Acquiring my Holy Grail

[Marckus99]

Wow!

Congrats

[z28jd]

Originally Posted by ramram

There's your jersey and look who it's rubbing against.

Rob M

Attachment 276987

They were actually really good friends, being a double play combo and those Germans stuck together

Honus Wagner was in that house pictured above numerous times I'm told, both during the off-season and when they played at the Polo Grounds. They also have postcards sent from Wagner to that house. Not sure how many, but I told them they could be worth a small fortune depending on content and the signature.

[Vintagecatcher]

Congrats John!

Glad you were able to acquire this awesome uniform!

Patrick

[jb67]

Incredible score. Great thread to read and congrats.

[KCRfan1]

I usually don't hang out in pre-war, but your post caught my attention. What a terrific item to be able to acquire!

Have you looked into how to preserve the uniform? Maybe others here could offer insight to help you out!

[kkkkandp]

Originally Posted by z28jd

I admit that I thought the 1887 Kalamazoo Bats Pittsburgh team card WAS my holy grail until I knew this following item existed. Even when I found out about it, I didn't think I'd be able to purchase it because it's been in the family since day one. I'm from Kearny, NJ, birthplace of Dots Miller, who shares six of the same relatives with me, though we are not related. I'm a huge Pirates fan since I was five and now get to cover the Pirates for a living. So what you see here is the 1909 Dots Miller Pirates jersey and pants, which I believe were World Series worn because I have an old article saying he saved everything from the Series. I was able to purchase them today.

Stuff like this strengthens my faith in the hobby. When an item (card, bat, uniform, whatever) winds up in the hands of a family member, it makes me feel all is right (at least temporarily, anyway) in the universe.

Hearty congratulations!

[KMayUSA6060]

Absolutely amazing. Congratulations!

[Mark]

John,

This is about as good as it gets.

Congrats!

Mark L

p.s. love your tweets about Pirates history.

[Orioles1954]

Originally Posted by z28jd

I admit that I thought the 1887 Kalamazoo Bats Pittsburgh team card WAS my holy grail until I knew this following item existed. Even when I found out about it, I didn't think I'd be able to purchase it because it's been in the family since day one. I'm from Kearny, NJ, birthplace of Dots Miller, who shares six of the same relatives with me, though we are not related. I'm a huge Pirates fan since I was five and now get to cover the Pirates for a living. So what you see here is the 1909 Dots Miller Pirates jersey and pants, which I believe were World Series worn because I have an old article saying he saved everything from the Series. I was able to purchase them today.

Congrats! In case you're up for it Huggins & Scott has the Kalamazoo Pittsburgh team card in our August auction.

[ramram]

So, this thread led me to the question - why "Dots"?

From Wiki -

Reportedly, he got the nickname "Dots" after someone asked Miller's thick-accented teammate Honus Wagner where they could find John Miller. Wagner pointed to Miller and replied, "Dots (That's) Miller."

Rob M

[z28jd]

Originally Posted by ramram

So, this thread led me to the question - why "Dots"?

From Wiki -

Reportedly, he got the nickname "Dots" after someone asked Miller's thick-accented teammate Honus Wagner where they could find John Miller. Wagner pointed to Miller and replied, "Dots (That's) Miller."

Rob M

You should have searched this site http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=199041

[ramram]

Originally Posted by z28jd

You should have searched this site http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=199041

Lol, but Wiki is NEVER wrong!

Rob M

[KingFisk]

Stunning! Congrats and glad it didn't get lost at the Kearny sorting center.

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[z28jd]

Originally Posted by KingFisk

Stunning! Congrats and glad it didn't get lost at the Kearny sorting center.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

That's funny you say that because I always like when I see my items go there first and everyone else hates it. I bought a Dots Miller Helmar stamp off of a board member earlier this year and it was taking a little long to get here. When I checked, it was in Kearny. I couldn't hate that.

[KingFisk]

Originally Posted by z28jd

That's funny you say that because I always like when I see my items go there first and everyone else hates it. I bought a Dots Miller Helmar stamp off of a board member earlier this year and it was taking a little long to get here. When I checked, it was in Kearny. I couldn't hate that.

Haha. Usually it's not a problem but some items go on vacation there for a week or so. I guess if it's a Dots item, it's just a little hometown visit.


