[Exhibitman]

The Ruth happens to be a lousy looking effort (the Cobb isn't bad) but there are some really nice custom-made cards out there. I don't see anything nefarious about it; I really don't think they were done to pass as Topps or UD cards but instead simply used the Topps and UD cards as bases for the work. IMO customizing a card out of a cut offers a very nice route for preserving and presenting a cut autograph, especially where the cut is on a scrap of paper or other item that is not very appealing in and of itself. I have several autographs that I collected on the backs of my business cards or on other pieces of paper and I've often considered having them made into custom cards so they would display nicely.