Cleveland World Series press pins

[Rob D.]

This month I was able to cross off a longtime nemesis from my want list. Adding a Cleveland 1920 World Series press pin completed my collection of Indians Series and All-Star press pins. Although press pins aren't nearly as "hot" these days as they were 15-20 years ago, I've always liked them. Especially intriguing to me are the phantom pins that were not produced in large numbers or distributed, because the Indians failed to make it to the Series. My group, pictured below, includes all of the known phantoms, but there's always a chance a new one could surface.

Though it's easier to put together a set of Cleveland World Series press pins than, say, a Yankees or Cardinals collection, it still took me about 15 years to finish this project. I probably should put an asterisk after that last sentence because there actually are two versions of the 1920 pin. In addition to the one pictured below (top row, far left), there's also a more attractive celluloid example. That is my white whale for now, and I know of three that have been offered at auction. Until I add a celluloid version, my collection technically isn't complete. But it's good for now.

Pins are displayed chronologically left to right, with the Series pins first, followed by the All-Star pins. I've included a few facts you might find interesting.

• The 1920 pin, the one that was toughest for me to get, is by far the most boring.
  
• There are two versions of the 1948 pin. The first example (second from left, top row) is the more common of the two. The one next to it is more crudely done. Many think it was produced locally and at the last minute after the Indians front office discovered it did not have enough of the first version for all of the members of the press. I've heard this explanation from more than one source, but it could just as easily be an urban legend as it could the truth.
  
• The first phantom of the group is from 1951 (fourth from left, top row). Note the similarity to the design Cleveland used for the 1954 All-Star Game pin (fourth from right, bottom row).
  
• The next phantom, from 1952, is similar to the design used for the 1954 Series pin (far right, top row). I didn't know a 1952 existed until a few years ago.
  
• There are two other 1954 pins (second and third from right, top row) that are prototypes rather than phantoms. These came from the estate of a Balfour executive and are incredibly scarce. I've never seen other examples. The dark eyes on the blue prototype kind of freak me out.
  
• The 1955 phantom (far left, bottom row) is seen more often than the other phantoms but is still pretty tough. I think the pin next to it is a prototype. I bought it off eBay years ago simply because I couldn't not buy it. It's strange because it's crude enough to make you think it wasn't professionally done, but it looks good enough that you think it had to be professionally done.

Pins from the 1995 and '97 Series finish the run.

The All-Star pins are fairly ho-hum. I wish there had been a press pin made for the 1935 game, but alas, there wasn't.

One interesting note regarding the 1963 All-Star pin: Look in any of the price guides from 20-30 years ago and you'll see the 1963 pin is listed with a much lower value than its counterparts. Something like this:

1960 -- $125
1961 -- $125
1962 -- $100
1963 -- $50
1964 -- $100
1965 -- $100

In truth, the '63 pin isn't more common than others from the early 1960s. I really believe the reason for the low value listed in guides is because of a Cleveland-area dealer from years ago named Jim Kovacs. Supposedly in the late 1970s he came across a stash of 20 or so 1963 pins. He ran the same ad in SCD for weeks and weeks and weeks, apparently because he didn't sell many. But it left the impression that a ton of '63 pins were out there, when the truth was Kovacs didn't have that many. But once the guides listed those low prices, it was established -- incorrectly -- in the hobby that the 1963 pin is really common.

OK, enough of my babbling. Thanks for hanging in this long.

Rob

[GoldenAge50s]

Beautiful run of pins Rob--Kudos on completing the collection!

[stone193]

Hi Rob

Thanx for taking the time to outline your pins and adding a little something extra.

It's very apparent how much you enjoy this - and I appreciate your enthusiasm.

On the '63 All-Star pin - approximately what year do you think they were being run in SCD?

To back up your position - I have an old Baseball Collectibles Beckett from 1988 which lists the pin for $150.

So if the sale was in the early 90s? That would give credence to your position.

I enjoyed the writeup - I know it takes more time than some may give credit.

[Scott Garner]

Rob,
Congrats! This is an impressive collection. Nice job!

[novakjr]

Rob, those are very nice. As an Indians fan/collector, I appreciate the hell out of getting to see these and the rest of your Indians memoribilia on here. Thanks again, for your hard work.

[Rob D.]

Mike R.,

Jim Kovacs' ads ran in SCD for a long time, maybe spanning two years (1979-80? 1980-81?). He was a regular advertister. Not every week on the back page like Hall's Nostalgia, but he had a good-size ad every other week or every three weeks. And always included was the 1963 All-Star press pins for sale for like $50 (not sure of the price; I'm going on memory). I always noticed that, because I would see Kovacs set up at mall shows -- and he never had any press pins with him. I was a teenager at the time, and Kovacs was famous for being incredibly rude to seemingly anyone younger than 30, so I never got up the nerve to ask him about the press pins.

It was years later that a veteran collector friend and I were talking about the old days, and he related approaching Kovacs and asking him how many 1963 All-Star press pins he once had.

"Ah, not that many," Kovacs said. "I always included that in my ads to attract attention and maybe drum up business."

And all that led to the accepted school of thought that the 1963 All-Star press pin is available in larger-than-normal numbers.

I dug out my copy of SCD's Complete Guide to Baseball Memorabilia from 1992. Here are the values listed for All-Star pins from 1960-64:

1960 Kansas City: $350-$500
1960 New York (Yankees): $400-$500
1961 Boston: $600-$700
1961 San Francisco: $650-$750
1962 Chicago: $425-$500
1962 Washington: $350-$400
1963 Cleveland: $100-$175
1964 New York (Mets): $250-$300

Malloy's Sports Collectibles Value Guide from 1993 lists these values:

1960 Kansas City: $350
1960 New York (Yankees): $375
1961 Boston: $600
1961 San Francisco: $650
1962 Chicago: $450
1962 Washington: $300
1963 Cleveland: $100
1964 New York (Mets): $250

Thanks for the kind words.

Rob