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Posted By: Scott Forrest

Has anyone written an article explaining these? I recently picked up a bunch of modern reprints, very nicely done, at reasonable prices - my understanding is that these reprints have been showing up at card shows over the last year, and that collectors who have no experience with the issue could be fooled (although paper texture, photo quality, etc. should be dead giveaways). They are more of a matte finish like the ones from the '40s and later.

The SCBC has a checklist, by year, which mentions that size varied, many were reprinted over the years by BM and the checklist may not be complete; however, how do you know if you have a "first printing", or if your pose is a tough one? Example: the 9"x20" ones are the oldest, but when did they go to the smaller 9"x12-1/4" format? When did they abandon glossy and go to matte, or were the two types printed simultaneously?

Also, I've seen Gehrig, Cobb and Ruth go for big big bucks, but have seen what seemed to be the same posters go for next to nothing - is there something in the copyright line, etc., that eluded me?

Finally, I have a small-format (9"x12-1/4") of Wagner batting that is obviously original, and glossy - does the size and glossy finish tell me anything about publication year?

Thanks