At the risk of being shunned, could you cut one of the tassels and reattach it to the bottom so that it’s visually more appealing?

Careful...I can sense blood pressures spiking.

To me...4 or 0 are the only right answers. If you're going to perform a tasselectomy, you might as well just take the two off. However, on a 50s trench pennant that always came with tassels and has an endless supply of era appropriate donor tassels, I'd recommend an augmentation tasselplasty.

To each his own...Feel free to get a second opinion. ;)

Yeah, I'm going to try to match them as well as I can. No rush. I know we all have our own pennant characteristics that do or do not drive us crazy. For me the ones that bother me are (in order):

1) flaking paint graphics
2) missing tassels
3) bug damage to the spine
4) bleeding to the spine

If the graphics are flaking, I just can't buy it (unless maybe is is super rare and the price is very low). For the other three, I either need to wait for a decent example or I'm willing to buy a damaged example for an appropriately low price and repair it a bit. They are for me to display. If a pennant is very rare or very valuable, I would not repair it. But most of my pennants don't fall into that category.

Most Trench baseball pennants post 1950 don’t fall into that category.

Surprised ripped/missing tip didn’t make the list. That’s easily my number one.

If the tip is ripped and missing, that is a problem for sure. If it is ripped and still there, I don't care that much (if the price is right). It's also clear that a lot of pennants were cut with a blunted tip. That used to bother me more than it does now.

Yeah...the ole square tip deal doesn't bother me as long as it's not an inch or more up from where the tip is supposed to be. Would prefer that though over the dreaded fishtail cut.

What about faded pennants? Like, for example, a 1950s blue pennant ... that's now some color between brown and gray? :rolleyes:

Fading is certainly not good, although I guess it just depends. Here is my most faded pennant. I could not afford an unfaded one at true market value.

From the home office in Windsor, CT...Tonight's category:

Felt Football's Top 10 pennant issues...

10. Missing/Decrepit Tassels
9. Bleeding Spine
8. Moth Holes
7. Miscut/Centering
6. Cracked/Flaking Paint
5. Stains
4. Writing including Autographs
3. Fading
2. Ripped/Missing Tip

and now, the number one Felt Football pennant issue...

Drumroll...

1. Smells like ass

As you all probably know, I am far from the most condition sensitive pennant collector. Hell, I may be the least sensitive. I will usually grab any Giants pennant I don’t have if the price reflects the poor condition. I’m a “buy it when you see it; maybe upgrade later” guy. That said, a badly faded blue pennant just might be a disqualifier for me.

I am a picky MFer... so all of those are deal-killers for me (except for cracking/puckering graphics on the older ones). This actually adds a cool vintage look/patina and is just as common as tack holes (which also don't bother me at all). But if the painted graphics are actually flaking off, that's where I draw the line.

A blunt tip is not a big deal either. Many were made that way, but if it's missing 1/2" or more, then it gives me pause. A dangling or "fishtailed" tip is a non-starter.

Excellent list, and I would add that a rip or tear anywhere on the pennant (not just the tip) kills it for me.

Yeah...Definitely should've included rips in general. This was obviously tongue in cheek. Smells like ass is actually a pretty easy problem to solve. I bought a camping clothesline on Amazon and I find if I hit the back of the pennant with a light cloud of Febreze, then leave it out overnight...problem solved by morning. And no...it's doesn't smell like Febreze either. Of course, I'm not referring to that incredible "old pennant" smell...but must, smoke, etc. This works really well for smoke.

And moth holes don't bother me too much as long as we're not talking about swiss cheese.

I am amazed at the number of people who reach out to me to ask if a 70-80 year old pennant has pin holes. Who would care? That's never even entered into my decision process when considering a pennant and it certainly has zero impact on value in my opinion.

To each his own. Some people are hung up on thread.

Condition
 

Mark -
I am pleased to see that your condition standards are great as always.
That is one of the reasons that your collection is fantastic.
I enjoyed that common bond we had.
Jerry

Good to know about the Febreze. Only problem is if you hang the clothesline in Seattle, the pennant will be soaking wet before you know it. :rolleyes:

Regarding the part in bold... It is indeed mind-boggling. I have had a couple of sales fall through because the prospective buyer asked about pinholes. Who the hell possibly cares? You'd rule out 90% of all vintage pennants if this was your criteria.

This misguided thinking has to emanate from the "Sportscard Culture", where pinholes are highly frowned upon. A great-condition card (that would otherwise grade NRMT) is automatically graded "1" by the know-nothing TPGs if it has a microscopic pin hole. And the collecting sheeple fall right in line.

So if/when you encounter this mindset, you are probably dealing with a TPG-addicted card collector. Thankfully, serious pennant collectors know it's a non-issue.

I enjoyed it too, Jerry. We miss seeing you around here...

Really loved our interactions, and boy did we make some great deals back in the day!

Thanks for the kind words and hope all is going well,
Mark

I with you Rob. I like to get the best condition that I can but if I find a pretty scarce pennant for a good price, I'll put up with a missing tassel or spine issues until I can upgrade it.

As I've gained experience with pennants, I'm able to figure out which stains can be removed with a gentle soak. Badly faded or large holes are where I normally draw the line.

I've not had the occasion to buy a pennant that smells like ass yet. Wonder what ebay sellers would reply, if I asked "does it smell like ass?" :D

LOL…Maybe I can petition eBay to add a “smells like ass” check box to their seller listing template.

