1938 Goudey - authentic??

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Posted By: Al C.risafulli

It's entirely likely that it's homemade, but I'm still very curious about it. The card itself does not look like any of the weak '38 Goudey reprints that circulate throughout the hobby, and while I've seen high-quality reproductions of DiMaggio, Foxx and Feller cards from the set, I've never seen a high-quality reprint of a Julius Solters. Although the scan is weak, the stock appears uniform in color (as it should be) inside and outside the border, and looks like it's got some water staining on it, which presents the same way water staining presents on Goudeys.

Also, the card is obviously hand-cut from something and has no back. Who would reprint the card without the back? And who would reprint Julius Solters?

I suppose the back could have been skinned off, but it seems like a whole lot of effort to go through, skinning a Julius Solters, making a rubber stamp, and putting it on the card. Why do it to Julius Solters when there are nine HOFers in the set?

I have no idea if a bottle of Coke was a nickel in 1938, or if Coke even used that logo and positioning statement in 1938. I suspect that the rubber stamp would prove itself to be historically inaccurate for the time.

At the same time, the card was cut from SOMEWHERE, and no advertising pieces I've ever seen use an image of the Solters card. I've never seen an uncut sheet without the backs printed on it. Without holding the card in my hand, or looking at a crisp scan, I have no idea what kind of stock it's printed on.

Sure is interesting. I'd love to know what this came from, reprinted or not.

-Al