If you’re a Cubs fan, how’s this for a cool hobby cave display piece: a 1945 World Series Ticket Sign from Wrigley Field?
This one came from a 2003 auction catalog, but in June 2016, Lelands sold the following Game 6 copy for $360, and I think it’s the exact same one (see the top right corner)
You can find other 10” x 14” Gate versions of these signs, but this one depicts four mounted proof tickets for Gate 2 and Game 6: Standing Room ($3.60), Lower Grand Stand ($6.00), Mezzanine ($7.20), and Box ($7.20). The tickets were used so ticket takers could identify fakes and differentiate tickets intended for that gate.
I may become a sneakerhead after all; I’d love to get a pair of these Jerry West All-Pro Basketball Shoes for my collection!
These sold for $367 back in November 1999 with the following auction lot description:
Perhaps the greatest shooting guard in NBA history, “Mr. Clutch,” averaged 27 points per game for an amazing 14 seasons. This 14-time All-Star was a real fan favorite and a natural for endorsements. One of these endorsements was All Pro “Jerry West 44” basketball shoes. The distant ancestor of the Air Jordan, these circa 1960s rubber-soled sneakers are offered in their original Near Mint condition box. The lid features a classic image of West, and the box bottom includes 10 “Exclusive Tips” from the Laker guard. The sneakers themselves are unused, Navy blue “boys boat” style shoes, pristine and protected in their original tissue paper wrapping. A refreshing, unusual item that is perfect for display.
I can’t find another for sale online, but then, I have no idea how to search for shoes…happy collecting!
One of Major League Baseball history’s most iconic games was the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World Game.” The shot refers to the game-winning home run that Bobby Thomson hit off of Ralph Branca on October 3, 1951, to win the National League Pennant. The three-run home run gave the New York Giants the win over the Brooklyn Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the best of three playoff series. The Giants went on to lose the World Series to the Yankees in six games. But, the fact that this was the first televised game nationally, coupled with an epic homer and cross-town rivalry, made it legendary. There are many theories on why the name “shot heard round the world” stuck, but I think it’s because of the extended media coverage.
Russ Hodges gave the epic live description of Thomson’s home run on WMCA-AM:
There’s a long drive … it’s gonna be, I believe … The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! Bobby Thomson hits into the lower deck of the left-field stands! The Giants win the pennant and they’re going crazy! They’re going crazy! I don’t believe it! I don’t believe it! I do not believe it! Bobby Thomson hit a line drive into the lower deck of the left-field stands and this blame place is going crazy! The Giants! Horace Stoneham has got a winner! The Giants won it by a score of 5 to 4, and they’re picking Bobby Thomson up, and carrying him off the field!
Russ Hodges
In this post, I’ll focus on some obtainable collectibles of Bobby Thomson and his legendary home run.
First, collectors can obtain signed prints of the moment as it happened.
Bobby Thomson Shot Heard ‘Round the World Signed Image
Encapsulated playoff tickets are also available, though they’re pretty rare. Nineteen stubs, fourteen full tickets, and eight “game 2&3” passes exist in the PSA Population Report.
1951 N.L. Playoff Game 3 PSA Ticket
Bobby Thomson also signed baseballs with the game’s date. Sometimes, he inscribed them with “shot heard ’round the world’. Some are available with Ralph Branca’s signature, too.
Bobby Thomson Signed Baseball – Oct 3, 1951
Three different cards described or commemorated the game: the 1953 Red Man Tobacco #25, 1961 Nu-Card Scoops #480, and 1991 Bowman #410.
1953 Red Man Tobacco #25 Bobby Thomson
1961 Nu-Card Scoops #480 Thomson’s Homer Sinks Dodgers
1991 Bowman #410 The Shot Heard ‘Round the World
1991 Bowman #410 The Shot Heard ‘Round the World Reverse
Additionally, the 1952 Topps and Bowman cards of Bobby Thomson enumerate the season he had played leading up to this epic playoff game,
1952 Topps #313 Bobby Thomson
1952 Bowman #2 Bobby Thomson
Other artifacts, like Thomson’s game bat and shoes, can be found in the National Hall of Fame and Museum. His game jersey is part of a private collection, but the location of the ball isn’t known. However, the other items described are a great way to grow your post-war collection and commemorate one of the greatest games of the 20th century.
Leo Durocher managed the Giants to a World Series title and pitched sugary cereal to kids! Mastro offered this one in their November 2001 catalog.
Here’s the full item description from the catalog:
In the early 1950’s, Leo Durocher managed the New York Giants to two pennants and a World Championship. During those exciting years, the feisty and popular Durocher endorsed a variety of products, and Madison Avenue saw fit to use his image on this store display advertisement for the Sugar Crisp Cereal Baseball Facts and Fun Book. The offered display ad shows a beaming Leo the Lip with his Giants cap on, encouraging youngsters to eat Sugar Crisp. The display is printed on sturdy advertising stock cardboard and is in Near Mint to Mint condition with the exception of some very light creasing to each of the four corners. The sign has never been used and is quite rare, especially in this exceptional condition. In retrospect, all that sugar may help to explain the many tantrums for which Durocher was so well known. An attractive and very colorful 1950’s advertising sign featuring one of the game’s most memorable managers. Measures an impressive 23” x 28”
Minimum Bid $300
In September 2004, Heritage sold a copy of this display for $489.95 but noted it measured 20″ x 31″ at its greatest dimensions and dated it to 1954.
