Great items so far! Below are two items I acquired antique shopping over the last couple of months. Both items are now my showcase items for two of my favorite collections, early equipment and early paper.
I am constantly amazed as to what is available at antique shops, flea markets and shows as well as how inexpensive some items can be. The first item pictured is a Spalding catcher's mask Model A No. 0. Thanks to fellow Net54 member Brett's research, the model was first offered by Spalding in 1887 and continued into 1907 (and possibly a little beyond). It is the amateur adult model (there is a professional adult model as well). The stamping is a little faded but very readable and all of the pads are intact. I got it for a little over 100.00 at an antique show and I was very happy to get it at that price.
The second item is a chapbook from either 1840 or 1868. It shows a woodcut of a form of baseball in the background on the front cover. REA sold one of these in a lot of other early baseball related chapbooks in 2006 and they dated it 1868 based on an inscription on the front cover. However, a dealer on ABE books listed it as circa 1840 and a search based on the advertisement on the back cover also lends credence to the 1840 publication date. I believe it is from 1840 but I will try to research it more. I could not believe it was in a large antique shop priced at 10.00.
Alan
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