Memorabilia

A Majestic Relic: The Stunning 19th Century Football Broadside from Ohio

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I’m not a 19th Century Football expert, so I can’t teach anyone much about the following piece, but I do know that this Football Broadside was appropriately described as “Majestic” in the 2006 auction catalog it was offered in.

Here’s how Mastro described it in that April 2006 catalog:

From a regional, northeastern countryside activity to a widely followed and highly esteemed national pastime and slowly becoming a worldwide phenomenon professional football now needs very little advertisement for fans of any intensity or persuasion to know that, come Fall, the only question that has to be answered is, “are you ready for some football?!” The offered exemplar hails from an era that predates even the leather helmets of the early 20th Century, and in fact, is one of the earliest football broadsides known to exist. Presented here is a truly majestic and impeccably well-kept, 19th Century survivor. This over one hundred-year-old relic bills a contest between two early American football teams from the NFL’s birth state of Ohio a meeting between a squad from Youngstown and the other from Akron. The piece reads, “FOOTBALL YOUNGSTOWN VS. AKRON ** YOUNGSTOWN HAS NEVER BEEN DEFEATED ** Buchtel College Grounds GAME CALLED AT 3:30 Saturday Oct.9.” The bold red and blue print have remained impressively crisp and vibrant, and the large, full body image (21″-tall) of the gridiron athlete at the left of the piece also reveals exceptional clarity. The item’s lower left exhibits the manufacturer’s “Werner Akron, Ohio” notation, and although the relic’s 25″ x 39″ visible area demonstrates slight wear at the unobtrusive and understandably age-induced folds, the piece displays unbelievable condition: EX overall. Set within a 47-3/8″ x 32-1/4″ wood frame. Please note: Due to the size and/or weight of this lot, the cost of shipping may be substantial. Minimum Bid $1,000

Happy collecting!

Mickey Mantle’s 1958 Topps Contract Extension: A Hobby Treasure

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A true piece of hobby history! Mickey Mantle’s 1958 Topps contract extension—signed by Mantle, Frank Scott, and Sy Berger!

The scan above is from Mastro’s November 1999 Fine Sports Millenium Auction, where it sold for $4,119. Here’s the complete item description:

A truly unique document released from the Topps archives over a decade ago. This is the actual contract extension signed by the 26-year-old superstar, giving Topps the right to produce baseball cards with the Mick’s image in 1959. The standard one-page contract extension is typewritten on Topps Chewing Gum stationery and is dated Oct. 1, 1958. It basically states that Mickey Mantle and Topps agree to extend their original agreement dated April 1, 1957, and that all the same terms and conditions apply (meaning he probably got five dollars and a toaster!). Signed boldly in blue ballpoint pen by Mickey Mantle, accepted by Topps executive Sy Berger, and witnessed by Mickey’s agent, Frank Scott. Accompanied by a letter from Guernsey’s, the auctioneers who originally sold the Topps archive. An important document linking the King of Baseball Cards to his maker.

When Guernsey’s auctioned it off as lot BB462 in 1989, they described it as a “Topps extended contract of exclusive 1957 agreement, signed by Mantle on 10/1/58.” It sold for $1,300 ($1,430 with the 10% Buyers Premium).

Guernsey’s also sold the “original exclusive contract signed between Mantle and Topps, 4/1/57, binding for years 1958-60.” Reading the extension, I think the pictured contract just extended the agreement into 1961, and wasn’t about giving Topps the right to produce Mantle’s card in 1959 as Mastro wrote, but, I’m not a lawyer!

Guernsey’s sold 11 different lots of Mantle contacts and checks in their famous Topps Auction; the one I’d most like to see is the original Bowman contract for the 1951 baseball season that Mantle signed on 4/17/1951!

Happy Collecting!

A 1950s Stan Musial Rawlings Die-Cut Advertising Sign

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I’ve shared plenty of vintage advertising signs before, but I think Stan Musial deserves more focus since he had fewer major card releases than his peers. Here’s a great Rawlings die-cut sign from the mid-1950s.

This one was offered in Ron Oser Entperises April 2001 catalog with the following description:

A circa 1955 Rawlings 17″ x 26″ cardboard sign which features a full body photo of Musial with fan-filled stands in the background, facsimile “Stan the Man” signature below. The oddly-shaped sign would fit together to form a store stand-up display. The lower right corner of the display has a few creases, otherwise, the body of the display is very clean. This Musial die-cut ad piece is incredible looking and if you have the glove or just happen to like the Cardinals or advertising pieces, this one will thrill you. Nicely framed to 21 x 28 inches. Minimum Bid $400

Heritage sold the similarly designed Musial Pro Leaguer Advertising Sign in October 2022 for $288, which they described as follows.

