Any One Collect Pins?

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by rschisler

Hi guys, not a pin guy but I buy up all star buttons and pins if I see them for an affordable price to go with my all star programs and pennants. I came across these two lately and I was wondering if anyone knew of a date on these? I've seen similar pins for the Washington one dated for 1937 and something similar to the other one that was dated 1946 but no concrete evidence either way. Also, not knowing much about vintage pins, would pins like this have been reproduced at all? I was a little leery of the second pin because of the smeared ink on it, but figured I would take a chance on it. Didn't know if there should be things to look out for there?

For years, it was assumed by Washington and other collectors that your D.C. All-Star Game pin was from the 1956 or 1962 games, both by the look of it and the fact that nobody knew about any others issued for those games. But about 20 years ago, I came across a picture of this Boy Scout Jamboree pin and knew instantly that the D.C. pin was also from 1937. There is another version that omits the D.C. location that I believe was made to accompany the attached ribbon, pictured below along with a different pin from that game that was also intended to have the ribbon attached. Does anyone know of another all-star game pin that comes with a similar ribbon? There is a very rare 1962 D.C. All-Star Game pin, pictured in the group of D.C. pins below, but none for the 1956 game that I know of.

[MK]

Hank,
That is very good evidence that the pin is from 1937. Seems hard to believe there were 3 different pins made for that one game, but maybe so.

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by MK

Hank,
That is very good evidence that the pin is from 1937. Seems hard to believe there were 3 different pins made for that one game, but maybe so.

There actually were four, including the one in the large group to the left of center with a plastic batter hanging down. Another strange pin fact connected with that game is that the media pin is so incredibly rare, with only a couple examples known to me over the years. In Washington, with all its press, and FDR attending, you'd think there would have been tons of media there, so how can only a handful have survived? Likewise with the 1962 pin, which I think I've seen exactly one in all these years collecting and dealing in Washington stuff--how can something like that get produced and sold and none of them have surfaced? Maybe it's a prototype that never got made in quantity. Who knows? But these kinds of mysteries sure can make collecting more interesting.

[rschisler]

Thanks for the information guys, and especially to Hank with your expertise on the Washington pin. That helps a great deal and excited it’s from the earlier game!

[ValKehl]

Hank, could the scarcity of 1962 AS Game press pins possibly be attributed to most members of the press preferring a tie bar to a pin? (Shameless plug - I have the tie bar pictured below currently for sale on eBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/35318823566...84.m1555.l2649)

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by ValKehl

Hank, could the scarcity of 1962 AS Game press pins possibly be attributed to most members of the press preferring a tie bar to a pin? (Shameless plug - I have the tie bar pictured below currently for sale on eBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/35318823566...84.m1555.l2649)

It's the 1937 All-Star press pin that is so very rare, Val, as well as the 1962 All-Star button you can see in my group of Washington pins. As for the relative availability of press pins in general, I would guess that the tie bars are a little harder to find than the pins themselves. I've always liked the tie bars myself because they really make the pin part stand out and there is more to them, but in terms of collector appeal, they do seem to lag behind the pins to some degree. Good luck with yours!

[bocca001]

Big and bigger... found at a local antique mall, of all places.