Question about Babe Ruth underwear box

fkw · #1 12-02-2010, 12:54 PM

Looked at the sign, its the same design exactly.

http://cgi.ebay.com/BABE-RUTH-ALL-AM...-/130453656061

The "whites of the eyes" on the box are more white, and some parts of the image of the hair seems crisper/clearer.

Maybe someone can find proof these boxes existed before 1993.

Maybe an ad in Baseball Hobby News, SCD, or The Traders Speak, or a picture in an early auction catalog maybe???

Better would be to find the underwear inside the box.

*Negative about these white sided boxes is they are too common, and always seem to be flat, with no bottom. Anyone seen a complete white sided box?
Also the 18 year old repo sign seems scarcer than the box too.

Lets solve this mystery

HBroll · #2 12-02-2010, 02:26 PM

The photo of the tin repro sign and the green/white box top are not exactly the same. The tin sign HAS the square line surrounding Ruth's image (like the all green box top) but the green/white box top has no square line surrounding Ruth's image. So what we have are 3 different designs.

ctownboy · #3 12-02-2010, 03:00 PM

Hbroll,

I still think the green/white boxes are fake.

As far as the differences between teh fake sign and the real box, I think the company making the sign got permission to use Ruth's image and name but either didn't get permission to use hte EXACT same graphics as on teh box or the person making the graphics decided to change things around a little. Either so that people could recognize the original 1930's design fom the 1990's design OR just as an exercise to see if theycould do it or to put their own personal stamp on the piece.

I know there was a person who made fake gold coins that passed for real (even the GOOD grading companies were grading them as authentic) UNTIL someone noticed a certain design or mark on the fakes. Come to find out, the forger copied EVERYTHING the original coins had BUT they made one little extra mark in a certain place and did so to put their own personal stamp on the piece.

I haven't held the fake sign in my hand but I would guess it is larger than the green/white box lid. If so, then the white line around the edge of the fake sign would be at the edge of the graphics on the green/white box lid. In short, the box lid was too narrow to be able to incorporate the white line. and still keep the same diminsions of everything else.

David

ctownboy · #4 12-02-2010, 03:04 PM

I guess what I am trying to say is this; I think the green/white box lids are fakes and that the people who made them either didn't know the real boxes had green sides and some extra writing (advertising) on them OR they were just plain lazy and took the design from the fake sign and used it to make their fake box lids.

Either way, if I had the money and wanted a Babe Ruth underwear box, I would hold out for a green sided one and pass on ALL of the white sided boxes.

David

glchen · #5 12-02-2010, 03:14 PM

Apologies if this is a complete newbie answer, but can you shine blacklight on the Ruth white box to determine the rough age of the paper? (This would be the Ruth pasted on the box and not the box.) I thought this is what some people do for pre-war cards to determine if the paper stock is of the right era.

HBroll · #6 12-02-2010, 03:15 PM

David,
I agree in what you are saying. I think the green/white box tops are reproductions too. The reason why I am saying all 3 (green/white, all green & tin sign) are a different design is because one poster said "Isn't it possible that the sign was made from the later version of the box and not vice versa?" If that was true then why did they "add" the square line around Ruth's image when it was not on the original green/white design?

canjond · #7 12-02-2010, 03:36 PM

Let me start off by saying that I, too, agree the white boxes are probably fake. After seeing it next to the sign especially, the graphics on the paper afixed to the white box looks washed out to me, and not as crisp as the sign (like it's been scanned). So, with that being said, let me add more to this mystery. While not my box, I did find this while searching the net. Note that it does NOT have "The Champion Nine" language. This box sold in a Lelands auction...

canjond · #8 12-02-2010, 03:40 PM

Also - note this is the "green" style box with "The Champion Nine" language.

HBroll · #9 12-02-2010, 04:07 PM

Nice work Jon finding that Lelands box with no "The Champion Nine" language. Now we know where they got the image to make the tin sign. Those two match perfectly, square line and all.

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