Quote:
Originally Posted by ooo-ribay
I'm not a fan of the 3/4 size pennants but this one had good color; says "New York" rather than the more common "N.Y." and the price was right.
Questions: what was the heyday of 3/4 pennants? 30s-40s? Was there ever a time when the 3/4 was the most prevalent size? Same questions for oversized...heyday? were they ever the most common size?
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That's a beauty, Rob... I looked at it long and hard on eBay, and almost pulled the trigger. I'd have bought it at first sight a few years back, when my available funds were more conducive to collecting. You got a good buy, as it's a rare variation with beautiful colors and superb condition.
I'll take a stab at your questions regarding
size (which does matter, haha). Here is how I see it after many years of doing this nonsense...
Teens- Predominantly oversized pennants, ranging in size from 32" to 36" in length. Full size and 3/4 size did exist back then, but in very limited quantities.
1920s- Perhaps the only era in which 3/4 size was the norm. It is pretty rare to find standard full-sized pennants from this decade, and the oversized pennants seemed to vanish in the late teens.
1930s- Let's call it full-size, but in this decade, a full sized pennant was typically slightly smaller than it is today. Full sized 1930s pennants were significantly larger than 3/4 pennants, but a bit smaller than what we later see from Trench, AdFlag, etc. 3/4 size pennants were readily available, but I'd estimate it skews about 65/35% in favor of full size in the 1930s.
1940s- Most full size pennants of the 1940s are still slightly smaller than what's seen today. They continued to become a bit more prevalent in the 1940s... perhaps by now, it's an 75/25 split between Full and 3/4 size.
1950s- Full size pennants finally reach the true large size we think of today. 3/4 size pennants remain popular as well... especially in the New York Market. The Yankees, Dodgers and Giants in particular all produced a ton of 3/4 size pennants during this era. Rob's pennant above is just one of many examples. I'd guess the split was about 70/30 in favor of full-size in the 50s.
1960s- Full size becomes by far the predominant size of the 1960s. 3/4 size is still somewhat popular into the early 60s, but becomes all but extinct by the end of the decade.
1970s - This is when it's game over for me. Everything is now full sized, but as mass production takes over, the felt becomes stiff as a board, and creativity and artistry are all but gone. Outside of a few interesting All Star Game and WS Pennants early in the decade, there is not much interesting in the way of graphics. The team logos adopt a simplified and "corporate" look, and the magic finally disappears.
So it's a sad ending, but that's what makes the hunting and collecting so much fun. If it was easy and if there was no challenge, it would all be rather pointless. Eager to hear what others think, as I could be way off base!
