

if it didn't have that high an opening.....richards 25 cent bid might get it.

[Archive]

Posted By: Chris

that ebay even took it down in the first place. I've tried several times to have them remove ridiculous items with no luck.

I'm with you Jay. At least he/she could have used a different pen.

[Archive]

Posted By: Richard Simon

The ball has been removed again. You gotta know the right people .

I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.

[Archive]

Posted By: Jon Canfield

The "NEW" certificate of authenticity reads like one of my 7th grade math papers... lowest common denominator... If only they had used a vector tangent to measure the parabola circumference of the "B" in Babe, i'd might feel it was more authentic... This reminds me of the certificate that was included with the Babe Ruth signed Empire State Building post card. If I remember correctly, it said something to the effect of "this is the finest Ruth autograph we have ever seen. If you ever sell it, give us first crack at it"...

[Archive]

Posted By: Rob L

The Empire State Building Ruth autograph had to be one of the best pieces of crap autographs that has graced eBay

[Archive]

Posted By: MW

Richard,

What do you think of lot #798 (Signed Babe Ruth baseball) in the most recent Hunt auction?

The auction description indicates the ball was signed in (approximately) 1933. Is it my imagination or is the autograph in blue ball-point pen?

[Archive]

Posted By: jay behrens

I'd say it looks like of the ballpoint fakes I used to do, but I never did one on a red and blue stitched ball. Can't blame me for this one.

Jay

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming --- WOW, What a ride!

[Archive]

Posted By: PASJD

I do not for the life of me understand how anyone, irrespective of their "expertise," could say whether that is Babe Ruth's signature on the ball or not unless they saw him sign it. I sign my name many times a day and I am sure I don't do it exactly the same way each time. I am sure it is the same for everybody. At best, then, we know GENERALLY what Ruth's signature looked like, but how difficult could it be for someone to sign a replica that falls within the range of the normal variation in Ruth's signature? Perhaps there is an answer, but it eludes my common sense.

[Archive]

Posted By: Dan

I've had this argument with my neighbor but like any profession, you take the time to learn the business and learn about handwriting. There are SO many factors in authenticating and while your signatures may vary slightly, basically it's the same (if you know what you are looking for) and a good authenticator or serious collector will keep 'exemplars' on file of the many variations of a particular celebrities' penmanship. But the most trusted factor on authenticating is the mind and the eye. I've seen literally ten's of thousand's of examples of some signatures that I can pin-point through a glance and base a decision. And there's always: 'a lifted pen', 'slowness in the signature', 'odd loops or turns', 'an unusual pen turn, 'even misspellings', and 'inks that don't fit the date' and where a celebrity has signed his signature hundreds of thousands of times, the forger only practices it a few dozen times before he goes to work on a photo or baseball. Like everything else, it's all about education (I'm for making authenticators go to college and get certified!) and while I don't know the signatures of everyone (I couldn't authenticate Marilyn Monroe or the rock band 'The Strokes'), nor could I pick out a true Gucci purse from a fake or pick out an authentic Modigliani painting or one done by master forger Elmyr de Hory, I feel confident in my autograph decisions. After all, my neighbor is a chiropractor. I know I can't go into his office and start working on shoulder blades, now can I?

[Archive]

Posted By: Julie Vognar

blue ink, and Ruth's signature. "They weren't too big on ballpoint pens in 1943." "No ballpoint pens?" Harry Angel shakes his head...