What's your most prized piece of memorabilia?
 

I'll get the ball rolling, mine is Bob Feller's 1937 High School senior class ring. I actually debated about selling it, but I'm glad I didn't....

Mine is a 1960 world series teams signed ball. Got players from both Yankees and Pirates.

Good question. Not sure, but I know which piece I would keep if I had to part with all but one: bat used in 1911 games against the Chicago Giants and KC Giants. I've shown the bat and label before, but here's the knob. The bat's owner was a local star semi-pro catcher and was hired by a local town to catch when Leland's Chicago Giants visited. He didn't get any hits that day.

Either this poster of my cousin:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...Poster%201.jpg

Or the contract for his 1951 Ringside card, courtesy of Topps Vault:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...t%20Miller.jpg

Or this poster from one of his fights:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...s%20Poster.jpg

The bat William Bendix took home from the Babe Ruth Story

Crosley Field Metal Box Office Sign
 

Probably this, because it's Cincinnati related. I can actually remember marveling at it as a little kid... Check out those prices :eek:

Mine
 

Mine would have to be the Braves (full headdress) Stanford Pottery piece. I hunted for this for 5 years before I found it

 
http://www.net54baseball.com/attachm...1&d=1276597218

1903 American League Horner Composite
 

If photos are memorabilia I guess this is it. It's the only thing on my office wall...

I've shown it before, but here's mine:

This is mine. My dad sacrificed some of his best postcards from his collection so that I could trade for this.

Great items everyone. Love the Crosley sign and Rob that ring is amazing. Who's ring was it again?

I would have to say my hand painted 1880s mary gregory lemonaide set which had 3 lefty, 3 righty batters. Missing 1. How this hand blown glass made it till now is amazing.

prized piece
 

Well I sold a few of my prized pieces for a son in Med School but for now it has to be my 1977 munson World Series Jersey. Thank God only 1 more year to go!!!:D:D

Bob,
Great pieces! But it looks like your wife photo bombed the pieces!:eek::eek::D:D

Ha
 

Good catch, I didn't even notice that until you mentioned it

Kevin- I love it!

I'm not on you guys level with your amazing stuff due to financial reasons, but I LOVE my Brooklyn Dodgers Clem Labine framed display.

It actually hasn't even arrived yet since I just 'won' it at auction, but I have a feeling this will become an instant favorite once it gets here.

1935 American League scroll, with 179 signatures....

1947 St. Paul Saints uniform (the cap and stirrups are not in the photo).

Wow, great piece Leon!

I would have to say my 1912-1916 scrapbook/photo album put together by Max Townshend (Nebraska Indians baseball player/Husker Football QB).

<a href="http://s22.photobucket.com/user/nudan92/media/Nebraska%20Indians%20Baseball%20Team/DSC01963.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b331/nudan92/Nebraska%20Indians%20Baseball%20Team/DSC01963.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSC01963.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s22.photobucket.com/user/nudan92/media/Nebraska%20Indians%20Baseball%20Team/DSC01966.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b331/nudan92/Nebraska%20Indians%20Baseball%20Team/DSC01966.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSC01966.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s22.photobucket.com/user/nudan92/media/Nebraska%20Indians%20Baseball%20Team/DSC01968.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b331/nudan92/Nebraska%20Indians%20Baseball%20Team/DSC01968.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSC01968.jpg"/></a>

Leon
 

Awesome Horner piece Leon!!

Amazing stuff. I love that Fed League ball - any idea who the pitchers were?

It's possible that you could find a ticket for that game. I have two Fed League tickets.

Great thread and some amazing pieces! This is my favorite one. It is a complete newspaper from a very obscure publication and depicts the Excelsior Club with James Creighton. According to a very reliable, respected source there is only one other copy of the NY Sporting Gazette and it's in the Met. This particular woodcut has previously been mistaken with the well known NY Clipper one which predated it by 2 years.

This is a great thread, enjoy reading it with a cup of coffee and a Muffin

http://farm1.staticflickr.com/216/52...ad8698ed_z.jpg

This postcard was mailed by Walter Johnson to his friend on June 19, 1908 between games in Detroit and Cleveland. I believe it is amongst the earliest known Johnson signatures and was sent during his second Major League season:

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...psf959772d.jpg

If that had been a full Johnson signature, we would have had an incredible battle :)

Great score!

Haha I'll take what I can get with The Big Train. That ohnson would have cost me the Walter J I'm sure.

My second most prized piece:

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...jams/Honus.jpg

Thanks! Here's the box score from the game. Dickson pitched for Pittsburgh, Watson for Chicago. I also have a copy of the game story from the Chicago Tribune at home with a few more details.

