Today's 19th C. Pick Ups

[jpop43]

Spent a wonderful day off from work with my Dad and a good friend / fellow collector up in NY State, and was fortunate enough to have added a few new items to the collection in the process...

1. c.1880s Sky High Model baseball made by the Shakespeare Company.
2. c. 1870s CDV of a uniformed player with a ring bat and belt that reads 'CATCHER'.
3. 1888 AJ Reach sporting goods billhead/invoice that reflects a purchase for bats and balls.

Jonathan
www.dugouttreasures.com

[WillowGrove]

I just referenced your book today Jonathan! Congrats on three cool pick ups. I like the belt he's wearing. Makes the cdv.

Congrats again.

[jpop43]

Thanks! Here is closer look at the bet and bat...really cool image for sure!

[vintagesportscollector]

Great pick ups Jonathan, congrats! That ball is in insanely good condition.

[baseball tourist]

Very cool pickups!

[slidekellyslide]

The Shakespeare baseball was made by the fishing tackle company, they used that slogan "Honor Built" on their fishing lures. I am sure it is a 20th Century baseball. I once saw a baseball bat with the same "Shakespeare Honor Built" logo on it. Maybe there is a Shakespeare catalog out there somewhere with baseball equipment in it that will definitively date the baseball?

[Leon]

Never seen a red baseball like that., thanks for sharing!! Great cdv and kind of a weird pose.....

Originally Posted by jpop43

Spent a wonderful day off from work with my Dad and a good friend / fellow collector up in NY State, and was fortunate enough to have added a few new items to the collection in the process...

1. c.1880s Sky High Model baseball made by the Shakespeare Company.
2. c. 1870s CDV of a uniformed player with a ring bat and belt that reads 'CATCHER'.
3. 1888 AJ Reach sporting goods billhead/invoice that reflects a purchase for bats and balls.

Jonathan
www.dugouttreasures.com

[mickey7mantle7]

How many years were those ring bats used for? Time period?

Only asking because the photo of the "catcher" has one and the bill/invoice has a pic of one too...

If the pic was 1870's and the invoice was late 1800's, that's a long stretch for that particular bat to be in use no? Like I said, I don't know really, just a judgmental observation I noticed.

Either way, love that ball as well!

[khkco4bls]

Ring bats were used primarily in the 1880s and 1890s.

[jpop43]

Primarily, yes...Kevin is correct in his assessment that the 1880s were the hey day of the professionally mfg'd and marked ring style baseball bat. That said, there are plenty of images of teams/players with bats decorated with ring patterns in the 1870s and even as far back as the 1860s.

Here are a couple of images from the 1860s and 1870s that show teams/players with various styles of ring bats...

[Jay Wolt]

Cool pickups, like the Reach invoice