1950’s Rawlings Stan Musial Pro Leaguer Advertising Sign. Fine image of “Stan the Man” dominates this heavy cardboard advertising sign measuring approximately 18×16″ at its tallest and widest dimensions. Considerable water damage is apparent, and bat has been restored. We believe this is only part of the full display. Easel on back is missing.

Happy collecting!

Bob Feller Now Pitching For Popsicle Advertising Sign

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I’ve shared a Bob Feller Popsicle and Dreamsicle advertising signs before, but this version is the rarest of them all!

Mastro offered this one for sale in their August 2002 Sports & Americana Premier Catalog Auction. They described the piece as a 7” x 20” store display with a light center fold in NR/MT condition.

They said it was from 1947, but Feller and the Indians won the 1948 World Series, and the ad says World Champion on the left.

The rarity is undeniable; I’ve only found one other example on Paul Lukas’ Flickr page.

Billy Martin’s Final Topps Contract As A Yankee Player: A One-of-a-Kind Piece of History

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Here’s a cool piece of hobby history, dating back to Mastro & Steinbach’s August 1997 Fine Sports Auctions Catalog; Billy Martin’s 1957 Topps Baseball Card Contract and Check!

I wish I had a better picture because it’s a wonderful piece from which I’d like to learn more, but I can’t make out the text; it’s a true one-of-one! Here’s the description:

Official one-page contract between Topps Chewing Gum and Alfred (Billy) Martin for the right to produce a Billy Martin card for Topps 1957, 58, and 59 baseball card sets. Dated July 20, 1956, and signed by Sy Berger (Topps, Inc.) and Billy Martin, the contract displays several folds and peripheral wear, with Near Mint to Mint signatures of both Berger and Martin. Accompanying the contract is a Topps check for $5 (made payable to Martin) as deposit toward Martin’s $125 compensation due each season for the use of his photograph. Check exhibits several light folds and an insignificant staple mark, endorsed on back by Martin (NR-MT to MT signature) and cashed through the New York Yankees account. Martin’s final Topps contract as a New York Yankee!

Here’s an example of Martin’s 1957 Topps baseball card from its PSA CardFacts page.

Happy Collecting!

A Spectacular Circa 1914 Joe Jackson Baseball Magazine Advertising Display

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Here’s a cool item that Richard Wolffers Auctions offered in their February 1993 catalog: a Joe Jackson “Baseball Magazine” Advertising Display Piece.

They described it as a 10” x 18” sepia-toned piece from around 1914 with red lettering and one of the most spectacular Joe Jackson display pieces known to the hobby. It had been folded in half (for shipping) but was offered matted and framed with an estimated value of $10,000-12,500. Most of Wolffers’ catalogs were printed in B&W.

The picture is the same as the 1913 Joe Jackson Baseball Magazine premium, but those are usually described as being 9” x 16”. REA sold this one for $3,240 in the summer of 2022.

The posters/premiums have been found in varying formats of player identification, copyright information, and promotion for the magazine, so this display piece may just be a variety. Let me know if you know more; happy collecting!

Topps in the Field: The Rare 1910 Hermes Ice Cream Honus Wagner Pin

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Topps Magazine had a feature called Topps In The Field dedicated to news from around the collecting world; in the summer of 92, they included this piece about collectible pins, specifically the Hermes Ice Cream Honus Wagner from the Copeland Collection!

I’ve only started learning about sports pins, so I’m not an expert. Luckily, I do have Sotheby’s Copeland Catalog Topps was referring to. Here’s a scan of the pin from the catalog.

And here’s how Sotheby’s described the Hermes Ice Cream Pin lot that included the Wagner:

Hermes Ice Cream Pins, 1910, lot of 4 different pins, set features the 1909 World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates, black and white portraits, yellow border with a blue flag “Pittsburgh” and yellow skull and cross bones at bottom, Hermes logo across the top, players not identified, unnumbered, made by Whitehead and Hoag, the lot includes Leach and Abstein (both only good condition due to excessive surface wear), Clarke-Manager and Hall of Famer (near mint) and Honus Wagner (minor edge stains near the word cream on the right—also minor surface scratches) still a very significant pin and at least excellent condition. 1¼ in. diameter (4) Hermes Ice Cream pins are very rare. Honus Wagner is one of the finest early pins and is highly coveted by collectors.

The expected sales price in the catalog was $2,000-$2,500; Topps wrote that it sold for $2,975.

Regarding the Wagner pin specifically, PSA has only encapsulated two examples and graded one a seven and the other a three. And neither looks like the Copeland pin to me.

Here’s some of the sale’s history: Heritage sold the seven for $6,120 in December 2019. REA then resold it for $9k in the Summer of 2021. REA sold the three for $2,160 in the Spring of 2019 before reselling it in the Fall of 2024 for $3,840.

Happy collecting!