It would be great to find a ticket from the game, I never thought of that to be honest. I've got a couple Federal League tickets, but both are complimentary passes, not specific game tickets.

1

LOVIN this thread. Keep em coming. ;)

What may be the oldest game-used Yankee cap in private hands: Marty McHale, 1913:

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j2...1913captop.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j2...913capside.jpg

The Yankees cap is unbelievable. I mean, I believe it, but what an awesome thing to own!

:):) wow for sure on the Cap

I LOVE that postcard! :)
That's an incredible piece, IMHO.

I have posted this one before. Nonetheless, this autographed Clemente night poster is near the top of a very short list for me. The signature measures almost seven inches across.

Very, very nice. I believe that I was at that game but I didn't get one of those posters.

This would have to be one of my all time favorites! It's a Ruth signed photo that I picked up from a board member. Love the "Miami style" casual photo of a "late in life"Ruth. http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/08/17/ymavyhev.jpg

Nice,

Here he is with another Babe, same year, similar shirt. I used to own Babe Didrikson's pool cue - what I would give to have that back.

http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/04/02/50.../3/628x471.jpg

Hard to pick just one. This Ty Cobb letter to Zach Wheat is one of my favorite items. They played together on the 27 A's.

Kenny, My Cobb letter is dated 5/11/59 with an arrow next to the Nevada address stating: 'After May 15th'. He must have gotten held up in Atherton, as he was still there on May 30 when he wrote yours.

I have an actuall reel to reel tape recording of many of the 1969 Cubs team doing PSA for Paul Powell and drivers safety recorded by my grandmother who was working for the Secretary of State in Illinois. Have never been able to hear it as I do not have reel to reel capability but supposedly has my grandmother telling Santo he blew his lines.

Do have the actual lines typed out on Secretary of State of Illinois letterhead.

My favorite!
 

Found this on line many years ago as just a negative when a company in town was cleaning out the files. Asked myself if it really could be and when it got developed--yes it was... Had it autographed before he passed away in 2009. My father--circa 1947!

Best one yet! Gotta go watch Field of Dreams now.

Tough topic.

MY favorite piece is one I picked up when I worked for the Chicago Cubs. When I say picked up I should say I dug out of the dumpster as they were cleaning out many old files. This is a team roster sheet that each player had to sign in spring training to verify that they had received their meal money for the week. This came from the files of former Traveling Secretary Bob Lewis. The signatures are much bolder than the scan suggests.

I have this narrowed down to the Spring of 1954 which would be Ernie Banks' first full season in the majors and possibly his first Spring training with the team.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...l/cubssigs.jpg

Looks like three of us would have.. I saved tha when it was at auction and held back.

David, that yankee cap is killer.

I had two Wajo autographs at the time, but it was still tough to drop out of the bidding. Glad it went to someone who's very happy with it.

As far as I know, this is the only example of this oversized Cubs pennant from the teens :)

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...0/IMG_1054.jpg

Ticket stubs from last game at old Yankee Stadium and first game at new stadium which I went with my father.

Mike,

The design on your Cubs pennant would have made a great pin!

Best,

Paul

Difficult to pick one, but until I see another one, I pick this pin.

Nolan Ryan game used mitt from 1989
 

Congrats to all of you. These are really some terrific collectibles.

Not prewar, but this is still the favorite item in my collection. I have shown this before, but this is HOF'er Nolan Ryan's game used mitt from the 1989 season.
There are many reasons that I love this glove. First, it's the only known game used glove that I have ever seen in the hobby that has provenance tracing it directly to Ryan.

Best of all, The Express used this mitt en route to several career milestones in the twilight of his career:

- Ryan's was the winning pitcher in the All-Star game in Anaheim. Nolan became the oldest pitcher to get the win in the Mid-Summer classic.

- Nolan threw two 1-hitters in 1989. Additionally, he had one game with 15 K's and 2 with 13 K's

- On August 22, 1989 Ryan became the 1st and only pitcher to fan 5,000 batters. HOF great Rickey Henderson was Ryan's 5,000th K victim in front of a sellout crowd in Arlington, TX. Ryan still own this record with 5,714 K's in his career.

- On 9/30/89 Nolan became the 1st pitcher to ever have 6 300 K seasons, ending up the year with 301. Only future HOF'er Randy Johnson was able to come close, tying the record of 6 seasons with 300+ K's.

Some great stuff guys!...David, that 1913 Yanks cap is stunning.