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[ooo-ribay]

Fantastic item! Congrats!

Now, you just need to spend several thousand more dollars for a suitable display.

[cdn_collector]

Wow, John. That is an INCREDIBLE pick-up. Congrats!!

Cheers,

Richard.

[Shoebox]

My sincerest congratulations. That is an incredible item!

[Jcfowler6]

I dribbled a little.

Amazing item.

That uniform has me in awe. My main focus is the 1909 Pirates and it doesn't get much better than that. Congrats!


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[phlflyer1]

Congratulations John, I'm speechless.

It can't get better than that as a centerpiece to your collection!

[MVSNYC]

So sick. Congrats.

Is there a proper way to store- In a sealed bag, etc?

[z28jd]

Originally Posted by MVSNYC

So sick. Congrats.

Is there a proper way to store- In a sealed bag, etc?

I haven't figured out yet how I'm going store/display it, but I've been asking around, gathering ideas.

I'll take better pictures of the jersey sometime soon. The poor pants get no love

Thanks to everyone for the kind words. I truly meant it when I said I'm not sure what could top that particular jersey for me. The year/player/team with that iconic PBC symbol. Of course Wagner, Clarke or Willis would be more valuable if they existed, but I'd still take Miller because of the family/birthplace connection.

[MVSNYC]

I'd focus on preservation, rather than display. IMO, it's better to keep it properly stored, and occasionally bring out to show off...I personally wouldn't have it framed or displayed, honestly. Keep out of light, etc.

Question- I know it's sacrilegious to clean game worn jerseys, so I'm NOT saying to clean it...BUT, in the game worn uniform collecting arena, are there acceptable ways to LIGHTLY "clean" a bit, without damaging value or use?

[Big Six]

My recommendation, unsolicited of course, would be to get a mannequin and dress that thing up with the uniform. I'd take pictures with a great camera and lighting...then frame those up with some other period pieces (think baseball cards, photos and other related items. Then preserve that sucker like you would a wedding dress.


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[ksfarmboy]

Might try contacting the Hall of Fame and see what the do for their jerseys. Whatever you do let us see the final result.

[Forever Young]

Originally Posted by MVSNYC

I'd focus on preservation, rather than display. IMO, it's better to keep it properly stored, and occasionally bring out to show off...I personally wouldn't have it framed or displayed, honestly. Keep out of light, etc.

Question- I know it's sacrilegious to clean game worn jerseys, so I'm NOT saying to clean it...BUT, in the game worn uniform collecting arena, are there acceptable ways to LIGHTLY "clean" a bit, without damaging value or use?

Agreed. The hof acfually sends their jerseys out to have cleaned as the dirt and debris breaks down the fibers. They then keep them in archival boxes(acid free) and wrap them in acid free archival paper. Handling is also important(how you fold and pick up).

[JohnP0621]

Great Item John. Congrats on such a fabulous find.
Hope to meet up with you again soon and talk baseball.
Best Regards
John P

[icollectDCsports]

With regard to questions about storage or display, I recommend you contact Dave Grob, a poster here whose ID is his name. I haven't read through this entire thread, so I'm not sure if he has already replied. The one piece of advice I would give is to not frame it in the traditional sense -- sandwiched between glass and a backing of some sort. I don't recommend entombing game worn jerseys in that way, losing the 3D nature of the item, losing view of a lot of the jersey, losing any feel of the jersey, and damaging the jersey through creasing. If you want to use a frame of sorts, I'd recommend a frame that is basically a box with a glass door that allows the jersey to hang and be removed whenever you want. I believe those are available for game worn jersey display, but I'd think you may want one custom made so the look is appropriate to the era. Of course, using a hanger may be a bad idea for a jersey this old so I'd defer to the game worn jersey preservation experts on that.

[Tim Kindler]

What a beautiful piece of history! I really dig the interlocking red and blue letters on the sleeve that you see in so many caramel cards circa 1910.
I know I'm a month late on posting, but again congrats!
Tim Kindler

[pcoz]

Wow, fantastic to see, especially being a Buccos fan too. Thanks for sharing!

[Enfuego]

Very cool piece!

[MartyFromCANADA]

Unbelievable. Congrats John. Definite Holy Grail.