Hey, pennant guys

[MK]

Originally Posted by thetahat

Been having a great email convo with Kyle regarding the WGN series of pennants that we date to 1950-52. Thought I’d share an observation. I’m suspecting that the same company was the “major” producer all during the 1940s. Speaking specifically about the pennants with: wide spine, soft thin tassels not close to edge, single stitch. There exist pennants in the series we know that have this construction.. See NYG and Cubs pennants below. (Cubs has tassels tucked behind.)

Now observe the script of ‘Wrigley Field’. Looks exactly like that on my 1944 Browns pennant. So I’m thinking this is the company behind all of these - the pennant wheel pic I found online. ... Kyle noticed that the Yankees pennant matches letter font to the 1950, 1951 ASG pennants. Anyway, I found this to be interesting!

Not all the Cub pennants from this series had tassels. Why would certain ones be made differently?

[perezfan]

Originally Posted by MK

Not all the Cub pennants from this series had tassels. Why would certain ones be made differently?

Because some worker at the factory (making 25 cents an hour) knew that 70 years later, in the year 2021, a few baseball nerds would be analyzing the crap out of these felt triangles... and he/she just want to f*ck with us.

Seriously I don't think there's much rhyme or reason to these anomalies. I can't imagine an executive at WGN barking out to his seamstress, "Sheila, put tassels on those green ones, but be sure the red ones remain tassel-free.

Perhaps it's something as simple as the seamstress was running late, and wanted to put dinner on the table that night. So she cut corners at work, and said to hell with the tassels. Or perhaps it was a temporary cost-cutting thing. Or maybe there was a lazy employee who had to be let go. Or maybe the company just ran out of stock on tassels for a period.

Maybe WW2 caused there to be a tassel shortage. Only one thing's for sure... we will never know why some had tassels and some don't.

[MK]

Originally Posted by perezfan

Because some worker at the factory (making 25 cents an hour) knew that 70 years later, in the year 2021, a few baseball nerds would be analyzing the crap out of these felt triangles... and he/she just want to f*ck with us.

Seriously I don't think there's much rhyme or reason to these anomalies. I can't imagine an executive at WGN barking out to his seamstress, "Sheila, put tassels on those green ones, but be sure the red ones remain tassel-free.

Perhaps it's something as simple as the seamstress was running late, and wanted to put dinner on the table that night. So she cut corners at work, and said to hell with the tassels. Or perhaps it was a temporary cost-cutting thing. Or maybe there was a lazy employee who had to be let go. Or maybe the company just ran out of stock on tassels for a period.

Maybe WW2 caused there to be a tassel shortage. Only one thing's for sure... we will never know why some had tassels and some don't.

I soooo want to believe that they did this just to f**k with us years later. Because it’s working. 😂

[WillowGrove]

Originally Posted by perezfan

Because some worker at the factory (making 25 cents an hour) knew that 70 years later, in the year 2021, a few baseball nerds would be analyzing the crap out of these felt triangles... and he/she just want to f*ck with us.

Seriously I don't think there's much rhyme or reason to these anomalies. I can't imagine an executive at WGN barking out to his seamstress, "Sheila, put tassels on those green ones, but be sure the red ones remain tassel-free.

Perhaps it's something as simple as the seamstress was running late, and wanted to put dinner on the table that night. So she cut corners at work, and said to hell with the tassels. Or perhaps it was a temporary cost-cutting thing. Or maybe there was a lazy employee who had to be let go. Or maybe the company just ran out of stock on tassels for a period.

Maybe WW2 caused there to be a tassel shortage. Only one thing's for sure... we will never know why some had tassels and some don't.

Good stuff Mark! Lol

[thetahat]

Originally Posted by WillowGrove

Good stuff Mark! Lol

LOL! Probably right But on the other hand, at a time when you could only get at most 2 or 3 different flavors of ice cream at the corner market, you could venture down to Ebbets Field and get one of at least SIX different colors of Emmet Kelly. (I think there’s orange?) ...

These might have been a bigger deal than we think ... if only because the variety of souvenirs in general was limited to just a few items. And screen printing one color at a time is an ordeal. .... But yeah, I don’t think there were big board meetings to discuss “tassels or no tassels”.

