[CarltonHendricks]

Nice ball Clint...I think most salesman samples originally came in a custom box that protected it and kept it in pristine condition. I would imagine when a product like the jockey cap or your basketball or what ever was retired and discarded it could have ended up anywhere...such as a junk shop for instance...I can imagine a scenario where someone would buy it in a junk shop for their child...the child would play with it and eventually it would get separated from the box...The seller of the jockey cap also auctioned two other hats and some black rubber boots listed as salesman samples and none had a box, see below..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1870s-WIDE-B...item2ecf6e29ee

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1870s-FANTAS...item2ecf6e29d8

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ca1880-FANTA...item4d19f1beaf

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ca1900-PAIR-...item2ecf6e29b3