Ruth/Gehrig barnstorming broadside...
 

I have the opportunity to buy this poster. So do you. Thoughts?

That is awesome. I'd give my left arm for one of those posters from Omaha in 1927.

it depends
 

I think it is a great piece and is worth going for but the cost also has play in it too. At 2k is one thing and 20k is another....I understand you might not want to say but, as most collectibles go, to me it is price dependent...

With so many advertising fakes being produced and artificially aged, how does one tell the difference without inspecting it first hand with a loupe? My first reaction is always fake, followed by proceed with caution and don't spend too much. A few have ruined it for many.

William, you are correct about that.

Joseph have you seen the piece in person?

I have to agree... whenever I see the barnstorming posters I assume they are repros. This is a version that I do not recall seeing. If it is cheap, I would take a chance with it.
Matt

I echo these last comments: I haven't seen repros of this, but caution should be exercised

my thought is that this is as fake as chans black old mill t206s.

Haven't seen the item in person, but there are a few more pictures online, which you should be able to find in a minute. I can tell you that I've received offline query about the piece and there is definitely interest. If it is real, it is out of my league.

The back of the piece

http://i.ebayimg.com/09/!BTooke!!mk~...PWi8ow~~_1.JPG

hmmm
 

I wasn't taking the "authenticity" issue into account with my response above. I have handled far more faked items than real ones, unfortunately. For me it's too hard to tell from a picture if it's real or not. I do like the way the back looks.....but in person authenticating is always best.

I agree that there is a very high probability it is a fake. Just that possibility would scare me away.

I`m almost certain it`s a repo .. it looks to be aged with soiling etc.

aL

Well...the latest consensus is that it's a fake/fantasy piece. The item, as you might have surmised, is on eBay.

As I'm not aware of an original of this poster, the question for me now is whether it is a fake/forgery or a fantasy piece.

It happens to be well-done if it's not old: note the consistency of the wear/discoloration on the front and back. Very scary if fake.

The listing is here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=370210485112

The seller claims that ebay suspended his account for seven days for using the word "Indian" in one of his descriptions. What's that all about?

So I see this sold for $363--a steal if real. Three snipers who are active sports memorabilia buyers (not that that means anything) joined a fourth late bidder. We, of course, don't know how much the winner was willing to pay, but the amounts put up by the underbidders seem to indicate that they were gambling. Stay tuned.