Shonen Club Babe Ruth Postcard

Posted on October 4, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	Shonen Club Postcard
Year	1929
Size	3 5/8″ x 5 5/8″
Images	Color
Type	Publications/Postcards
Number in Set	40

1929 Shonen Club Babe Ruth Postcard Overview

The Shonen Club was a magazine in Japan and they issued a post card depicting Babe Ruth in 1929 as a supplement. The only text on the front is typed in blue ink and is in Japanese, calling Ruth the Home Run King.

As a traditional postcard, the back had areas for a sender to include a brief message, his/her address, and a postage stamp.

One interesting fact of this postcard is that the name is sometimes cited incorrectly. This site states that it should either be Shonen Club or Shonen Kurabu. It is sometimes, apparently, erroneously called Shonen ‘Kulabu.’

That site also gives a rough translation of what the text on the right side of postcard says:

“The moment that Babe Ruth, hailed as the world home run king, swings his bat with all his might. It looks like the ball quickly flew over the fence for a home run, as the catcher and umpire look up and the Babe’s face beams with pleasure. The fans packed in the stands watch awestruck.”

Another interesting fact about the postcard is that the image was used elsewhere.

Collectors familiar with the Imperial Tobacco Sports and Games in Many Lands card picturing Ruth (shown here) will notice that it uses this same picture. The image is undoubtedly the same one with only minor alterations, such as the dugout area as well as the color of Ruth’s socks/stirrups. But while this postcard names Ruth, the Imperial Tobacco card does not. For that reason, some collectors have wondered if the Imperial Tobacco cards truly depict Ruth. The Shonen Club postcard using the exact same picture makes it clear that it is.

The postcard is often cited as one of Ruth’s more affordable ‘cards’ from his playing days, usually starting around $150-$200 in lower-grade shape. The postcard is credited by some as a 1928 issue but others as being from 1929. It is actually from the publication’s August 1929 edition.

What many people don’t know is that the card was actually produced as part of a set. The set, however, included all sorts of non-sports subjects, such as animals. The Ruth postcard is the only baseball card in the set.