Babe Ruth General Gum Sign/Display - Black Light PIX added FINALLY

[nolemmings]

Nice find Trey! Now the mystery deepens with regard to the OP's piece. If the display piece is authentic or reproduced from an authentic example, it remains to be seen what "large mounted picture" of Ruth was sent to the collector who mailed in the 50 wrappers and stamps. Interestingly, this is at approximately the same time as Goudey issued its large easel version of Ruth in its R309-1 and possibly R340 sets. REA auctioned a variation of the R309-1 "card" a few years ago as an R340:
https://robertedwardauctions.com/auc...ium-babe-ruth/
The pose is highly similar to that used on the basic R310 of Ruth. It could be that the mounted photo of Ruth offered by General Gum looks much the same, unless Goudey had some exclusivity rights to use that specific pose. Note that the offer was the same for Goudey and General Gum-- send in 50 wrappers.

It also remains unknown what the gum wrappers looked like that were needed for the redemption offer. They must have had some markings as opposed to being generic glassines, otherwise the company could be accepting competitor's wrappers. Anyway, more questions to be answered another day

[oldeboo]

double post

[oldeboo]

That has been one of my theories as well in regards to the Ruth premium. R309-1 is not branded as a Goudey item. I find that slightly odd. If you didn't know any different, it just looks like a generic item. Goudey also distributed many other premium items during that time such as gloves, hats and balls. They would have been using outside vendors. The R309-1 offer shown below expired at the end of 1933, just before R310 was released. Curtiss Candy may have acquired stock from the same outside vendor that Goudey used. Just a theory and a guess, nothing more.

https://robertedwardauctions.com/auc...-display-sign/

Who has an example of an R309-1 or R340 Ruth in a General Gum envelope?

[Kris19]

I recently found another one of these display pieces in a Mastro auction catalog from April 22-23, 2004. I sent it to the OP, but never got around to posting it here. I thought those following this thread would find it interesting.

[oldeboo]

Amazing find, Kris! From what I can see of the print alignment, that is probably the source of the image that was found online previously. The dots are connecting on this previously mysterious topic.

Here is a little smoke to the R309-1/R340/Unc Ruth Premium fire. Goudey printing can be connected back to The United States Printing & Lithograph Company headquartered in New York. That's a world away from Curtiss Candy in Chicago, right? Wrong, The United States Printing & Lithograph Company had an office about a mile away from the Curtiss Candy/General Gum plant.

Here are some links to some thought provoking REA items:
https://bid.robertedwardauctions.com...ace?itemid=348
https://bid.robertedwardauctions.com...ce?itemid=2564

[bigfanNY]

I haven't read this thread in quite some time. I found some new posts that claim to provide evidence that R310 Butterfinger premiums were issued with other candy items. Two of them are the Baseball gum Box and the Movie Star gum box. Yes the boxes are a little larger than 8x10 so they hold R310's well. Is it a surprise that someone who had a pile of R310's kept them in a box that they fit in for protection? Not really.
One post shows 2 Butterfinger ads showing clearly that R310's were issued with Nickel sized Butterfingers and that Movie star photo's similar to R310's ( same size and paper stock) were issued with Nickel sized Butterfingers. But in 90 years no one has come across another similar ad for R310's listing any other candy.
As for the R309 Ruth proof there is another thread that discusses Sport king Premiums and ties the R309 proof to the other Sport King premiums known. Extremely rare yes but they do exist.
Any real Proof that R310's were issued with any other candy...No


Is the OP's piece real or a fantasy piece. In My opinion having handled alot of 1930's ads and premiums is that I would not buy one. But that is just my opinion. I have handled a number of ads that were printed using period cardboard and printing techniques because a number of old press still exist and unfortunately are not always used for honest purpose. Look at the Gehrig Knot hole gang thread..
I wonder if the pice in the Mastro Auction can be tracked down? It might help enlighten this subject.
Jonathan