Press Pin fakes

[brian1961]

I really have no advice, but will state they are outstanding pieces of memorabilia to collect. I got the bulk of mine in an auction when Yankee Stadium was first renovated in the mid-70s. Then, in the mid-80s, press pin specialist extraordinaire, the late Jerry Sullivan, helped me get my white whale.

Backside patina is hard to decipher, particularly if the pin was polished or spruced up a bit with tooth paste, a legitimate help taught me by another press pin expert, Jim Johnston. He also taught me never to use toothpaste on the front of the pin, as the paste will scratch the fine enamal paint used on the pins. Look for natural patina aging on the front; the fakes look freshly made. Now, some of mine from the Yankee Stadium auction were un-issued leftovers that were "fresh as a daisy" pristine. None of this particularly helps, no doubt, but suffice to say they are some of the finest baseball pieces to collect.

---Brian Powell