Here's mine...Game Used Mickey Mantle Bat circa 1955-1958.

I have been working on the Topps 40 years of baseball book since 1990. It now has over 660 autographs in it. Some years I get 50+ autographs in it, and some years have been under 10 a year, just depends on how motivated I am that year.

http://s1332.photobucket.com/user/pl...?sort=3&page=1

Paul, sounds great, but no-go on the links.

Wow.
You guys have posted some great stuff.
This is such a difficult question to answer.
I've narrowed it down to 2.

Hand made frame and sig of Lou. Folk art and a nice Lou signature.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...-2130frame.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ameupclose.jpg

1927 type 1 Photo of Lou with Christy Walsh's son. The pics of Lou with kids always get me. There is something so innocent and pure about them.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...styWalshJr.jpg[/URL]


As a real close runner up isn't really memorabilia in the truest sense, but you would have to kill me to take away my Kreindler.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ile_Conlon.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i2...psbc0d557f.jpg


Ricky Y

Great stuff everyone!!!! Geeez, what a spectacular game-used Mantle bat!!!! Those poor baseballs - ouch!!!

Craig

Paul-what a great project...can you talk about the toughest one to get? Any interesting interactions? Do other players ever comment on all the autographs?

Andrew

Thanks Craig! yes, it's pounded, and has use on both sides of the barrel, since he was a switch hitter.

Incredible pieces. :cool:
Great thread.

David, please sell me that hat.

(I bug David annually to sell it and its just about the 12 month mark)

Very nice Ricky!!

In getting the Topps 40 years book signed I have run into some tough ones to get. Jeffrey Leonard blew me off countless times as the manager of the Modesto A's but I finally broke him down when he was managing in the Western Baseball League against Chico. George Hendrick would never sign for me.

George Brett was doing a animal rescue event for Tony Larussa in Oakland one year and all of his tickets were sold out. I couldn't figure out a way to get one. So when he sat down at the signing table I asked him if he could use a soda or water or something. He asked for a Diet Coke. I went to the concession stand, got them to give me a soda for Mr Brett and handed it to him through the drapes of the signing table. I then asked if he could sign my book when he was done. He said pass it up right now and he took care of in right away. That was cool.

Meeting Joe DiMaggio with my wife was fun. Recently got Travis D'Arnoud on the same day that Zack Wheeler blew me off multiple times.

I love getting the older guys because they don't mind signing all of their cards in the book. Many of them see former teammates on the cards and start to tell stories.

Mine would have to be this 1880's bunting bat.

John

i am pretty sure i was punished with something that looks a lot like that!!!!

One of my favorites is my Jimmy Austin White Sox jersey.

A gentleman in the UK is writing a book about the only three Welsh born players in baseball history and is using my jersey in the book. I'm not sure who the other two Welsh players were, but Austin was born in Swansea. The proposed title of the book is ‘Dragons on the Diamond’, as the dragon is one of Wales’ national emblems and features prominently on the country’s flag.

Another piece I love is this signed meeting notes set by AJ Reach and Ben Shibe + others....picked this up from Jim Stinson with the hopes that Reach lands in the HOF one day!! http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/08/20/7usebydu.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/08/20/u3u7u9en.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/08/20/uda8ujys.jpg

Beautiful jersey, Mike! :cool:

Here's another piece I would have a real hard time ever letting go of. The first sentence of the letter really sums up why I think it will always be the 'Walter Johnson' example in my handwritten letter collection:

A very heart rending letter from one friend to another. I'm not surprised that Milan kept it.

Amazing letter, Scott. I have one from Walter to Hazel in which he talks about the death of their baby daughter, Elinor. Really makes you tear up, like this one. You can tell he's still in shock by the fact that he signed "Walter Johnson" to his best friend. He was probably answering a stack of sympathy cards and signed this one like the others without thinking.

Scott,
WOW! What an incredible letter!! If I owned it I wouldn't consider giving it up either.
Thanks for sharing that with us.

Sept.5,1889 Game Ball
 

Mine would be my Game Ball from a game played between the Detroit Police and the Cleveland Police on Sept. 5, 1889.

Gorgeous ball, and the Walter
letter is a Killer. what awesome stuff all

I've had this about 15 - 20 years. Circa 1870's football players. The earliest football image I have seen thus far and the only football tintype that I have seen.

Attachment 111102

That football looks HUGE!

Nice stuff everyone!

Is that a football or a watermelon!:)

Wow, just wow. What a heartbreaking letter for him to haven written. Ignoring the fact that this is Walter Johnson, it's a beautiful letter in its own right.