1921 Herpolsheimers graded w/o mark

[raulus]

Originally Posted by Brian Van Horn

Todd,

I confidently disagree. They are fakes.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Brian Van Horn

Hi Brian-

Curious if you could share some of your concerns about the authenticity here. Is it entirely based on comments from others?

These are outside of my collecting interest, and are likely to remain so. Ergo, I really don’t have a personal interest. But I’m always interested in learning more, particularly when it comes to better understanding potential issues around authenticity.

[Brian Van Horn]

Originally Posted by raulus

Hi Brian-

Curious if you could share some of your concerns about the authenticity here. Is it entirely based on comments from others?

These are outside of my collecting interest, and are likely to remain so. Ergo, I really don’t have a personal interest. But I’m always interested in learning more, particularly when it comes to better understanding potential issues around authenticity.

The authenticity issue is twofold for me:

1.) The succinct honesty of the dealer at the show.

2.) if you're going to produce a card as real, it helps to have it similar, but inferior, in design to an actual card issue.

[nolemmings]

Please explain why it is inferior in design.

[molenick]

I am not sure how the succinct honesty of a dealer in 1999 applies to the recent find of cards.

I don't understand how the design of a card relates to whether it is real or not.

But even if that was the case, which design is inferior is clearly a matter of taste. I think they are both superior to, for example, the Gassler's American-Maid Bread design. That doesn't mean cards with a Gassler's back are not real.

[nolemmings]

Originally Posted by molenick

I am not sure how the succinct honesty of a dealer in 1999 applies to the recent find of cards.

I don't understand how the design of a card relates to whether it is real or not.

But even if that was the case, which design is inferior is clearly a matter of taste. I think they are both superior to, for example, the Gassler's American-Maid Bread design.

Or Haffner's, Clark's or especially the hand-stamped Henry Johnsons and Keatings (See post #7).

[RCMcKenzie]

In the earlier thread Frank (canofprimo) suggests that they were ordered and printed, but ended up not being publicly distributed, which I think makes sense. I have one or two of the Henry Confectioner stamped cards, and am not very keen on those.

[oldjudge]

Todd—Has anyone ever come across a newspaper article advertising these cards? I know articles were found for various M101-4/5 backs and, if found, that would certainly clear things up.

[Brian Van Horn]

The one other detail left out that I am amused by is that 1 Monroe is left off the back of the card for the address. I know the store was popular in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but.......

[molenick]

I am not sure what other sites there are, but I searched for Herpolsheimer in newspapers.com for 1916-1921. I got 82 matches, mostly from the Belding [Michigan] Banner, and mostly ads for a dentist located "opposite Herpolsheimer's".

I would add that if the cards were distributed at the store, putting the address on the back of the cards may not have been necessary. Also, if it is a place used as a landmark in someone else's ad, it was probably a place people in town knew the location of.

[Brian Van Horn]

Originally Posted by molenick

I am not sure how the succinct honesty of a dealer in 1999 applies to the recent find of cards.

I don't understand how the design of a card relates to whether it is real or not.

But even if that was the case, which design is inferior is clearly a matter of taste. I think they are both superior to, for example, the Gassler's American-Maid Bread design. That doesn't mean cards with a Gassler's back are not real.

Theory is that you take an original design and make an offtake on that.

Gassler's of course are real.