Babe Ruth GU - UD Fat Stripes vs. Topps Thin Stripes

[parsetdx]

So, this applies to more than just Ruth (I'm thinking Gehrig). Does anybody else think it's odd that the UD and DLP Babe Ruth Game Used cards are extremely different in look from the more recent Babe Ruth GU cards?

I'm referring to the "fat stripe" cards from 2001 to 2007 released by UD and DLP - some of which are descendents of the first Ruth jersey that was cut up which created a good deal of fan fare (i.e. many cards can be traced back to this jersey.)

vs.

The Topps cards that have been released after they signed the exclusive license with CMG - these cards feature either a thin pinstripe, or a multi-pinstripe which is actually 3 stitches of color along with 2 stitches of white spacing.

Does anybody else question the authenticity of Topps' recent releases? Ever since Topps admittedly messed up the authenticity on some of the highest end HOF relics in Tribute, I'm a little wary of what they are feeding me.

I guess the real question is - does anybody know anything about the design of the Yankees uniform during Ruth's playing era and/or how many pieces of memorabilia of each type of been known to be cut up? I would think that (just as happened for the first time it was done) when you cut up a Babe Ruth anything - people are going to hear about it.

Thoughts?

Fat Stripe
http://cgi.ebay.com/2005-Leaf-Certified ... 2311ea0f37

Different Stripe
http://cgi.ebay.com/2010-Topps-Heritage ... 3368f9653f

EDIT
Hmmmm - even UD was mixing in some "thin" stripes as well..... now I'm totally confused.
http://cgi.ebay.com/2006-Legendary-Cuts ... 1c1c76f5e2
http://cgi.ebay.com/2007-UD-PREMIER-BAB ... 2311a1bde2

 

[Eamon]

I have no clue what is really true and not true... but there used to be this guy that sets up at all the BIG card shows around the country and he even has a radio show about babe ruth. He claims that only Donruss and Some Upper Deck cards actually have Babe Ruth Jersey pieces in. He told my friend and I that everything that topps ever put out and a good amount of UD were PANTS.... who knows whats true.

 

[wolfmanalfredo]

Game worn applies to photo shoots, batting practice, autograph sessions etc. I'd stay away from alot of GU, because its hard to prove its authenticity, especially pre war. Those guys wore a couple jerseys a year, and with the amount of GU these guys put out, you start to question print runs and authenticity on bats and jerseys. I'm sure the wore 30 jerseys in their career, but manufacturers couldn't have destroyed every copy and more. I stay away, because its very questionable to me personally

 

[Pinbreaker]

Different jerseys from different years..

Since they would get quite a few pieces out of a jersey, it's hard to tell what year the jerseys came from..

 

[AMAZIN HOF COLLECTOR]

Game worn applies to photo shoots, batting practice, autograph sessions etc. I'd stay away from alot of GU, because its hard to prove its authenticity, especially pre war. Those guys wore a couple jerseys a year, and with the amount of GU these guys put out, you start to question print runs and authenticity on bats and jerseys. I'm sure the wore 30 jerseys in their career, but manufacturers couldn't have destroyed every copy and more. I stay away, because its very questionable to me personally

Any MLB event including old Timers Day as well as First Pitches. If Nolan Ryan throws out the first pitch this year at a Rangers game, that jesrsey becomes a Nolan Ryan "game used" jersey. ::facepalm:: Not as bad as the NFL's "event worn" jerseys where the players put a jersey on for a minute and take it off! ::facepalm:: ::facepalm::

 

[A_Pharis]

Game worn applies to photo shoots, batting practice, autograph sessions etc. I'd stay away from alot of GU, because its hard to prove its authenticity, especially pre war. Those guys wore a couple jerseys a year, and with the amount of GU these guys put out, you start to question print runs and authenticity on bats and jerseys. I'm sure the wore 30 jerseys in their career, but manufacturers couldn't have destroyed every copy and more. I stay away, because its very questionable to me personally

Any MLB event including old Timers Day as well as First Pitches. If Nolan Ryan throws out the first pitch this year at a Rangers game, that jesrsey becomes a Nolan Ryan "game used" jersey. ::facepalm:: Not as bad as the NFL's "event worn" jerseys where the players put a jersey on for a minute and take it off! ::facepalm:: ::facepalm::

Someone tweeted a pic of an NFL player (Mark Ingram, maybe?) in one of those "jerseys". I use that term, loosely, because it wasn't even a real jersey. Seriously - he's a big guy and this thing was big enough to be a mumu. Even with all of his gear on there was no way that jersey was regulation.

