1898 Cal Stanford Football Poster Found in Antique Store for $150.00

[CarltonHendricks]

This last Sunday was a heck of a start for 2011...I went to an antiques show at the San Mateo fairgrounds but found nothing...It was a rainy day and afterwards I headed off to some nearby antique stores in San Carlos....I hit pay dirt right as I waked in finding a cool Babe Ruth book...I paid for it then went thru the rest of the store....in the back sitting on an easel was a small 17" x 11" poster printed on cardstock advertising tickets to the 1898 Cal Stanford football game, priced at $275.00....I was shocked...I wasn't leaving without it but I did make an offer....$150.00 and they took it!!!!!!! My personal view is...tickets and programs are cute....but the poster is everything. You would probably be shocked how much I would turn down for this poster.

1892 - Stanford 14, Cal 10
1892 - Stanford 10, Cal 10
1893 - Stanford 6, Cal 6
1894 - Stanford 6, Cal 0
1895 - Cal 6, Stanford 6
1896 - Stanford 20, Cal 0
1897 - Stanford 28, Cal 0
1898 - Cal 22, Stanford 0
1899 - Cal 30, Stanford 0

I've never seen a poster advertising the tickets to a sports event...Usually they advertise the event and say where to buy the tickets...but not the tickets specifically. From a practical standpoint that seems to imply the game was so highly regarded, or known about, just where to get the tickets was all that was needed. It doesn't even say where the game would be held, just the date and time of the game and where to get the tickets! The game was held in San Francisco...a neutral city than Berkeley or Palo Alto so obviously the promoters were targeting San Franciscans...No doubt tickets were available at each campus but off campus the general public needed to know where to get them. They went on sale exactly seven days prior the game at 9:00AM.

The color and graphics are remarkably conservative and formal. Considering how brutal those early games were, I speculate if that was intentional to project a sanitized more palitable image to the general public as opposed to students. Someday I hope to read newspaper microfilm of the period. 98' was the first time Cal ever beat Stanford.

That antique store was only 15 minutes from Stanford...

HELLO 2011!!!

[Scott Garner]

Hey Carlton,
That's a pretty nifty poster. Definately a genuine toughee!
My question to you is will you attempt to somehow have it repaired and re-framed, or will you leave it as is. Just curious what your thoughts are on what to do with something as old and scarce as this.....

[ibuysportsephemera]

Neat poster, congrats. I always do well selling "Big Game" items.

Jeff

[vintagesportflips]

Great piece at a sweet price. Nice pickup Carlton. I don't check antique stores that often, but you seem to do very well at them.

[CarltonHendricks]

Thank you all for your positive comments, you have excellent taste.

Scott, that's a very good question. Even though it's not a real beauty queen graphically I believe it deserves restoration/conservation and a good frame job by virtue of it's historical merit if nothing else. If it were really tattered and screwed up I'd leave it and display it as is....But it's in pretty nice shape overall and could probably be restored to look mint and most of it would be original condition.

If it's a school or team or railroad issued event posters for a major event like this Big Game one or a Rosebowl/Tournament of Roses, or any high profile sports event....I'll take'um in ANY condition....and display'um in any condition. Especially when they're real early....I consider them that rare and important.

[Leon]

Congrats and thanks for sharing the story and picture, Carlton. I am excited for you. I love it when collectors make a great find and get all hyped up. I think it's the little bit of adrenaline in all collectors, with these finds, that keeps us going. regards

[dutchman1]

Good afternoon.

My grandfather, Percy W. Hall, was the captain of the Cal squad of 1898. He played 4 years of football and 3 years of baseball. He was inducted into the Cal Hall of Fame in 1993. He passed away in 1953.

This 1898 victory was the first of two, consecutive wins that gave the Tilden Trophy & Statue - The Football Players - to cal.

Percy's uniform jersey, helmet, the 1898 ball, his black rubber nose guard and other items are in the Cal Hall of Fame.

[CarltonHendricks]

Originally Posted by dutchman1

Good afternoon.

My grandfather, Percy W. Hall, was the captain of the Cal squad of 1898. He played 4 years of football and 3 years of baseball. He was inducted into the Cal Hall of Fame in 1993. He passed away in 1953.

This 1898 victory was the first of two, consecutive wins that gave the Tilden Trophy & Statue - The Football Players - to cal.

Percy's uniform jersey, helmet, the 1898 ball, his black rubber nose guard and other items are in the Cal Hall of Fame.

Dutchman....thanks for the information on your grandfather!...that's great his gear is at Cal...I bought the 1899 program early this year partly because it had the Tilden statue on the cover!!...thanks again for your post.

[Leon]

Very interesting and welcome to the forum.

Originally Posted by dutchman1

Good afternoon.

My grandfather, Percy W. Hall, was the captain of the Cal squad of 1898. He played 4 years of football and 3 years of baseball. He was inducted into the Cal Hall of Fame in 1993. He passed away in 1953.

This 1898 victory was the first of two, consecutive wins that gave the Tilden Trophy & Statue - The Football Players - to cal.

Percy's uniform jersey, helmet, the 1898 ball, his black rubber nose guard and other items are in the Cal Hall of Fame.

[rjackson44]

Carlton rocks great site. Always love reading 👍👍👍