For anyone interested...I have recently been in contact with Natalie Marfleet of Hypergraphic Press. They are the publishers of Dr. Muchinsky's reference book on baseball pinback buttons.

I was under the impression that the book was out of print and unavailable. Natalie assured me that copies of the book are still available, albeit a bit pricey ($100 for the book plus $17 for shipping). I just placed my order. They also still have copies of his boxing pinback book as well.

If you want to order a copy, call Natalie at 507-649-4482 with your credit card information. She'll be happy to help you.

Jim

Jim - thanks for providing this info....I tried to order one off the website last week with no luck once I made contact....This thread has certainly got me inspired again about pin collecting - thanks! Jim

My pleasure! Call Natalie. She was a joy to work with.

It's a great book for this niche of the hobby. However, as I think I've posted here before, I would not rely on the price guide at the back of the book. I can't speak for the accuracy of prices for the particularly rare items, but I think a lot of his prices for the more commonly items were and still are too high. Still, a fantastic resource and great fun to peruse.

I’m more looking at it to be a reference book. Can’t wait to look at it!

Exactly. It's very educational about different types of pinbacks and to show a lot of what was produced. Particularly cool for team collectors.

12 thousand bucks for a Jackie Robinson PM-10 from Hake’s. :eek:

I think Paul Muchinsky’s “values” are becoming much more realistic. In some cases, they’ve even become low.

Well if we are going there how about 66k for the paul thompson babe ruth photo....:eek::eek:
That was Pauls jackie robinson book example by the way....:D

I, too, always thought Paul’s values were high. I’m rethinking that now.

Another case in point from last night…I was watching the Jesus Alou…Paul said it was worth $300…it sold for $485.

Yep I bought it.....:D:D

Rob its a simple rule of supply and demand... As you know I reached out to probably every pin collector on this site and other pin sites B/S/T wanting that Alou to finish my giants run... for years! Not one of you guys wanted to sell or trade yours.(and I understand that completely as a collector) And as you know pins arnot like cards way fewer examples exist. SO when one becomes available and as I have told you many times before open up that snapper purse and buy it because you may wait years until you find one again.... A guide is a guide simple as that... look at the dodgers pins pauls guide (dont get me started on pauls guide ruined pin collecting by the way) Jackie robinson guide 4000 sold 13,000 Preacher Roe guide 1000 sold 2000 on and on. So me paying about 100 more remember 18% commission also doesnt bother me... I will just sell off a few others and the cost will come down... BUT now I have one.... Here is what we are talking about.

No need to defend your bid, especially the way things have been going for just about everything these days. $485 for a pin as rare as you describe? No problem, and it will undoubtedly look like a bargain in a couple years when the next one goes for a grand or two! Plus, that one is a real beauty, with what I'm guessing to be an original assemblage of charms and ribbons.

For sure. There MIGHT be another SF Giants you don’t know about. A buddy told me he saw it on a woman’s hat at a Giants game. If his eyes weren’t deceiving him, I can’t believe he let her get away without buying that pin!

Hank yes it was Pauls book example.....

For sure. There MIGHT be another SF Giants you don’t know about. A buddy told me he saw it on a woman’s hat at a Giants game. If his eyes weren’t deceiving him, I can’t believe he let her get away without buying that pin![/QUOTE]

Agreed Rob new examples come to light alot but for now I believe I own all that are known... Thats the fun of pins love when new ones come to light...:eek:

Funny little story as many of us serious pin collectors were on face time or messenger as the Hakes auction was on. I was talking to 5+ guys. I wont use names as some are very private people but one of the guys who won a group of the dodgers pins 2 1/8 size Roe , Cox ,Furillo, Hodges is a big time collector of dodgers. He is 84 years young! and collects with a passion... And good for him!;);)

Quiet day so I thought I would post this up for all the pin guys.. A charm board made by the Gay Products company. (Leave it alone) 50s I have another one with the gloves on it. Dont see these much anymore. just a companion piece to the pins... Always loved it.

I love it, too! Here's another:

Nice!:D:D

Steal in my book - find another - might take years…..congrats!

Speaking of charms - I won this the other night - probably overpaid? But love these old brown plastic gloves….will add to one of my pins…

https://www.ebay.com/itm/28516761127...emis&media=SMS

Very nice Jim I believe we have re started your pin collecting...;);)

I think so Al!

Nice buy!

I just picked up a glove charm last week myself.