 

[smapdi]

That's something I've wondered about for years. I think 2006 UD Exquisite redemptions were the first ones I remember seeing with thin stripes. There was a guy on the Beckett boards who allegedly worked for UD and invited questions. I asked about the provenance of their Ruth GU's specifically because of the appearance of thin pinstripe cards. He said he'd look into it and post an answer but to my knowledge never did. I always thought it was strange that the Ruth bat that really kicked off the GU craze got so much press, publicity photos of them slicing off the name plate, etc., but all these other pieces I assume are just as important are acquired and cut up with no further info whatsoever. A Christy Mathewson uni, a couple Wagner pieces, Cobb bats, etc., these are museum pieces but there's no way to no where they came from, what the pieces actually are (pants vs. jersey) or when they were worn.

 

[JoshHamilton]

Easy. Topps is a crooked company and puts fake swatches in their "game used" cards

 

[parsetdx]

Hmmmm. It reminds me of a certain country's currency. We put our faith in something because an entity we "trust" or not, says it is valuable, or not. Definitely a scary thing.

One reason I asked this question: I own an 06 UD Exquisite Ruth Triple GU with a thin pinstripe, and I just purchased an 07 Gehrig fat pinstripe GU. I don't care if it's pants or jersey - I just care that it's authentic.

Interesting stuff guys - thanks for the comments.

 

[TomMurry]

Might be a difference between jersey and pants. I believe one has wider stripes than the other.

 

[gmarutiak]

Game worn applies to photo shoots, batting practice, autograph sessions etc. I'd stay away from alot of GU, because its hard to prove its authenticity, especially pre war. Those guys wore a couple jerseys a year, and with the amount of GU these guys put out, you start to question print runs and authenticity on bats and jerseys. I'm sure the wore 30 jerseys in their career, but manufacturers couldn't have destroyed every copy and more. I stay away, because its very questionable to me personally

Any MLB event including old Timers Day as well as First Pitches. If Nolan Ryan throws out the first pitch this year at a Rangers game, that jesrsey becomes a Nolan Ryan "game used" jersey. ::facepalm:: Not as bad as the NFL's "event worn" jerseys where the players put a jersey on for a minute and take it off! ::facepalm:: ::facepalm::

I agree, NFL "Event Worn" is crappy, but at least this designation makes it possible for collectors to know the difference between what is and isn't game used.

It's a heck of a lot better than Topps using a piece of a bench that Babe Ruth may or may not have sat his fat Bambino butt on and trying to pawn it off as a bench.

 

[RiceLynnEvans75]

This is along the lines of one of the reasons I decided to dump all my game/event used/worn cards and autographed cards. Just too many questions.

 

[nevermore]

I am not an expert on vintage swatches, but comparing to Yankee swatches from today. One seems to be the regular swatch, the other seems to be inside-out version. That's what I think is the difference between the swatches in the top two links.

Here is a modern day comparison.

(inside-out)

(outside)

 

[CISCOKID23]

I stopped buying game used pieces after my best friend and his wife worked the NFL's Rookie thing a few years back. My friends wife works for the LAPD, she and a few other off duty LAPD officers where hired to be security at the event when it was held in Los Angeles. He helped out, he said that all the players did was throw the jersey, Glove,helemt etc on for a few seconds and the item was taken off and thrown in a box labled game/event used. It was bad when he a non colector said it was a bunch of crap, thats when I got turned off from game sed cards.