Lipset Auction -- Ruth Rookie Question

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Posted By: Todd Schultz

I believe it was I who first asked about this m101-5 TSN back about a year ago, as I had never seen one. Strange how these things develop.

First, there was no response to my inquiry. Then, someone said Bob Lemke's book has a picture with TSN on the back of an m101-5, but it seems that the back pictures don't always match up with the front. Then, at some point, Mr. Lemke had it on authority from Lew Lipset himself that M101-5 had a TSN back. When I spoke with Mr. Lipset Thursday on a related subject he basically said that the TSN backs all came with m101-4, and now Andy also says an m101-5 Ruth TSN back would be impossible. So in about a year the matter basically went from yes, m101-5 certainly has a TSN back (per the guides) to no, it cannot have a TSN back.

I will wait another year or two of collecting to see if m101-5 comes with TSN back, but if it does, it is scarce. As for a guaranteed m101-5 Ruth, it appears that Successful Farming and Holmes to Homes are your best bet, although the sample sizes of known examples from those two sets is very to extremely small, so I wouldn't count on ever seeing a Ruth. Far best bet is Famous & Barr, although F&B is also found in m101-4. I have seen m101-4's wth the ad running top to bottom and bottom to top, but have not seen an m101-5 running top to bottom. Perhaps our fellow board members who collect m101-5 can enlighten us on that subject.

Todd