Your 2023 Pick Up of the Year

[Vintagedeputy]

Tough choice, but probably this 1919 World Series program.

[71buc]

It’s tough to identify one favorite pick up from this year. Nonetheless I’ll play by the rules. This "Sportsman Award" presented to Roberto Clemente on July 24, 1970, during "Roberto Clemente Night" ceremonies at Three Rivers Stadium is my favorite addition. It originated directly from the Clemente family. The large brass plaque bears a portrait image of Clemente engraved at the top with the following inscription: "Sportsman Award To Roberto Clemente/Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Club/Friday, July, 24, 1970/ For Outstanding Athletic and Humanitarian Achievements/Presented By/Allegheny County Civic Sportsmen's Association/Pittsburg, Pennsylvania." It measures 15 x 19 and was matted and framed to total dimensions of 20.5 x 25.5 inches. I believe it’s one of the prettier awards given to him that night. The engraved portrait and mention of his humanitarianism checked all of the boxes for me. This photo really doesn’t do it justice.

[robw1959]

I will go with this Honus Wagner letter, written on hotel stationery in the middle of the 1933 baseball season. It conveys several things about Wagner: he had good friends like this "Arty," he loved outdoor activities like fishing, but most of all, he was devoted to the Pittsburg Pirates, with whom he was either a player or a coach for sixty years!

[guy3050]

My Bill Stoneman's 1972 game worn Expos Road Flannel..and then meeting Bill

[bnorth]

I picked up this P72 Wade Boggs Pro Stock/Team Index bat from a fellow member in a trade. Finding a Boggs Pro Stock that is not a C235 or B349 is fairly rare and if at a reasonable price I pick them up. I still need to clean it up a little and retape the handle. I also need to get off my lazy butt and build another bat display. I have a decent display that holds 20 bats with another 20 leaning against it that should be in a display.

[Scott Garner]

I have had a few really nice pickups in 2023, but these two circa 1938-1939 era Goldsmith personally endorsed gloves stand out as being extra cool!

Vandy's VDM model glove is a genuine toughee and it took me over a dozen years to find one to complete my collection of his 4 different Goldsmith endorsed gloves and D&M endorsed glove.
The Ernie Lombardi Model ML catchers mitt was a Christmas gift from my son, Sam that arrived in today's mail.
A perfect pairing of the complete battery of the only time that a ML pitcher hurled back-to-back no-hitters.

The eBay seller of both gloves sent me an unexpected surprise as well.
A 1938 Ernie Lombardi Val Decker Packing postcard. Also rare and a nice addition to my collection.

Happy New Year and Good Collecting to everyone on net54!

[aelefson]

I am always blown away at what is shown in these type of threads. Gary, that is an amazing item. Do you have any other information about it (e.g. who made it, what it was made for, etc.)? Jim, great program and I really like that you found it antique shopping as I do the same. Mike, that Clemente award is incredible and must look really cool in person. Rob, that is a great letter. Guy and Ben, great game used items! Scott, those gloves are in really nice condition.

It was a tough choice for me as well but I went with the photo shown below. It shows a women's basketball team with 97 on their sweaters but the photo was taken in November 1895, about four years after basketball was created. The photographer is from Poughkeepsie NY and the women's names are on the back. The history of this piece trumped other finds I had this year which included a full women's basketball uniform from the 1910s, a few early bats, an 1882 baseball trophy ball, and other cool things.

Alan