Federal League Baseball in Huggins & Scott Auction

[ngrow9]

I was watching this lot with interest last night, although I bowed out relatively early in the bidding:

http://www.hugginsandscott.com/cgi-bin/showitem.pl?itemid=57355

The final price (with the juice) was over $6,500, almost as much as this near mint version went for in 2006:

http://www.lelands.com/Auction/AuctionDetail/28786/Spring-2006-Catalog/Sports/Baseball-Equipment/Lot389~Unused-Official-Federal-League-Baseball#spLotTitle

And nearly double what this version went for last year:

http://www.lelands.com/Auction/AuctionDetail/69149/Spring-2012-Catalog-Auction/Sports/Baseball-Memorabilia/Lot431~Federal-League-Game-Ball-Dated-1914-Pittsburgh-vs-Chicago

I realize these balls are quite rare, but was there something special about the ball in the Huggins & Scott auction that I'm missing, or is this a rapid escalation in the value of Official Federal League baseballs?

[william_9]

I think it's a combination of rarity in general and the connection to an actual game. Coming from one of only two opening days in Federal League history in the city of Baltimore doesn't hurt either.

I would think that the chances of finding a FL ball that was not used in a FL game would be slim. Most that have come up have been used. I don't know what the market was in 1914 or 1915 for FL balls at sporting goods stores, or if any were sold that way. I presume they were, but it would be nearly impossible to say how many were sold.

For what it's worth, I think the near mint version that sold in 2006 would sell for much more today. Primarily because of its status as one of very, very few clean examples known to exist.

[patricka]

For what it is worth, I have acquired two Federal League baseballs over the years off of ebay. One in 1998 and one in about 2004. They had no writing on them like the examples you mention. I sold both of them shortly after acquiring them and got like $900 a piece for them.

[ngrow9]

I think it's a combination of rarity in general and the connection to an actual game. Coming from one of only two opening days in Federal League history in the city of Baltimore doesn't hurt either.

I would think that the chances of finding a FL ball that was not used in a FL game would be slim. Most that have come up have been used. I don't know what the market was in 1914 or 1915 for FL balls at sporting goods stores, or if any were sold that way. I presume they were, but it would be nearly impossible to say how many were sold.

For what it's worth, I think the near mint version that sold in 2006 would sell for much more today. Primarily because of its status as one of very, very few clean examples known to exist.

Federal League baseballs were definitely sold commercially:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19150221&id=EuIUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qeADAAAAIBAJ&pg=2731,1102499

So I'm not sure you are correct to assume that most of the remaining balls are game used. It could be true, but is not necessarily so. I agree, though, that the near mint version would likely sell for more than $7,200 today.

One thing I find interesting about the ball in the Huggins & Scott auction is that there is not stamp with President Gilmore's signature opposite the Official Federal League stamp. I'm not sure if that indicates that it was a commercially sold ball, rather than one intended for official game use, or if there is some other explanation.

[william_9]

We could go back and forth (which would be a fun and worthy discussion) but the truth is that we'll never know for sure the exact history of most of the Federal League balls that come up. My opinion is that there is a huge difference between retail products and mementos during this time. An item purchased at retail and intended to be used has a far greater chance of being used up and lost or thrown away, versus something that was obtained at a game or has a memory or meaning attached to it. And, with a very limited retail window of only two years (possibly slightly more or less due to overstock or shortage) there would have been far fewer FL balls sold when compared to AL/NL which had a much longer production run for each model (mostly), and far fewer when compared to cheaper off-brands and private label offerings. It is good to know that FL balls were sold at retail (I assumed they were, but never had a reason to check).

I will also say (and clarify) that any used FL ball that comes up should not automatically be assumed "game used", at least not in the Federal League. Without the details that are lost to time it would be impossible to say for certain. It could very well have been purchased and used by a kid and stashed away and forgotten about. We'll never know.

Lastly, it is possible that Gilmore's stamp was on the ball at one time. You can see that the original writing over the area where the stamp would have been placed is minimal, which suggests (to me anyway), that there was something stamped there. The rest of the ball appears to have been traced over. The original writing may have been too faded or faint to trace. I can't tell in the photos. Also, since the Gilmore stamp was a teal color it may have simply faded away. Look at the stitching, which should be a similar teal color, and you will see that it is very washed out.

Congrats on owning one by the way! They're a rare ball no matter how you look at it.

[ngrow9]

Those are all very fair points. I agree we'll never know, and I suspect you are probably correct that the remaining balls are more likely to have come from an official game rather than a commercial purchase.

I also agree that it is strange that there is less writing over where you would expect to find the presidential stamp on the ball in the Huggins & Scott auction. However, if you look closely, there is some faint writing across where the stamp would have been (perhaps a signature?). Also, in looking at my own ball, I find it hard to believe that the presidential stamp would have worn off of the Baltimore ball given how crisp the other stamps are, and how little wear the ball has overall. Again, though, we'll never know for sure.

Does anyone know if there were differences between the Federal League balls produced by Victor for commercial sale versus those produced for official game use?

Also, I'm really curious to know how many Federal League balls exist in total. In addition to the three links I provided in the initial post, the only others I've found records for on the Internet are these:

http://sports.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=7051&lotNo=82067

http://www.huntauctions.com/LIVE/imageviewer_online.cfm?auction_num=20&lot_num=275&lot_qual=

I suspect a few more exist (I've heard rumor of an unopened FL ball), but would be curious to know if anyone else is in possession of one not accounted for in the various links in this thread.

Thanks!

[martindl]

I think it's an item that appeals more to the history collector than the strict ball collector.

Ignoring that it's a Federal League ball, it's a little package of history, be it baseball, city, school or family. I can see why someone would pay well for it.

It's a ball notating the baseball game in detail, with the schools name and the name of the boys who ran a relay with the ball to the ballpark, along with a related letter, and, and, on a Federal League ball to boot!

[plasorsa]

I was the high bidder on the federal league ball. I collect FL items and for me the appeal was two fold. It is a federal league ball which is hard to find and it is a one-of a kind item related to the FL. I couldn't resist the provenance that came with it and the spectacle of the day the season opened. And Baltimore has a special place for me because, with the Baltimore federal league team, Ruth never gets sold to the Red Sox and never becomes a Yankee......so in my opinion, the Baltimore franchise changed the course of baseball......and for that reason, I think the ball is really cool and worth every penny. I may donate it to the Baltimore or Babe Ruth museum one day so everyone can enjoy it.

How many collectors would pay that amount for a 1933 Ruth Goudey, 1909 Cobb etc, of which thousands and tens of thousands exist?

[ngrow9]

Congrats on the purchase. Just to be clear, I didn't intend to be at all critical of the final price...quite the opposite. I was just a bit surprised at how high it went.

[plasorsa]

I didn't mean to imply you were saying it in a bad way. I just wanted to give my thoughts on the item. The Chicago Fed ball from opening day isn't a one of a kind as there could have been many balls saved from that day, whereas the Baltimore ball is documented in newspaper clippings as the ball from opening day and there can never be another. I just liked it and at the end of the day that is where the ultimate value lies.