Hey, pennant guys

Domer05 · #1 08-22-2021, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fballguy

Any thoughts on this one? Baseball or travel? The Tiger on the label seems too coincidental, no? Was this a logo of The Reproduction Company?

It's a legit Reproduction Co. label. In fact, I can date this specific label to ca. 1914. They used it on plenty of travel/souvenir and special event pennants manufactured during the mid-1910s.

For some reason, this company, which was based in Manhattan (and later, Brooklyn) really liked tigers. Of the four labels I've found of theirs used between 1908-1921, two featured tigers: one with a full body of a tiger; the other with only the head.

Unfortunately, I believe it's just a coincidence that there's a tiger on this "Detroit" pennant's label. I'm pretty sure this is a travel/souvenir pennant. They made a lot of these for many cities and states. They mostly all looked like this "Detroit" pennant, down to the same Gothic font. Usually, these were 100% screen printed; but, some, like this "Detroit" pennant, featured sewed letters.

The Reproduction Co. did make two known professional baseball pennants; however, unlike their travel/souvenir pennants, each were undeniably baseball pennants; and, both were made closer to 1910. As you'll see, they don't resemble the "Detroit" pennant at all. Here they are below....

Fballguy · #2 08-22-2021, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Domer05

It's a legit Reproduction Co. label. In fact, I can date this specific label to ca. 1914. They used it on plenty of travel/souvenir and special event pennants manufactured during the mid-1910s.

For some reason, this company, which was based in Manhattan (and later, Brooklyn) really liked tigers. Of the four labels I've found of theirs used between 1908-1921, two featured tigers: one with a full body of a tiger; the other with only the head.

Unfortunately, I believe it's just a coincidence that there's a tiger on this "Detroit" pennant's label. I'm pretty sure this is a travel/souvenir pennant. They made a lot of these for many cities and states. They mostly all looked like this "Detroit" pennant, down to the same Gothic font. Usually, these were 100% screen printed; but, some, like this "Detroit" pennant, featured sewed letters.

The Reproduction Co. did make two known professional baseball pennants; however, unlike their travel/souvenir pennants, each were undeniably baseball pennants; and, both were made closer to 1910. As you'll see, they don't resemble the "Detroit" pennant at all. Here they are below....

Great stuff as always Kyle. I typically find pennants with no team name pretty dubious. But the logo here was a curveball. I can only imagine how many collectors over the last 100+ years were sure this was a baseball pennant because of that tiger logo on the back. But, as Paul Harvey used to say...

perezfan · #3 08-22-2021, 12:12 PM

It still might be a Tigers Pennant, but it has nothing to do with the tag. The Tigers definitely used that gothic style font, and the colors are also perfect for the Tigers.

Of course it's still a leap of faith, and not one that I'd sink a lot of money into. But I would never-the-less give it close to a 50/50 chance of being a Tigers pennant.

ooo-ribay · #4 08-22-2021, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perezfan

It still might be a Tigers Pennant, but it has nothing to do with the tag. The Tigers definitely used that gothic style font, and the colors are also perfect for the Tigers.

Of course it's still a leap of faith, and not one that I'd sink a lot of money into. But I would never-the-less give it close to a 50/50 chance of being a Tigers pennant.

You're more knowledgeable than I, but I would only give it a 10% chance...if that.

MK · #5 08-22-2021, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Domer05

It's a legit Reproduction Co. label. In fact, I can date this specific label to ca. 1914. They used it on plenty of travel/souvenir and special event pennants manufactured during the mid-1910s.

For some reason, this company, which was based in Manhattan (and later, Brooklyn) really liked tigers. Of the four labels I've found of theirs used between 1908-1921, two featured tigers: one with a full body of a tiger; the other with only the head.

Unfortunately, I believe it's just a coincidence that there's a tiger on this "Detroit" pennant's label. I'm pretty sure this is a travel/souvenir pennant. They made a lot of these for many cities and states. They mostly all looked like this "Detroit" pennant, down to the same Gothic font. Usually, these were 100% screen printed; but, some, like this "Detroit" pennant, featured sewed letters.

