Stan Musial

Kit Young’s Advertisements for Stan-The-Man’s Official 1964 Rack-Um-Up Bat Rack

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I always found it interesting that Stan Musial wasn’t signed with Topps or Bowman from 1954 through 1957. James N. Giglio wrote that Musial refused to sign due to “insufficient compensation.” I later learned that Musial had some other business partnerships (for example, with Rawlings) and was showcasing a bit of business acumen, but I didn’t research this any further. So when I stumbled upon a Kit Young catalog featuring an advertisement for the Stan-The-Man Official Rack-Um-Up Bat Rack, I couldn’t resist learning more about Musial’s company and the product.

Kit Young – 1997 Early Spring Catalog

The first ad I came across was from Kit Young’s 1997 Early Spring Catalog, featuring an autographed Stan The Man Official Rack-Um-Up Bat Rack for $69.95 plus $5.95 p/h. It included a signed letter of authenticity. 

The ad referenced that they offered the display piece in an earlier catalog and had immediately sold out. I tracked that one down from their 1996 holiday sale, and they offered that rack for $39.95 plus $5.95 p/h.

Kit Young – 1996 Holiday Sale

As a collector, I was intrigued by both options and wondered about the history of the bat rack.

Stan The Man Official Rack-Um-Up Bat Rack

My research led me to discover that the Stan-The-Man Rack-Um-Up Bat Rack was official merchandise sold by Stan Musial’s company, Stan the Man Inc. The company sold a variety of Musial memorabilia, including “Stan the Man Inc.” branded baseball bats, gloves, and signed Musial memorabilia. The company was operated by Dick Zitzmann, vice president of Stan the Man Inc. The company closed its doors in 2015. Here are a couple of photos of an entire case of Rack-Um-Up Bat Racks.

Stan The Man Official Rack-Um-Up Bat Rack Case – Image 1
Stan The Man Official Rack-Um-Up Bat Rack Case – Image 2
Stan The Man Official Rack-Um-Up Bat Rack Case – Image 3
Stan The Man Official Rack-Um-Up Bat Rack Case – Image 4

The Rack-Um-Up Bat Rack was a wooden rack-equipment holder designed to hold up to six baseball bats. It was released around 1964 and is approximately 4″ x 6″ x 19″. 

I found this description from KeyMan Collectibles: “As Advertised; Stan Musial’s Rack-Um-Up is the big league way to keep your bats, balls, and glove ready for play. Rack-Um-Up holds three bats, two balls, and has pegs for your cap and favorite glove, and the back panel features Stan’s picture and autograph….plus a list of his outstanding baseball records. The instructions and hardware for assembly are included and visible in a small plastic bag inside the larger bag on back of rack.”

As I delved deeper into the history of the Stan-The-Man Rack-Um-Up Bat Rack, I came across photographs of the bat rack, some of which Musial signed and looked like they may have come from Kit Young’s advertisement. 

Stan The Man Official Rack-Um-Up Bat Rack Signed

I also found examples of letters of authenticity that matched the ad.

Stan The Man Inc. Certificate of Authenticity

You can pick up a still-sealed rack for around $100 (with some patience).

Stan The Man Official Rack-Um-Up Bat Rack Sealed – Front
Stan The Man Official Rack-Um-Up Bat Rack Sealed – Reverse

I’ve also seen signed ones with JSA certs listed for between $150 and $200, like the following example.

Stan The Man Official Rack-Um-Up Bat Rack – Signed

Stumbling upon the Kit Young catalog advertisement for the Stan-The-Man Official Rack-Um-Up Bat Rack led me to uncover an exciting aspect of Stan Musial’s business ventures. Although his absence from Topps and Bowman cards may have seemed odd initially, it appears to have been the start of a calculated move that showcased Musial’s savvy business acumen.

Happy Collecting!

Early 1950’s P-F Canvas Shoes Advertising Sign Featuring Musial, Doerr, Campy, Lemon, and Rizzuto

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Here’s an awesome advertisement, scanned from a June 2005 auction catalog for B.F. Goodrich P-F Canvas Shoes featuing a slew of MLB legends.

A few years later, in 2013, Lelands sold a framed copy of the awesome stadium-designed cardboard ad, mentioning that it measures 19” x 25”. They also highlighted the inclusion of Sam Jethroe as an early African American promotion—that copy sold for $640.

If you look around, you’ll find several variations dating later into the ’50s that include legends like Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, and Willie Mays. However, if you want them in your collections, they’ll cost you many thousands of dollars. Luckily, they all feature floating heads!

Stan Musial Wonder Bread Cardboard Advertising Sign

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Here’s another classic cardboard advertising sign of Stan Musial pitching for Wonder Bread; it’s what “Good Ball Players Need” to “Build Strong Bodies 8 Ways.”

Sotheby’s offered this example in its April 1994 catalog of Important Baseball Cards and Sports Memorabilia. It is described as a late 1940s/early 1950s 30 by 40-inch piece in excellent overall condition.

This isn’t the first Stan Musial Wonder Bread ad that I’ve shared; there’s the more “common” one that he shares with Mickey Mantle and another cardboard example with seven of the era’s biggest stars.

1950’s Wonder Bread Advertising Sign With Mickey Mantle and Stan Musial

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Here’s an early to mid-1950s Wonder Bread Cardboard advertising sign that features black and white portraits of Mickey Mantle and Stan Musial.

Mastro offered it in their July 1998 catalog and described the multicolored, blank-backed counter sign as 10-1/2” x 14-3/4” in Ex to Mt condition but with minor restorations. They also implied the Stan Musial fountain pen signature was authentic. The minimum bid was $1k.

The Mantle looks a little like the 1957 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Picture Portfolio “card,” but a touch wider.

The Musial looks a lot like one of Musial’s 1958 Jay Publishing “cards” (All-Stars Set A, All-Stars Set B, St. Louis Cardinals Set A, and St. Louis Cardinals Set B).