Mark
Yes we did. I think our first transaction was with your Willie Mays Pennant.
That was the start of our realization that we were condition "freaks"

Cool player pennants, Jerry. I keep mine together, too, although I don’t have as many.

Hi-

Here is something unusual. It is a Philadelphia Phillies pennant from Mike Ryan Motor Sales. It is signed by multiple members of the mid 60s Red Sox including Tony C (but no Yaz unless I missed seeing his signature).

Mike Ryan Motor Sales was in Haverhill MA so I am not sure why they made a Phillies pennant but I am guessing it was made when Ryan was traded to the Phillies (the dealership was run by his uncle but he worked there). Has anyone seen an unsigned version of this pennant? Did the motor sales company make any other pennants?

Alan

Super cool! I can’t make out the mark in the last picture… :confused:

Thank you! It says American Knit Wear and Emblem Mfrs Emblematic Sports Wear. Did they make any other major league pennants?

Alan

American Knitwear is Keezer manufacturing. You can look them up on Domer's pennant fever blog.

I know I have seen a copy of this pennant sell at least one other time. I don't believe it was autographed, but I'm not certain.

Thank you! I thought the logo looked familiar. I have a vague memory of seeing another one too but I might have confused it with this one (this came from a Massachusetts Americana dealer's estate and he had it for sale at a few ephemera shows several years ago).

Alan

I knew the graphics were Keezer but wasn’t sure the mark was. Pretty bizarre that they did a special run for a car dealer. I wonder if they did other special runs?

In the process of cleaning things out and looking to sell my 300 or so Baseball Pennants from the 50's to current. Condition is mint/great to poor on others

What's the market these days?

You may not like the answer....but it depends on which pennants. Are you able to share some photos?

The market is “great to poor.” :p

Depends what you’ve got.

Sorry, all set.

Wasn’t this discussed here awhile back when it was sold on eBay?

https://sports.ha.com/itm/baseball-c...umbnail-071515

Yep, we did. [Sigh] Might have expected better from a big AH.

It was back in post 8214

Not the first time for Heritage (and won't be the last).

I'd like to find blue next.

I emailed someone who is a good guy from there. Hopefully they will pull it. Pete Calderon (who I don’t know, but seems like a good guy) is also a member here so maybe he’ll see it and have it removed

Recent arrival, my second version of this as I also have one in purple. Would love to know if an older ASG pennant is known to exist.

Whew! Withdrawals were starting to set in.

I don't have an answer for you Greg, but I'll take this opportunity to show off the first all star pennants I have been able to add to my collection.

Thoughts on this listing??? As a Tigers fan I've never seen this one before or style, I'm leaning towards fake.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/17708554510...Bk9SR4r6qsfYZQ

If it's a fake, it's a pretty good fake. But, yeah, it looks "off."

I saw that when it came up. Looks fake to me too. A few things caught my eye:

1. If you look at the seam where the Black and Gold sections join, the stitching doesn't look right to me. Here's the stitching from an early 2 part Tigers pennant sold by Hunt vs this one on Ebay.

2. The material doesn't look right

3. I'll defer to others with more knowledge, but I believe "2-part" pennants were from the early 1900's up to about the late 1910s. I don't know that they were being used in the 1930s.

Plus the lettering looks off. The D in Detroit isn't right. That D was used in the Tigers logo in 1917....not 1935.

I agree with all of this....

And wasn't this same pennant already discussed at length, either in this thread or another? We clearly deemed it to be a Franken-pennant. I believe that someone took an early Princeton Pennant and melded it with a Detroit City Souvenir Pennant.

Best to stay away from this one.

It's a cool looking pennant and if fake it a well done fake. But the stitching gives it away IMO. Here's are some similar Princeton graphics...not that pennant makers didn't re-use graphics.

Speaking of Princeton pennants...I can't resist picking them up, especially the early ones. There is absolutely zero demand and they are ridiculously cheap (as are most Ivy League). As Mike Wolfe would say..."You're making me buy it".

But this one...I'd probably pass on this one. What is that a werewolf? It looks like something you'd see on an early 70s blacklight poster. Too trippy for me.

Last post for the the night...

Researching pennants I came across this picture. I recognize the Harvard football pennant on the wall but can't make out the Yale. The Chicago pillow appears to be football as well, but I'm seeing baseball in the Yale pennant. A sliding runner maybe? Anyone recognize it?

PS...Indianapolis 500 there as well?

Totally agree. I believe someone used a genuine ca. 1910s Princeton head-end, by Reproduction Co., I might add, and sewed it to the tail-end of a poorly made, contemporary "Detroit" pennant.

The Old English letter script is completely non-Repco, and Repco went out of business in 1935-36. Also, the apostrophe is backwards.... :rolleyes:

This was/is the genuine Repco two-piece pennant they were trying for....

The “e” is ridiculously large and the font of “35” looks wrong as well. The whole right hand side might be homemade…

FWIW … The Egner guide devotes a page to “pennants believed to be fake”, and of the 9 or 10 examples are three that are two-piece Tigers pennants, two dated 1935, but different designs.

I have the Amherst version of the Chicago pillow, but no sports theme, just a leather insignia (for academics, maybe?) in the middle.

1966 All Star Pennant
 

NFS - Another All Star Pennant added to the collection. A few years ago I started chasing all the AS game pennants Brooks Robinson appeared in from 1960 - 1974. This is a variation pennant. I also have the one with the player names on it from 1966 with red letters white background. I was very surprised to learn about this variation. It is in great shape. Happy collecting.

Great pennant! The Giants have a Busch Stadium pennant, too. :p