December 2011 Pick-Ups

[CarltonHendricks]

I actually got these very end end of last month....but November has come and gone so I'll post it here



Above is a pair of D&M baseball cleats from the turn of the century...I got them based on I know early high top cleats hardly exsist and the sellers claim they were the best he'd handled in his career...I beleive they're the first pair of early high tops I've seen for sale...They must have been stored in a well sealed trunk as I've never seen leather from the turn of the century so supple...it's like they're brand new!...though the soles appear to have very slight wear...and the tag is mint!...phew!



The same dealer said the same thing about this melon ball...best he'd ever handled...and that got my attention...hated to spend the money but I know melon footballs...and I knew the rounded shape was very early....Sure enough when I held it I was blown away....it's the oldest football I've ever seen in person...the patina screams 1880 even though the leather is supple....Plus another big bonus was it was found at Girard College in Philadelphia...so I know it's American!!!....at least played with in America...that's a whole lengthy subject of it's own as far as imported footballs in the late 19th century...I wish I had the time to do a deep research story on it...Anyway...took me twenty five years to find a ball this good!...It's filled with some kind of polly fill to hold it's shape. I was considering having a bladder put in but may leave it as is...I was told if I took the laces apart there might be a makers mark inside...but I hate to disturb it.

The only other melon football I've seen this good was one I saw last May in the Yale trophy room...which you can read about here...that one would shut down north America!