Favorite Memorabilia 2015 Pick-Ups (Year in Review)

[bobfreedman]

Following the Cards side (again) lead, show your best pick ups of 2015. Here are mine:

[Jay Wolt]

Bob now that's a fantastic four!, congrats!

[Scott Garner]

Outstanding pickups, Bob! Congrats.

Here are my favorite pickups from 2015:

1) Game used ball from Nolan Ryan's 2nd career no-hitter 7/15/73 at Detroit. This was Nolan's most dominant no-hitter out of his 7. He struck out a ML record 17 Tigers and spun a performance that was so overpowering that fun-loving Norm Cash stepped to the plate in the 9th inning with a table leg to mock the game's futility for the hometown Tigers. Tigers manager Billy Martin stated that it was the most dominant pitching performance that he ever witnessed and that "Ryan had everything".

2) Circa 1983-1985 Nolan Ryan game used Houston Astros hat with tons of use

3) Circa 1931 Lefty Grove Type I photo and 1931 signed album page paired and framed. I've owned the album page for a few years and finally found it's mate on the BST. Thanks again to Perezfan Mark Steinberg for allowing me to complete this project.

4) Game used Vander Meer 1941 final out shutout trophy ball from his personal collection. All notations on the ball were made in Vandy's own hand.

5) Circa 1939 Vander Meer endorsed Goldsmith box and mitt

[GaryPassamonte]

1864 Tri Mountains and Osceola trophy ball. This ball represents the first silver ball match played in New England.
Late 1860s cdv showing close up view of game action.

[kdixon]

Zach Wheat Mets old timer day rocking chair, Dr. Steen letter to and from Zach Wheat, Wheat game used bat, Zach 1927 A's wire photo, and Babe Adams Conlon photo. It was a very good year.

[Ulidia]

For the first time in a decade or so, my best pick-ups have been soccer rather than baseball. Soccer is my passion and I sometimes / often go with what I know.

My pick-ups this year have centered on Real Madrid shirts. For those who don't know soccer, Real Madrid were voted as Team of the Century back in 2006. They are, in some respects, a soccer equivalent of the New York Yankees.

My Real Madrid shirt / jersey pick-ups this year are probably best illustrated by the below photo of goalkeepers shirts I bought, all of which are match worn and marked the era when Real Madrid had their first shirt sponsor (Italian company Zanussi) in 1982 to 1985:




I DID buy baseball this year but it was invariably photos of the Yankees in the 1920s and 1930s. Probably picked up 200+ photos in total. My best was to pick up a few original Conlon photos of Tony Lazzeri who is the closest I have to a baseball collecting interest.

However, my favourite baseball pick-up was this:



This is an original photo from 1942 of an official baseball game in Windsor Park, Belfast (Northern Ireland) by two teams of US soldiers. It was the first official game of baseball played in Northern Ireland since 1917. The game attracted a large crowd in mid-war Belfast - circa 12,000.


This year, having moved into a new house in Belfast last week, I have also started to display items bought earlier but hidden away until now. Whilst mainly soccer, there will be a growing space for baseball, such as the below which includes a linen stress sheet for the grandstand of Yankee Stadium, produced by Osborne Engineering in 1921 (purchased from Guernsey's in 2008):





However, more importantly, this was a great year of sport for me. I loved watching the Northern Ireland soccer team qualify for the European Championships in 2016 and, in particular, loved to see them play in the Faroe Islands and Finland. Next year, it will be France, the Czech Republic and Germany.

Each game, I am accompanied by Kermit who, in celebration, has sometimes been a bit worse for wear:





Best wishes to all from an occasional poster, and long-time memorabilia collector, across the pond.

[7nohitter]

I LOVE the Steen letters....still cracks me up how he addressed the players: "Dear Wheat"!

[aquarius31]

Great thread...wow Gary, those are amazing items!

Here are my top 5.

- 1857 Eagles vs Gothams at Elysian Fields
- 1860's? baseball belt buckle
- 1860's Philadelphia Cricket Club CDV
- 1889 cut-out from A35 Goodwin Round Album
- 1894 Cap Anson Five Cent Library woodcut

[esd10]

My favorite pickup is no where as nice as most of these items shown. It is a 1905-10 columbus senators ticket

[3-2-count]

Great items everyone. Seems 2015 was good to many. Mine would probably be this trio.

Circa 1914/15 original Cracker Jack box



Original Lenox Cigarettes pack



El Principe De Gales large advertisement in original frame

[71buc]

I would have to say that these would be my favorite additions to my collection in 2015. I don't see a 1971 world series ring in my immediate future so I will settle for the 1971 World Champion watch and Jewelry that was awarded to team members and management. The Roberto Clemente bank had been on my want list so long I had began to question it's existence. This 1955 original photo of The Great One in his first Spring Training was the first significant addition to my collection this year. A fellow board member reached out to me with it. The last big addition was this 1960 Championship fan. It was a Christmas gift from my 75 year old father who remains so cool after all of these years he could still star in Brylcreem and Aqua Velva commercials.

[Huysmans]

Amazing stuff guys!
Especially the 19th century baseball items.
Here's a few items from this year for different sports...

[Huysmans]

Pic 2

[CarltonHendricks]

Originally Posted by Huysmans

Pic 2

Brent, Is the Rex hockey piece a sign?...a box?...what are the dimensions?...

[Huysmans]

Pic 3

[Huysmans]

Pic 4

[Bpm0014]

My focus is T206 player game used bats. Started the year with about 6. Up to 17 now.

[Runscott]

My favorite is Dan's 'Buck Wheat' postcard.