Posted By:
Paul MuchinskyPhil,
Thank you for your kind words about my book. Yes, "comprehensiveness" is a real word. If it is not, it is now. Contrary to the belief of some people, I am not the winner (or even a bidder) for every pin that is not in my book. That pin belongs to someone other than me. I do recall the pin you are describing, but not in much detail. Here is the general scoop on why these types of pins are so valuable. Probably very few have survived over the years, so scarcity is high. If the team included a famous player (at the time) or to become a famous player later in his career, the pin is extra-special. You can sort of think of it as a "rookie pin", if not of the player, then most certainly of the technology of making pinback buttons that began in 1896. However, I suspect the primary basis of the pin's value is its relative position in the history of baseball. Anything pre-1900 is special. The first World Series wasn't played until 1903. The American League had yet to be founded. The identity of professional teams (we really shouldn't call them "Major League" teams, because the MLB as we know it today wasn't founded yet)are not fully documented from that era. I don't recall what the specific attribution was of the pin (e.g., an "old" National League team, or a minor league team), but one look at the pin told you it came from the primordial days of professional baseball using a recently patented technology. I have been asked how would you "know" the value of such an item? You wouldn't. The market itself would determine its value. I get mildly amused when I hear people say a given item "isn't worth that much" or "the buyer paid too much for that item". On what basis can such statements be made, especially in an area as arcane as pins? "Too much" compared to what? Can you run down to Walmart and get one cheaper? The famous Wagner card recently sold for over $2,000,000. The most expensive Wagner pin, same player, same era, different type of collectible (a pin) probably wouldn't sell for 1% of that price. Why? I would say because of differential demand. It is primarily a case that cards are far more popular among collectors than pins. By a magnitude of 100/1? For some items, the answer is obviously "yes". There are no "inherent" values to collectibles. Sorry to quote an old cliche (are there any new cliches?): something is worth whatever someone else will pay for it. Some lucky collector now has a magnificent addition to his (or her) collection.
Paul