Info Checklist for 1960/61 Pirates Horne's Department Store Set
 

Hi All:

I am looking for info/checklist for a set I and other veteran regional collectors I have contacted have not seen before.

1960/61 Horne's Department Store Pirates. These appear to have been issued only on the day the player made a personal appearance at the Dept. store as is evidenced by the different date on each one.

I have Burgess, Groat and Skinner from 1960. I have seen a Sturart from 1960and a DIFFERENT pose of Groat from 1961.

The signatures are facsimile they are blank backed and are 5 1/2" x 8".

Anyone have any? A checklist? Info?

Thanks,

Fred

I can't check the Beckett OPG here at work but I'll check at home. If not, then you create what you have and we'll figure out how to get this into the hobby.

Rich

Thanks Rch. I don;t have Beckett's but I could not find them in the 2011 SCD Standard Catalog.

Just heard from a fellow collector who grew up in Pittsburgh he said:

Back in the day, the Pirates would make all kinds of public appearances for retailers, local parks, little leagues, etc. During the summers we looked forward to the visits from someone from the Pirates at our neighborhood summer park baseball program. That’s where I met Roberto Clemente and Bill Mazeroski – and let me tell ya that was one very exciting day!

I have been unable to find any information on these photos, although I am sure that search of the archives of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette would yield an answer. Based on the language on the photos, these appear to have been given away at an in-store event. It is odd that May 26, 1960 was a Thursday: not exactly a day when there would be a lot of shoppers downtown. But according to the schedule this was an off day for the team.

I have never seen a checklist but have put together the attached one from what I have seen over the years. I am sure there are more of these to be discovered.

His checklist:

(Issued in, 1959, 1960 and 1961)
(All appear to have facsimile autographs)

Roberto Clemente (portrait, similar to Exhibit card)(date unknown)
Forrest “Smoky” Burgess (sitting with three bats)(1960)
Forrest “Smoky” Burgess (standing to waist)(1959)
Bob Friend (PFT)(1960)
Dick Groat (batting to waist)(1960)
Dick Groat (batting to waist)(1961)
Vern Law (PFT – horizontal)(1960)
Bob Skinner (standing with four bats)(1960)
Dick Stuart (batting to waist)(1960)

Hopefully Bob Lemke will see this, though he is not into doing stuff like this any longer.

Fred

I did see it. That would have made a great addition to the Standard Catalog.

You can try contacting tom.bartsch@fwmedia.com.

I don't know to what extent, if at all, they are making additions to the vintage cards data base for possible future editions of the big book.

Wow - I have seen other Horne's items, but....
 

Hi Fred,

I have or have seen a couple of other Horne's Pirates related items, but do not recall ever seeing anything like the photo you posted. I would be very excited to see a copy of the Clemente - who/how is it that Clemente is on the checklist? Thanks.

-Howard

Oh Boy.. Howard may be missing a Clemente card. I would love to see a scan of the issue if anyone has it.

Hi Howard:

I am starting my quest for info on this set here on Net54 and elsewhere. A knowledgeable collector who grew up in the area at the time has a few of these and has looked for more of them over the years. He recalls seeing a Clemente that was autographed, assuming from the personal appearance at the Department store. It was offered, he can't recall where, he says perhaps ebay years ago. He tells me it was too rich for his blood so he let it go. But he is sure the pose was that of the Clemente on the Exhibit card which was one of the normal team issued poses used for the rest of the seen Horne's.

I spoke today with another Clemente collector you may know from Delaware who has a massive Clemente collection and he does not have one nor ever seen one or was aware of it's existance.

I may also be able to obtain an in store Poster from Hornes advertising the siginings. I am waiting to hear on that. I am told from memory that it does not show individual players, but rather a boy kneeling at his bedside praying that his favorite Pirate will appear at the store so he can get the players autograph. It may have a Pirates logo I am told, but the owner is not sure until he digs it out. It came from an ex Horne's employee.

The checklist I posted earlier is all I have now. Will update as I get more info.