Love it! Congrats!

HOLY CRAP!!! Now that’s a book!!!!

Just arrived, can’t wait!

Nice! Enjoy!

Wonderful!

I look through it all the time. It is one of my favorite reference books.

Living in Richmond, Va., I enjoyed seeing some of the Richmond. Va. pinbacks in the Muchinsky book for our old minor league teams. I did note an error though in his book. This Richmond Robins pinback is from our 1970’s era hockey team (I believe). Their colors were orange and black like in this other grainy pinback photo.

I could be wrong though, but I’m pretty sure.

Probably correct Jim I have found other errors also. I will post a few...

Just ordered my copy of the book - Natalie is off the charts nice….

Here is another one Paul says its Churches Fried Chicken reality is the pin has no relation to the pittsburgh pirates.
The pin is for Cochrane Fountain City High School It a football pin for the Wisconsin pirates team... Like I said a good reference book for pics but not always correct...

Well on to a fun note lets try a put up some pins..... We havnt done that in awhile.. I will show a pin I have always loved The great walter johnson on the 1924 senators world series pin. Also a photo showing that very same pin with a very large paper mache ball.. The pin is rare to start with but look at that board! Loaded with this pin... In all my years of collecting never have seen the ball with the pin... They also used the same image on other pins of the era and after.. Love walter Johnson!

Yeah she’s a sweetheart.

Incredible - the photo is great - the guy wearing the pin with the two balls hanging…..just looks…..well, I’ll just stop there and say what a great photo….

You know Jim I was going to say something about that ! But Im glad you said it first...:D:D

That's a world-class WaJo pin collection there, Al! With TWO of those great 1924 Pennant Winner pins? Wow! Here's what I'm down to after selling off my P1 and P2s some years ago. There were other configurations of the '24 pin, including this one with a smaller ball and one with three longer ribbons printed with "1924 World Series."

Very nice Hank! Had a feeling you might enjoy;);) that....

Hank maybe that is why you dont see the large ball maybe they swapped it out for the smaller ball and that ribbon instead as sales with the large ball didnt go over well or people just didnt want to ware it like that.... just a thought...:eek::eek:

Yes, we can only speculate. I've never seen the large ball, even if, as you point out, there's a whole board full of them in that picture. But I have seen a couple with the smaller ball, and at least one with the longer red, white, and blue ribbons and a beautifully printed "1924 World Series" on the white one. They would have had at most a few days to get those made and distributed, so it's a real mystery why there would be any variations at all. Considering I've probably only seen ten or so of these pins total, its rarity only adds to the mystery.

agreed!

Back when Mastro was thriving, they had at least 2-3 of those Walter Pins. The Mastro examples all had the smaller Ball adornment. I was the high underbidder one time, and now I really wish I popped another bid or two. That ship has now sailed...

Another possible theory is that the big baseball charm was too heavy. It probably made the pin uncomfortable to wear, or perhaps the weight pulled the ribbon off completely. Looks very cumbersome and out of proportion, but great photo none-the-less!

Never Mind.... Computer froze and after a 20 second delay, I hit reply, only to duplicate the post. Ugh!

The smaller ball variation was also a feature of the 1925 Washington Pennant Winners pin as well as a white " Washington Senators" pin that was probably of that period. I think I've also seen the 1925 Pirates Pennant Winners version with that same small ball, so it seems to have been a one or two-year conception of whoever made these.

These are the two I have.

Wow! I rest my case! And there is another 1925 Pittsburgh Pennant Winners pin identical in design to the 1925 Washington Pennant Winners pin, both of which I have seen with the small ball and ribbons.

Mark I totally agree it probably made the wearing the pin cumbersome and probably down right annoying.. But still would love to find one... Mike and Hank yes I to have those pins with the smaller ball for 1925. I have the other mate to the senators pin. Funny The 1934 tigers pin is such a fragile pin to find in condition. With the small pennant but that ball is damn near impossible to find.. Also that ball is about twice the size of the smaller ones used in the 1924 1925 pins. This is how it looked back in the day....

Who got this one that just sold on eBay?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/35386309711...p2047675.l2557

Wasnot me Hank I have mine....;);) The mate to the 25 senators

Sweet!

Anyone have a football pinback with a football like this one?

cool charm....

I have this one.

Hard to tell with the lighting in your photo, but is yours that same brown plastic like mine?

