Sanella Ruths

A reader advocates deleting Type 4 1932 Sanella Babe Ruths. Here is his argument:

In 1932 (according to PSA) or 1933 (according to SGC) a German margarine company called Sanella issued various sports cards and an album into which 112 cards could be glued. The only cards about baseball had pictures on the front of either Babe Ruth or a Japanese catcher. In the album, there was only 1 place to put a Babe Ruth card — even though on the back of the Ruth Sanella cards there are variations of the printed material.

SGC and PSA collectively have graded well over 90% of the roughly 800 Babe Ruth Sanella cards graded.

Both SGC and PSA initially listed the following 2 types of Babe Ruth Sanella cards:

Type 1 – Sanella centered
Type 2—Sanella near the bottom

Eventually it was determined that of the Ruth cards with Sanella near the bottom, a few had near the top the phrase “Seite 83” (qhich means page 83– where a Ruth card fits in the album), but most did not. So both SGC and PSA listed a new type:

Type 3 — Sanella near the bottom with 83

From 2004 through the present, I have reviewed almost every listing on Ebay of graded and ungraded Babe Ruth Sanella cards.

In 2004 I saw and purchased a Ruth Sanella card graded by PSA as type “4” (PSA serial number 11697136). To the best of my recollection, at the time I bought that type “4” card, PSA had graded only 4 type “4”, 26 type 1, about 23 type 3 and over 200 type 2 Babe Ruth Sanella cards. As I reviewed the PSA population report from time to time, the numbers of graded Ruth Sanella cards increased for types 2, 3 and 4, but not for type 1. At first, that seemed odd. Later, it seemed very coincidental. After a couple of years, it seemed virtually impossible that there would be more and more types 2, 3 and 4, but no more type 1.

I have never seen a Ruth Sanella card with the Sanella centered that did not have Seite 83 near the top. This includes ungraded cards which the sellers called type 1 as well as cards graded by PSA and SGC as type 1.

On several occasions I listed for sale on Ebay Ruth Sanella cards graded as type 1 or 4 by PSA or SGC, noted that I believe type 1 and 4 were the same, and asked anyone to contact me if they had seen a Ruth Sanella with the Sanella centered and no Seite 83 near the top. No one ever has ever responded.

Hans, who is copied on this email, has sold literally hundreds of Babe Ruth Sanella cards, after buying them ungraded in Germany (usually pasted in albums and then removing them) and then having them graded by PSA or SGC. Hans has told me that he has never seen even 1 Babe Ruth Sanella card with Sanella centered and no Seite 83 near the top. He is convinced type 1 and 4 are the same.

I have contacted PSA and SGC about type 1 and 4 being the same, but they both said they will not change the way they are calling the Sanella types unless the Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards changes first.

Interestingly, after I communicated with PSA several times last week about the belief that Hans and I have that type 1 and 4 are the same, Hans received grades for Ruth Sanella cards he submitted recently – and one of them was graded as a type 1! Here is what Hans found when he checked his order online:

4
1
14912692
EXCELLENT-MINT 6
1932 SANELLA MARGERINE BABE RUTH TYPE 1-SANELLA CENTERED

The 4 means item 4 in his order; the 1 means there was 1 card; the 14912692 is the PSA serial/certificate number and the rest is self-explanatory. Hans has not received this card back from PSA yet, but he knows the Sanella is centered and the phrase Seite 83 does indeed appear near the top.

I want someone to disprove this. Can anyone email me (don at prospecthillpub.com) a pic Type 1 without the “83″ and give us a reason not to change it in the 2009 catalog?

Here’s a pic of front & back of a “mis-slabbed” Type I just for your reference: