Babe Ruth Locker Tags

[sporteq]

Originally Posted by sayhey24

I don't think these are genuine tags off of Ruth's locker, but I do think there's a chance they are vintage period pieces made as souvenirs or giveaways, maybe for a specific day or event.

If someone was making these in recent years to defraud and make money, I can't imagine why they wouldn't double their money and make Lou Gehrig tags as well. So the fact that we only see Ruth tags makes me think that they may not be modern fakes.

Greg

My take is.. Why didn't we see this many tags in the past 20 years? I saw only handful within that time period (20 years) Now, in the past few years I've seen dozens of these tags surface.. Could they keep recycling, who knows. I believe they've been made in the last decade.

As far as Gehrig tag, I think Babe Ruth's items are far more replicated and far more superior in price.. So why settle and create anything less, hence the mass production of these tags. But who knows what a forger thinks.

Albert

[Huysmans]

Originally Posted by sporteq

My take is.. Why didn't we see this many tags in the past 20 years? I saw only handful within that time period (20 years) Now, in the past few years I've seen dozens of these tags surface.. Could they keep recycling, who knows. I believe they've been made in the last decade.

As far as Gehrig tag, I think Babe Ruth's items are far more replicated and far more superior in price.. So why settle and create anything less, hence the mass production of these tags. But who knows what a forger thinks.

Albert

Agreed Albert. Plus any semi intelligent forger who's done his homework would realize that to flood the market with tags for a number of different Yankees, when none have existed in the past, would raise the red flags of too many collectors. For Ruth though, let's be honest, it's different, many collectors will risk the chance of authenticity to possibly own a piece of the babe.
Just my two cents.

Brent

[Bob Lemke]

These are very reminiscent of the fantasy brothel tokens that were a plague on the numismatic hobby in the 1970s.

whorehouse.jpg

[jgmp123]

With Babe's original locker now being in the Hall of Fame, why wouldn't these accompany it if authentic....

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Bob Lemke

These are very reminiscent of the fantasy brothel tokens that were a plague on the numismatic hobby in the 1970s.

Attachment 168242

That one is cool because it's so obviously fake. If it was in a dollar box I'd at least have it in the "maybe" stack.

But I remember seeing others that were far less obvious - at least until the people who dealt in them realized that having them out on the table for kids to look at wasn't a good idea.

Steve B

[steve B]

These locker tags have always seemed to me as being like the tags used by large machine shops. If the machinist needed some expensive bit of equipment he'd get it from the tool room but would have to leave a tag with his name or employee number. That way if it went missing they knew who to ask first.

Machinists were a rather mobile bunch. Our machining prof talked about one guy who would feel overworked and underappreciated and simply roll his toolbox out the door at lunch or coffee break and get hired across the street or down the block. A few months later he'd be back, roll in and get to work as if nothing had happened.

I can't really picture the team making Ruth sign out any sort of equipment. Maybe they had a tag to let some manager know who was in the bathroom? Which makes no sense either. 1920's they'd probably just knock and ask if they even bothered with a door.

Steve B