1928 George Ruth Candy Cards (Set of 6)

[danmckee]

I don't think any of the blank backs are any good, just my 2 cents.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by danmckee

I don't think any of the blank backs are any good, just my 2 cents.

I tend to agree. However, I am certainly not 100% on some of these.

[Clutch-Hitter]

Dan, what do you think about the sepia colored ones with advertising on the back? The blank back I have is very old and well made, looks exactly like the sepia ones with advertising. I've seen counterfeit cards before but never anything near the quality of this one, photo engraving, passing the black light, etc. And for the one in the SGC holder to be counterfeit, the artificial aging would have been very well done, plus the photo engraving and all. That card looks old and worn, authentically.

When did people start counterfeiting?

And when did paper start glowing with the black light? I've seen 1950 somewhere and 1970 elsewhere. The Fro Joy counterfeits (from the fake sheet) are from the 70's, so at least then.

Fro Joy was an east coast product? Maryland it seems?

It seemed like SGC knew what they were doing. This would be the first fake I've ran across in their holder, including Fro Joy, and I've been looking at all Fro Joys, past and present for going on two years. Two real Fro Joy Ruths are on ebay right now, auction format, not mine.

Thanks very much, very interested to learn about this from y'all.

edited to say: Leon, you posted while I was typing, thank you. You, Dan, and Robert Lifson are experts I'd say, Robert said authentic, Dan not authentic, and you unsure. That's very interesting. The paper looks and feels like 1920's, that and the photo engraving, passing the black light, etc. I'd have never thought otherwise. This set definitely falls in the category of Fro Joy although they weren't technically reprinted until about ten years ago. Fro Joy has infected this set because they're so similar? Dang

[Clutch-Hitter]

Very interesting: Got my black and white fake 70's Fro Joy card, my Tunney Fro Joy, and my Ruth Candy blank back and asked my wife to smell them. She doesn't know anything about any of them. She said the Tunney and Ruth Candy smelled the same, but the 70's card had a strong syrupy odor. My black and white fake and my fake blue Fro Joy's stink, but my Tunney smells good in a way, similar to an old book.

Cards were a money money making business pre-1970, so much so that people counterfeited? The close up scans next to the Tunney show what I meant by the paper looking that old, cardboard type paper with similar wear.

Very confusing

So we're confident the sepia cards with the advertising on back are good? The ones that appear to be real and not the obvious reprints? I'm about to buy one like this and need to confirm. Thanks.