Fred

hornes
 

the in store poster is 28 players recently sold on ebay for $27
does include clemente
the bob friend is omn ebay 1958 BIN $99

Lary:

Please post links for both.

Thanks,

Fred

There were Joseph Horne Co. ads in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for the appearances. Luckily that's one of the papers Google has in their newspaper archive:

http://news.google.com/newspapers

September 15, 1960, on page 19, the ad says Clemente, Dick Stuart, Bill Mazeroski and Smoky Burgess were to appear. Should just take an hour or two to dig out all the appearance notices to build complete checklists (barring any missing issues of the newspaper).

Thanks Larry. I found the listings.

However the Friend you note is an 8x10 B&W glossy while the ones I referenced are smaller, and not glossy.

Fred

Hi Jason:

THANKS!! A GREAT reference! never knew this existed. Now I get to spend MORE HOURS in front of the computer!

Fred

Well, so far, this has been a bust for 1960. Aside from the two ads for the Sept 15th appearance (one on the 14th, and one on the 15th), I've gone through two months worth and not found another ad for a Horne's appearance. Did find one for an appearance by Burgess and Hoak at Kaufmann's, but no mention of photos.

more info.....
 

http://www.ebay.com/sch/Sports-Mem-C...H_Sold=1&rt=nc


Looks like a bunch of these (see above link) sold recently on ebay including the one Larry referenced. I have a couple of copies of that Horne's booster club team composite. I don't believe that indicates it in any way is a "checklist" of appearances.

Cross referencing the ad from the post gazette September 15th 1960 (That newspaper archive is INCREDIBLE!) indicating that Clemente, Stuart, Burgess and Maz were appearing that day with the Stuart and Burgess photos that sold on ebay and have Sept 15 dating on them would seem to be strong evidence that a Maz and Clemente exist as well!

Other dates from the other players that sold include:

Groat - May 26, 1960 (no papers available from archive for that date)
Skinner May26, 1960

Groat April 17, 1961 See ad from newspaper archive:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?ni...rontpage&hl=en

Cool - It's been a LONG time since I've been able to add something to my want list.

more info
 

Mike from Columbia city has this Bob Friend for sale on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/c1958-Joseph...item540579de36

has a May 15, 1958 date

See corresponding newspaper ad:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?ni...rontpage&hl=en

Page 9 indicating: Bob friend, Dick Groat, Ted Kluszewski, and Frank Thomas to be appearing

Anyone know how to try to access another archive to get a look at the paper from May 26, 1960?

The Pittsburgh Press has an ad for that group in the issue from the 25th. It was Groat, Skinner, Vernon Law and Bob Friend.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...4448%2C3077898

running checklist
 

So I guess the checklist so far would look like this:

May 15, 1958
Bob friend
Dick Groat
Ted Kluszewski
Frank Thomas

May 26, 1960
Bob Friend
Dick Groat
Bob Skinner
Vernon Law

Sept 15, 1960
Roberto Clemente
Dick Stuart
Smokey Burgess
Bill Mazeroski

April 17, 1961
Dick Groat

Wonder if they did it twice in 1960 because of the world series bid. Would also make sense that they did something with personal appearances in 1959 - although I quickly searched all the papers in the archive from April and may of 1959 and couldn't find any adds. Interesting to note that the Horne's Pirate "Booster club" team sheet is from 1959!

1959 Appearance
 

Found an ad from the Pittsburgh Press on Newspapers.com for an appearance by Forrest "Smoky" Burgess & Harvey Haddix, at Horne's, on June 11, 1959.

https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/147997428/

1959 Burgess pic
 

1959 Burgess pic

Nice Job Jack!
 

Now if there were only a guide to have them published in........

I forgot all about this thread
 

I have since acquired the Clemente and I think 3 other players - don't remember who.

Horne's Pirates
 

FYI there are three currently in the new Huggins and Scott auction.

See: https://hugginsandscott.com/cgi-bin/...l?itemid=29069