Yes it’s plastic. Just a lighter brown.

Good deal, thanks!

I have always tried to pick up vintage 1970's Cincinnati Reds pinbacks when I can. Here is some of what I have plus a recent pickup.

Thirties Yankees
 

Looking for PM10’s of Gehrig, Dickey and any other 30’s Yankees

Very nice assortment of pins.

Great Reds pins!!

I was discussing this pin with someone and can’t recall who. I’m trying to find out if it’s real or a repop, and whether or not there’s any evidence that it actually has anything to do with the Chicago Cubs. I feel like I’ve seen it in the Muchinsky book but now can’t find it.

I’d say it’s definitely real and was meant to appeal to Cubs fans, similar to how Bambino tobacco capitalized on the Ruth/Yankees connection. I don’t have an idea as to value. Isn’t MK a “Cubs guy”?

There were two different versions of the pin. They were definitely meant to be connected with the Cubs baseball team. They are in Paul’s book in Section Q, advertising. They are condition sensitive since they are lithograph.

Thank you, Mike. Did you see the photos I posted above? Does that look like an original pin to you? If real, what do you think it a real world value would be?

I have no doubt it is real. I can’t see the entire pin so I don’t know about the condition. If it’s not scratched or otherwise damaged, I might say around $75.

Thank you, Mike. That’s as much as I was able to photograph but I believe the condition to be as nice as the section you can see.

Appreciate your info!

Picked up a new HOFer!!

Hey Jim - I don’t think pins are faked as often as you might think. Oftentimes, the back is an easier way to identify a fake than the front. Pinzplus on eBay makes a lot of fakes and fantasies but the backs are always brown. A nice rusted back or paper label is a pretty good indication of the real deal.

Good info, Rob. Thank you.

Every day is a learning experience!

Love Hodges pins! Congrats!

Thanks! Kind of just stumbled upon it.

Visited Harrisonburg, Va. today for my daughter to check out James Madison University. Found out that there was an antique mall nearby. With only 40 minutes before closing, I cruised through the store and found stacks and stacks of pinbacks in trays like you see pictured here.

Was able to rescue these two Orbit pins. This store is going to require another visit!

Brooks pins
 

Some of my Brooks Robinson pins. Are there others I am missing?

Hi Charles I believe this one a rare pin... A Great collection...

Nice Brooks pin
 

That is the misspelled middle name one. You impressive.

I couldn't find a scan of a Brooks Robinson but he is on the checklist of having a 3.5" B&W example of one of these 1969 MLB pins.

1969 Pins
 

Thanks for sharing…am aware of Brooks in that set but have not seen. Thanks for the reply.

2014 Topps pin set Rarest pins ever issued by Topps
 

In 2014 Topps was searching for ways to market items directly to collectors. Started with set of " My Hero" 5x7 and 11x17 The cards were to be limited two ways first numbered to 99 and then only offered for 7 days. The 5x7 's were only sold as a set and cost $100 if I remember correctly with the 11x17's sold individually for about $49. Well being the first it did not go over well. But over time Topps used the leftover 5x7's as gifts at Industry conferences etc. Getting most of theb99 out in the market. Best guess is about 20 sets of 5x7 were sold that week and only a few each of the 11x17's. A couple years ago the 11x17's started showing up on Ebay through a wholesaler that looked like the bought a large group of extra stock of the 2014 My Hero and other issues from 2014. Not all players but most of the set was offered. For between $49 and $99 depending on player.
A few weeks later they offered a set of Buttons / Pins 11 Teams with each team limited to 75 sets. I think each set retailed for $20. So to buy a set you had to lay out $220. Again they did not sell well and over time they were discounted down to $10 then $5 and I think black friday the few left were $2.50. Someone bought a few Pirates and they have been up on Ebay for the last 9 years. But I dont think I have ever seen any other team sets never mind a complete set offered. Anyone else pick these up in 2014?

Checklist: Each team had 5 players and a team pin.
They were issued in a small white bag with a small tag listing the team inside
As you can see they are identified as Topps Pins along the edge.

Boston Red Sox
Chicago Cubs
Detroit Tigers
Los Angeles Dodgers
Minnesota Twins
New York Mets
New York Yankees
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
Oakland Athletics
ST.Louis Cardinals

Hi Jonathan,
This is an interesting post! Do you know who the other players were for the other teams that you listed?
I'm curious as to who they were for future reference...

Thanks!