1940s-'50s gumball machine Charms

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Posted By: Fred Y

Here's hoping I can get some player ID verification help from everyone on these little obscure "trinkets" that came out of those penny gumball machines back in the late '40's--early '50's-----and you can have some fun at the same time!

I have 23 of them that I have saved all these yrs & just decide to check them against the SCD incomplete list. There are a few that are uncataloged if my ID's prove correct.

The 1st 2 pics are easy to ID, so I don't need names --it's the 2nd 2 that I THINK I have ID'd, but would surely appreciate your input. At the same time many have probably never seen them, so hope you enjoy!








I'm pretty sure on these below 4, but would like your input--3 I believe are uncataloged:




The 5 below I'm not sure on. I think the 1st 2 are the same guy--the next 3 look the same, but I think 2 are the same player, but the last one is different! I'll be interested in your take on them! I believe all of these are uncataloged.






Here is the listing from SCD Bible: I think I have 6 that will add to the list pending on what you guys think. I will appreciate your ideas.
NOTE: I believe SCD has the size wrong also--All of mine measure 3/4" x 5/8", nowhere near the 1 1/4" even including the loop!

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Posted By: MikePugeda

Hi Fred,

I always thought these were neat items.

In your last photo, I believe the 2 at the top are of Hank Greenberg, while the bottom 3 are...Nellie Fox???

I've picked up a few here and there. I like the ones with the round metallic-like rim (kind of look bronzed).

Thanks for sharing,

Mike

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Posted By: DD

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Posted By: Rob D.

In the third photo, top left: Bob Lemon.

Here's mine:



It's pretty common on these to see different croppings of the photos. Here's a Feller that uses the same photo as yours but is cropped differently:



And then here's a different kind of charm that uses the same photo but with a different crop:

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Posted By: Fred Y

Mike--

Greenberg is my thought also on those 2 on top of pic 3. As for the bottom 3, I definitely don't believe it's Nellie. I have pegged the 1st 2 as Whitey Lockman and the 3rd, altho very similar, I am thinking it's Bobby Doerr.

David--

Very nice Louis--I have no boxers. Is it the same size as mine--3/4 x 5/8"?

Rob--

I have looked that photo over & over w/ a magnifier and don't believe it's Lemon. At 1st I thought Ewell Blackwell (because he's on the list), but have discounted him also. I do believe now that it is a lefty-- Johnny Schmitz--and it's almost an identical pose to his '51 Bowman:




What do you think??

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Posted By: jeffdrum

I agree with Schmitz for the first player in the first photo. I think the last player in the second photo (3x) is Dusty Rhodes. The second charm is Greenburg it looks like but I am not sure if the first one is the same person.

Jeff

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Posted By: Fred Y

Thanks for your input!

Glad you think it is Schmitz also--That is a tough one for sure!

As for the top 2 in the last pic--The 2nd one I definitely believe is Greenberg and the 1st one sure looks like the same guy!

As for the last 3--I keep going back & forth as to whether all 3 are the same guy or not--they could be!

I do not believe it is Rhodes however, for 2 reasons: Looking thru my magnifier it doesn't look to be him and 2ndly, because he didn't come up until '52 & wasn't too well known until the WS of '54 I don't think he would have been in this issue, which I have pegged to be from 1947 to about '51 or '52 at the latest.

Any ideas on the others? Hope some other members can offer an opinion!

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Posted By: jeffdrum

Willard Marshall. Looks like it could be him.

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Posted By: Fred Y

Once again I went back and looked--and compared some pics of Marshall!!---Definitely a close resemblance!

I have received a couple of EMs and some other input from EBay Board and am now convinced the last 3 are the SAME guy, but not Willard Marshall.

I think I have all 23 pegged, but am hopeful of a few more responses here to form a consensus before I throw them out there!

Thanks again Jeff! Anyone else w/ some ideas to wrap this up?

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Posted By: jeffdrum

I think the 3x in the picture is Whitey Lockman as was suggested above.

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Posted By: Fred Y

OK--the 1st 2 pics of 8 & 6 are pretty cut & dried--Here are the names:

Reese, Campy, Furillo
Williams, Rizzuto, Berra
Kiner, Feller

and

Ennis, Pafko, Williams
Campy, Kiner, Musial
__________________________________________________ _______________


For the 3rd & 4th pics I'm going to re-post them so you don't have to scroll. With your help here, help from the EBay Board, a couple of EMs from knowledgeable vintage collectors and my own looking, looking & some research, here are the names we've come up w/ for the last 2 pics:


Johnny Schmitz-Cubs '41-'50 -------------- Mel Parnell-Red Sox '47-'56




Wally Westlake-Pirates '47-'51 ----------- Del Ennis-Phils '46-'56

__________________________________________________ _____________________

Sid Gordon-Giants '41-'49 ------------- Hank Greenberg-Pirates 1947





ALL 3 Whitey Lockman-Giants '45-'56



I would like to forward the final results to SCD for inclusion in the Bible. If the results stand it would mean 6 new uncataloged additions, so I welcome any additional "Yeahs" or "Nays" to these ID's. Thanks to all who helped come up w/ these conclusions--Of couse they are open for final comments!

Fred

PS--I am told that some of these poses are used in the 1947 Homogenized Bond set, which, along w/ the dates these guys played and my distinct knowledge of where & when I bought them lead me to conclude this issue was definitely available in gumball machines from about 1947-48 to about 1951-52 time frame.

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Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

The Dodgers photos were also used in late 1940's team-issued picture packs. Reproductions can be seen in Peter Golenbock's wonderful oral history, "Bums", which I believe came out in 1983.