Exhibit Machine

[Bugsy]

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to bump this thread to see what people think about this. I just received this piece in the mail. It arrived damaged and a few of the pieces had detached from the black card stock. That is frustrating enough, but I am also wondering if it is authentic.

I understand these ads used thin paper for the postcard images instead of thicker stock normally used for postcards. My biggest concern is that I checked the back of the Gibbons under a black light and it illuminated. These particular cards were sold in the 1920s, but these prints must have been produced long after the mid 1920s. Is there any way this could still be authentic? I don't know why they would be using 1920s postcard images in ads 20+ years later, but wanted to hear the thoughts on the group.

Thanks for the help!

Chris

[cubman1941]

Here is the one I have - not old 1958 I gather. I put the Exhibit cards in - repros but I enjoy it. I couldn't get the mechanism to work and took it to a vending company and they could jury rig it to work. I monkeyed around my self and found if I put a blank cardboard stack about 5 inches it will work.

[Exhibitman]

Chris I saw that on eBay and believed it was 100% fake. All wrong for the era.

[ocjack]

Growing up in New Jersey, we would go to the beach cities in the summer and play in the surf, walk the boardwalk and play in the arcades. I remember the exhibit machines being lined up in a row with a variety of cards available - baseball, football, movie stars, wrestlers, comics and more. If I only knew then what I know now.

I picked this up several years back for nostalgia purposes and acquired 30 of the 32 cards advertised. Posting this as a homage to the variety of subjects available from those wonderful machines. (if too off-topic, please feel free to delete.)

[Bugsy]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Chris I saw that on eBay and believed it was 100% fake. All wrong for the era.

Thanks Adam! I was hoping you would be able to chime in on this. One strange thing. The bio on Miske is strange. Is there more than one version of his bio? I only know of one exhibit card for him, but what I received had an updated bio on him. Really grainy though. This is really strange.

[Bugsy]

At the same time, the paper on this is piece isn't period. They illuminate under a black light. I put my Ketchel beside it to show how it differs.

[Exhibitman]

Not strange at all. Miske appears in the 1923 set; you can sort of make out the 1923 copyright at the bottom. Whoever made this copied a 1923 bio of Miske and pasted it to a scan of his card.

The fluorescing stock is the last nail; the item is undoubtedly a modern concoction.

[Bugsy]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Not strange at all. Miske appears in the 1923 set; you can sort of make out the 1923 copyright at the bottom. Whoever made this copied a 1923 bio of Miske and pasted it to a scan of his card.

The fluorescing stock is the last nail; the item is undoubtedly a modern concoction.

Thanks for the info! Very helpful!!