In the Fall of 2024, REA sold a framed copy for $330, approximating its release to 1955.
You can pick up copies of the Post Sugar Crisp Baseball Facts and Fun Book for ~$45 on eBay, where most copies are dated to 1954.
In December 1953, Topps cut Willie Mays a check for a whopping $50 to appear in their 1954 baseball card set—less than what a torn copy of his card is worth today.
Here’s the item description from Mastro’s March 2000 catalog, in which it appeared as lot 663:
In late 1953, Topps Chewing Gum and Willie Mays agreed on the terms of a 1954 baseball card contract with an option for 1955. Mays would receive a lusty $50 for the use of his picture on the 1954 Topps baseball issue (May we note that today, a ’54 Topps May, torn in half, is worth more than this original compensation). We have here for your collecting pleasure that very check. The December 17, 1953 check from Topps Chewing Gum Incorporated is made out to William Howard Mays and signed on the back “William H. Mays Jr” in fountain ink. Sarah Mays, Willie’s mother, has also signed on the back, including her address in Fairfield, Alabama. This unique check shows fold lines and a paper loss on the left border, giving it a technical grade at about Very Good; however, it has a terrific full name autograph and provides that historic link of Willie Mays with Topps. A magnificent relic realized through pitiful exploitation. Kevin Keating and James Spence LOA’s. Minimum Big $300
Here’s the back of the check with the terms and Mays’ (and his mother’s) endorsement:
In September 2024, I highlighted a handful of P.F. Canvas shoe advertisements. Well, I ran across another in a March 2000 auction catalog, and I think this one’s my favorite!
I dig the giant baseball in the background.
The piece dates back to the early 1950s when baseball was first on national TV and showcases the game’s top stars endorsing the P.F. canvas shoes (later known as P.F. Flyers). The framed ad was described as 19” x 25”.
In March 2016, Hake’s sold a copy for $707 and they said the ad was a 19.5” x 25-5/8′” stiff cardboard standee w/easel back.
And then, in September 2023, Rockhurst Auctions offered it for sale again, but it failed to meet its reserve.
Hobby and NBA history from Mastro’s December 2007 catalog, Pete Maravich’s 1970 rookie contract with the Atlanta Hawks. A groundbreaking $1.5M moment in sports history.
Long before the jump from high school courts to NBA hardwoods became commonplace, Pete Maravich hit the professional hoops scene to anticipation since unrivaled. The son of legendary mentor Press Maravich. “Pistol Pete” arrived at Louisiana State University along with his father and proceeded to topple scoring standards with amazing regularity. Wowing the masses at the NCAA level like none before, Maravich warranted attention and a previously unheard-of price tag -upon his arrival to the NBA. Here offered is the actual contract drawn up for and signed by the mop-topped Hall of Famer for his 1970 rookie campaign with the Atlanta Hawks. Setting the precedent for a nightly cult-like following, Maravich debuted at LSU in 1966, pouring in 50 points for the Tigers’ freshman squad. In an era during which freshmen were not eligible for varsity play, Maravich performed before a packed arena in his inaugural effort–providing the only show that mattered, the crowd dispersing immediately after the freshman contest, ignoring the varsity tilt altogether! Proving that those opening night exploits were no fluke, Maravich went on to average 44.2 points per game in his LSU varsity career. Posting that stunning mark in the days before the three-point arch was implemented. Plucked as the third overall pick in the 1970 NBA draft. Maravich was signed by the Atlanta Hawks for a record $1.5 million. The offered documents are rife with details and, more importantly, the princely sum promised the Hall of Fame guard. Entitled ” NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION UNIFORM PLAYER CONTRACT,” the seven-page binding document is accompanied by a three-page “RIDER” attachment, a one-page “AMENDMENT” and a five-page “GUARANTY AGREEMENT.” The additional paperwork was necessary as the language in the uniform contract was altered. Sizable passages are blacked out and followed by a typewritten notation of “See Rider attached hereto.” In short, in lieu of the standard one-year agreement. Maravich was to be awarded his hefty sum over a five-season period. The amendment simply altered the increments in which the showy performer was to be paid, allocating less than the original wager for the 1971-72 season and more for the following campaign. Both Maravich and Hawks President Thomas Cousins have initialed each page while, in blue ballpoint or marker, Maravich’s signature appears four different times, all told, projecting “9-10” strength in each instance. With normal compacting folds throughout, the documents are complete (and quite thorough!) in representing one of the sporting world’s most historic signings. LOA from Steve Grad & Zach Rullo/PSA DNA and LOA from James Spence Authentication.
The catalog included a close-up of a few of the signatures.
It looks like Lelands resold the contract in June 2004 for $6,095; I suspect it’d go for quite a bit more today.
