Holy Smokes!!! $400,000+ for one item??

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Posted By: runscott

The five missing balls from the Eastern tour were supposedly mounted along the top of the trophy case, and were probably the ones from the Eastern tour that aren't currently in the case, per Mastro:

Troy (June 6th)
Mutuals (June 15)
Atlantics (June 16th) and sold previous by Mastro
Eckfords (June 17th)
Athletics (June 21).

It makes sense that at the 1872 auction, they would have sold individual trophy balls not part of a display (other than from the 21-ball Eastern tour), but it also makes sense that they might have taken the five balls off the top of the trophy case, which would not have affected the visual appearance. As Jimmy's research shows, among the 1869 balls sold at the 1872 auction were the following four from the Eastern tour, plus one from Forest City of Rockford. Among the five missing from the trophy, only the Atlantics is not listed as part of the 1872 sale, and that's the ball that the current consignor claims was also nailed to the case. So everything lines up nicely...but this assumes that the current case is the same one that the balls were in prior to the 1872 sale.

Mutual, 2-4
Haymaker (Troy), 32-38 [sic]
Eckford, 5-26
Athletic, 18-27 ball
Forest City of Rockford, 14-15

Also, the stuff that burned in the fire did not appear to include any balls.