[thetahat]

Originally Posted by MK

Not all the Cub pennants from this series had tassels. Why would certain ones be made differently?

Most of them don't have tassels. But I think the few that do provide the link to others with same construction but different artwork.

Here's my album for this series, hopefully this works. Only team missing is the Cardinals, and if that recent crazy eBay auction for a dull Cards pennant is any indication, I’ll be going to my grave without a complete set

https://photos.app.goo.gl/znecMcWWbjS1uJpJ7

[MK]

Originally Posted by thetahat

Most of them don't have tassels. But I think the few that do provide the link to others with same construction but different artwork.

Here's my album for this series, hopefully this works. Only team missing is the Cardinals, and if that recent crazy eBay auction for a dull Cards pennant is any indication, I’ll be going to my grave without a complete set

https://photos.app.goo.gl/znecMcWWbjS1uJpJ7

Here’s one with tassels but without Wrigley Field at the bottom.

[ooo-ribay]

Originally Posted by thetahat

Most of them don't have tassels. But I think the few that do provide the link to others with same construction but different artwork.

Here's my album for this series, hopefully this works. Only team missing is the Cardinals, and if that recent crazy eBay auction for a dull Cards pennant is any indication, I’ll be going to my grave without a complete set

https://photos.app.goo.gl/znecMcWWbjS1uJpJ7

Keep it up, Greg. I’m a visual learner.

[Domer05]

Originally Posted by MK

Not all the Cub pennants from this series had tassels. Why would certain ones be made differently?

Although WGN was known for, shall we say, "inconsistencies" in their manufacturing process, I think there's a better answer: By about 1950 or so, WGN transitioned to a different pennant style. That's about when they introduced limited color graphics; and they stopped using tassels. As best we can tell, this series spanned a few years around the year 1950 (plus or minus 2 years?). That's right around the time that they stopped using tassels.

This to me best explains why the older, black/orange cubs version has tassels; and the newer red/white one doesn't.

That, and ... they totally wanted to F with us.

[perezfan]

Here’s 3 more of theirs for sure...

[thetahat]

Mark that’s cool ... and now we know the same company made three different pennants for a single game. (1951 ASG) To be that indicates that pennants were a pretty big deal back then!

[thetahat]

It appears they also made a second 1947 ASG pennant, the one with names in ribbons ... I think you have that, too?

[Domer05]

Originally Posted by thetahat

It appears they also made a second 1947 ASG pennant, the one with names in ribbons ... I think you have that, too?

I have that one posted on my site; but, I believe it to be by ADFLAG not WGN.

(The lettering is a tad bit smoother and matches that of later ADFLAG pennants.)

It gets confusing because both WGN and ADFLAG made similar looking pennants during the same time frame, in the same city, for the same teams/events; and, both copied each other's artwork at different times.

[thetahat]

Multi-sport star (photo courtesy of Football Rob website)

[MK]

Originally Posted by thetahat

It appears they also made a second 1947 ASG pennant, the one with names in ribbons ... I think you have that, too?

I think this is one you mean.

[Fballguy]

Haven't bought too much in the last couple of months, but lucked into this one. Had never seen it before.

[thetahat]

Originally Posted by MK

I think this is one you mean.

Yep there it is. Great pennant!

[ooo-ribay]

Originally Posted by thetahat

Mark that’s cool ... and now we know the same company made three different pennants for a single game. (1951 ASG) To be that indicates that pennants were a pretty big deal back then!

They’re still a big deal!

[jsage]

Originally Posted by perezfan

Here’s 3 more of theirs for sure...

Mark -
"After further review" The 1949 looks to be very rare and the best.
Jerry

[perezfan]

Originally Posted by jsage

Mark -
"After further review" The 1949 looks to be very rare and the best.
Jerry

Yes it is!

That one came from Jerry's treasure trove, and he graciously let it go. Might be my rarest All Star. I've sold a few really good ones lately, but am definitely holding on to that one.

[jsage]

Originally Posted by perezfan

Here’s 3 more of theirs for sure...

Mark -
Nice looking Rare 1947 All Star Pennant
Jerry