Q. Old Spalding mitt, palm says marvel, Spalding in ball, champion in corner, laced between thumb and index finger only with a red button and trade mark Spalding. Any info would be appreciated. Mark
A. You fail to list any model number or player name or even if you have a baseman’s mitt, catcher’s mitt or fielder’s glove. I have seen the Marvel stamp on some Joe DiMaggio gloves so it is probably a 1940’s model but if you can provide more information or photographs, I can give you the dates it was listed in the Spalding catalogs. I hesitate to give any values since I don’t know what model or condition glove you have but I can say that if not in near mint condition or with a player endorsement, it would not be worth much more than $20-30.
Q. Hi DAVE: I don’t know if you can help me. I just found this trophy it says” NATIONAL” at the top then a big space then the words “1933 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ALL SATR GAME. Here are the pictures of the 1933 All Star game trophy. My question is could this of been a prototype of one of the trophy’s that would of been given to each individual players if the National league would of won the game? The players name and maybe an etched ball player under the National name? There is a big blank spot between the word “National and 1933 major league baseball All Star game”. Any help would be greatly appreciated…….Bob Barnhart
A. The engraving looks very primitive and not really professional. To be sure, I would really have to see it under a loop but am not aware of any such trophy ever being awarded to any major league player for this game so I would be very wary.
Q. I recently visited the Louisville Slugger Museum and they gave me your name as someone who could help me with a question that I had for them. I have an old baseball bat that my grandfather left me when he pasted away in the early 1970’s. I am curious as to what year the bat was made and any value it might have. I have seen bats on the Internet with the markings on the label the say Hillerich & Bradsby Co. on them and they were dated as early as the 1920’s and possibly earlier. I have also seen one on the Mears website that has the same markings as the one I have – JF Hillerich & Son Co. – and it was dated 1911 – 1915. My bat has some numbers and letters on it above Hillerich & Son and they are either 4 O T.C. or 4 Q.T.C., I can not tell if the second marking is an O or a Q, there may be a scratch on the bat that makes an O look like a I have enclosed pictures of the bat and you will see what I mean about the markings. Thank you for your time and any help would be appreciated.
A. You have a 1911-15 Ty Cobb 40 T C store model bat that would have had a decal or picture of Cobb on the barrel when new since it does not say Ty Cobb on the barrel. Upon examination of the barrel, you will probably find flecks of color embedded in the grain on the barrel but without the decal, your bat has very little value, less than $100 on eBay.
Q. Dave, We found an old Louisville Slugger bat while cleaning out my great grandparent’s house. The trade mark has Louisville Slugger at the top, on the next line 125B, the next line is Hillerich & Bradsby Co., then made in U.S.A. and finally Louisville KY. On the barrel side of the trade mark “Powerized”. Below the trade mark it says Trade Mark Reg. Could you give me an idea of what this bat is worth before I let my son play with it. Thanks, Dominic Silvers
A: The model 125B as listed in the 1937-1939 catalogs (no longer listed in the 1940 and not found in 1936 catalog) describes your bat as follows; Official Louisville Slugger. Saddle brown finish with Kork grip; finest Hickory, 2 1/8” bottle- shaped model. $1.75. Current collector value would be less than $50 regardless of condition.
Q. Dave, I recently picked up a mini bat of Ernie Banks, marked “Louisville Slugger, 125,Hillerich & Bradsby Co, made in U.S.A., Louisville, KY. It has Ernie Banks in cursive on the end of the bat. It is in excellent condition, no nicks or scratches….a little red crayon near Ernie’s name…light brown finish. I contacted Louisville Slugger and they suggested I contact you, any idea when the bat would have been made and its approximate value?
Thanks, Jon Rossmiller Wausau, WI
A: I found his bats listed in the factory catalogs beginning in 1957 thru 1972 as it is not listed prior to or after these dates. If you have a gem mint store model bat, it would sell in the $50-100 range depending on era and length. If a pro model bat, at least 3 K or more again depending on condition and era made/used. I would need a full detailed list of every marking on the bat along with length and weight to determine what exactly you have .
Q. Dear Mr. David Bushing, At the Louisville Slugger museum, the tour guide said you’re the expert on baseball collectibles. We have an old mini-bat that I’m curious about, mostly because I’d like to know how old it is. It’s shorter and thinner than modern mini-bats, and dark brown. Inside the oval, from top to bottom, it reads:
Louisville Slugger
40
Hillerich & Bradsby Co.
Trademark
Louisville, KY.
The signature part says:
Chuck Dressen
Trademark
From what I can find about old players, he was with the Reds and then the Tigers, which doesn’t narrow the time frame, because my mother was a Reds fan in the late ’30s through the early ’50s, then a Tigers fan after she moved to Detroit in the ’50s.
A. These souvenir bats were sold for $.25 at the stadiums and through the catalog. They came in brown hickory finish with gold foil or natural with a burned in players name and center brand and just about every store model bat with a signature contract were available in souvenir model bats as well. Usually, the models 40 bats were the hickory and gold foil and the 125 models were found with deep burned markings. They came in 3 sizes, generally 12”, 16” and the model 25 came in at 22”. Dressen played major league ball from 1925-33. He managed the Dodgers from 1951-54. He also played for St Paul of the American Association from 1922-24. Your bat is probably from the early 1930’s and if mint, would sell in the $40-50 range.
Q. Dave, By any chance do you have any photos of the college all-star game from 1938, because I am being offered a jersey which may have been used during that game. And I can’t really find any photos to see what jerseys they wear during the game. Thanks
A. I have owned College All Star uniforms dating from the mid 1930’s thru the late 1940’s and never have I seen any player wearing a shirt like yours. I just bought the 1938 College All Star program and will let you know if I see anyone wearing such a shirt but none of the examples I have seen say All Stars or are they dated so I doubt it was a shirt worn in the official College All Star Game. The history of the game as found on the internet.
The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a game played annually (except in 1974) from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year.
Until next time,
David Bushing