What is the Most Unusual Piece of Memorabilia You've Owned

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Posted By: davidcycleback

Might prove to be an interesting thread.

A couple of years ago I won in a Sotheby's auction two WWII-era leather travelling cases that belonged to and were used Ted Williams. While the cases themselves were respectable enough (name printed on both, one had gold text showing it was given as a present to Ted in 1943), some of the contents taken singly were borderline bizzarre. This included Ted's half-used WWII-era chapstick (as gross as it sounds), a glass bottle still half filled with 60 year old shampoo, a chrome soap dish with 60 year old soap scum on the bottom, hair brush with hair, toothbrush holder, his shoe horn (I'd never used a shoe horn and someone had to tell what it was).

I tried to convince a neighborhood kid to wash his hair with the shampoo so he could become a better baseball hitter, but his mom who was with him didn't think that was such a swell idea.

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Posted By: Rob L

Almost as gross as Ty Cobb's dentures.

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Posted By: Richard Simon

It is definitely not in the league of david's Ted Williams items, but I do own Mrs. Joan Payson's (owner of Mets) 1964 NY Mets media guide. It has a vinyl cover with her name on it.

I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.

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Posted By: Anonymous

U.L Washington was a fine infielder for the Kansas City Royals in the 1980's. He was famous for chewing on a toothpick while hitting and fielding. He threw this busted toothpick following a game and I was a lean away from an adding it to my collection. I share with you the 'spittle' of a mediocre baseball player.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

U.L.'s toothpick. That's a geunine sports classic.

There were regular complaints about U.L. playing with a tootpick in his mouth, as it was a bad example for kids. Giving in, U.L. switched to a Q-tip (Not a joke). After some games, he decided he didn't like playing with a Q-tip and went back to the toothpick.

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Posted By: Sean Coe

As a kid in the early 70's I went on a family vacation to California. We went to see the killer whale act at Sea World and who should be there as a special guest but Dave Kingman. He was asked to kiss one of the whales and as he did my mother took a picture which she later on persuaded him to sign. Some thirty years later I am still the proud? owner of this snapshot.

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Posted By: Julie

Jay, your tolerance for understandable things is wearing a bit thin. "That's fine."

I thought David Rudd would say the hand-carved bat by a man sewrving a life sentance in Maine state prison, 1896.

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Posted By: jay behrens

Julie, is it really that difficult to stay on topic within a thread? Geez.

I can't think of anything really unusal that I've owned. The only thing that comes to mind is a 1960 pennant of the Minnesota Twins with the original MT logo and gopher that was never used.

Jay

I've just reached Upper Lower Class. I am now officially a babe magnet for poor chicks.

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Posted By: Mike McGrail

... Pirates program that had tobacco spit from Phil "Scrap Iron" Garner on it. He dribbled abit while he was signing it. Mom hated it with a passion and eventually trashed it while I was out one day.

Mike

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Posted By: jamie

My father went to Red Sox Fantasy Camp a few years back. Among the many pictures he took was a locker room shot of Johnny Pesky, naked from the waste down, telling war stories to a group of guys. No one in the picture seemed bothered by the fact that the old guy was naked. [Insert "Pesky Pole" joke here]

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Posted By: Kevin Cummings

My uncle was friends with one of Princeton University's coaches and so we got admittance to the locker room after games. I once owned a pair of knee pads from two-time All-American Cosmo Iacavazzi, a pair of kicker Charlie Gogolak's orange-and-black uniform sox and the chin strap from the helmet of two-time All-American Stas Maliszewski.

God only know where all that stuff is now.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

Here are two of my favorite original snapshots with interesting images.

Joe Bush backwoods fishing in his New York Yankees warmup sweater (from Eddie Collins photo album, possibly photographed by Eddie). If someone owns a Bush NYY sweater that smells like trout, here's significant evidence of authenticity.




Ronald Reagan riding a grill or stand at a picnic. The one woman doesn't quite know what to make of it. (From the Reagan family album, with a good chance the photographer is Nancy)

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Posted By: Charles Prawdzik

Maybe you could auction some Ted Williams DNA?

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Posted By: Jeff

We have a woman's mannequin leg signed by members of the 1964 College All-Star team and their coach Otto Graham. Some of the 28 sigs include: Paul Warfield, Willie Brown, Paul Krause, Matt Snell, Dave Wilcox

http://stores.ebay.com/Cavalier-Cards

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Posted By: Dave Williams

I'll bite.

Why did they sign a manequin leg?

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

It wasn't a leg...

It was a lamp!

It was a "major award"!

It was Italian... from "Frah-gee-lay"

Be sure to drink your Ovaltine.

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Posted By: Julie

Joe P.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

This is a color photograph (real photo), and I am standing behind it.

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Posted By: Judge Dred

Ok Dave, is that a picture of your girlfriend?

My oddball item is an army discharge document for Joe DiMaggio.

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Posted By: Elliot

Gia Carangi.....sigh

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Posted By: Julie

David
,

Is that the big package you were expecting that cost so much to ship?

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Posted By: davidcycleback

The story behind it is that it was made some years ago by the photographer for a public photography exhibition (the image is of Gia Carangi and was shot for 1979 Vogue magazine). He said it cost him $800 to make, with the paper photo mounted to a like 3" thick mount. I'm leaning on the photo in the picture. After two exhibitions, he stored the photo all the years in his studio. He moved recently and figured it would be easier to sell the photo than move it. So I got it at the I-hate-moving discount price.