Dave, great info, not the one I am still searching for, but similar and great.
The auction described is at least the second one, the first was on April 13, 1872 at the Union Grounds clubhouse according to Rhodes and Erardi in First Boys of Summer (a great book). Apparently they sold early everything including a lawn mower, stoves etc. They even give the prices for some item, without citation or footnote, but it must exist somewhere. Examples, Mutual Ball, $10, Athletic Ball of 1870, $5, and streamers from 1869 got $7. Price for uniforms, bats etc not given. the article I am looking for gave the names of the two largest purchasers, not sure first or second auction, but indicated much was lost in a fire. Hope I find it.
Incidentally, I took a quick look in Ellard’s Base Ball in Cincinnati but could not find any reference to the auction, but the book itself states it based upon the archives and collection of his father.
Finally, there is wonderful book by Troy Soos, The Cincinnati Red Stalkings, that has references to the auction, collections of the material in a museum etc. well worth a quick read.
Hope there is more to come on this, very interesting, at least to me.
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