The Reproduction Co. did make two known professional baseball pennants; however, unlike their travel/souvenir pennants, each were undeniably baseball pennants; and, both were made closer to 1910. As you'll see, they don't resemble the "Detroit" pennant at all. Here they are below....

This pennant sold on eBay several years ago and it had a Reproduction Co tag on the back. I did not win it, but did keep a photo and a note about the tag.

thetahat · #6 08-22-2021, 09:07 PM

What an INCREDIBLE Cubs pennant in INCREDIBLE condition. That’s maybe close to five figures in the current market.

ooo-ribay · #7 08-23-2021, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thetahat

What an INCREDIBLE Cubs pennant in INCREDIBLE condition. That�s maybe close to five figures in the current market.

Five figures? Like 1/660th of a Honus Wagner card?

Domer05 · #8 08-22-2021, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MK

This pennant sold on eBay several years ago and it had a Reproduction Co tag on the back. I did not win it, but did keep a photo and a note about the tag.

Mike, you sure it wasn't a Spalding Bros. label, like the moth-eaten one that just sold for like $600 last month on what otherwise appeared to be the same pennant?

MK · #9 08-23-2021, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Domer05

Mike, you sure it wasn't a Spalding Bros. label, like the moth-eaten one that just sold for like $600 last month on what otherwise appeared to be the same pennant?

Here�s the thread when I asked about it in 2014.

https://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=184244

thetahat · #10 08-23-2021, 09:51 PM

Very cool Cubs WGN 75th anniversary pennant just sold on eBay, rare color version. Mike, I think you have this already? � did anyone here win it?

ooo-ribay · #11 08-24-2021, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thetahat

Very cool Cubs WGN 75th anniversary pennant just sold on eBay, rare color version. Mike, I think you have this already? � did anyone here win it?

75th anniversary of the Cubs or of WGN?

Domer05 · #12 08-24-2021, 10:24 PM

Yet another former ASCO employee contacted me recently. David Kulas worked for Lars Granberg back in the early 1970s. He was Assistant Sales Manager for ASCO's Button House division; and National Sales Manager for Idea Promotions, another offshoot of the parent company.

We spoke for nearly an hour. I asked him for some good pennant stories, to "share with my readers." He gave me this gem....

In 1971 he was working at ASCO/Button House. The pirates were in the World Series. It was looking like the Pirates might win it all. Accordingly, some vendor contacted ASCO about pre-ordering 5,000 "World Champion" pennants. ASCO got right to work, made up a quick design, printed 5,000 of them, then overnighted them to the vendor in Pittsburgh.

The next day someone from ASCO telephoned the vendor to ensure the product had arrived safely. It had. There was only one problem, the vendor stated: "You spelled Pittsburgh wrong!" In their haste to make the pennant, someone in Winona left off the "h" in Pittsburgh. The parties agreed to talk in an hour or so about a plan forward, and the call ended.

When they spoke again an hour later, ASCO was prepared to eat the loss and re-make and re-ship a new order of pennants--this time, with the typo corrected. "Don't bother," said the vendor, "we sold'em already."

In such circumstances, these products would be destroyed. Mr. Kulas himself once made up a "Boston Red Socks" pennant for a vendor outside Fenway Park. In that instance, the product was rejected and subsequently destroyed. But the Bucs were hot; and nobody seemed to mind the typo (or, more likely, nobody noticed!). So, 5,000 of these misspelled pennants made it to market.

Perhaps someone here owns one? No question about it: Mike Knapp (71buc) is the expert on 1971 Pirates pennants ... but even he isn't aware of such a pennant.

MK · #13 09-02-2021, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thetahat

Very cool Cubs WGN 75th anniversary pennant just sold on eBay, rare color version. Mike, I think you have this already? � did anyone here win it?

Greg,
I didn�t have that version but did win it. I believe I am only missing one other version now.

perezfan · #14 09-03-2021, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MK

Greg,
I didn�t have that version but did win it. I believe I am only missing one other version now.

Very impressive Mike! Love all the variations. Which one are you missing?

I think I've seen an orange felt version with black graphics?

thetahat · #15 09-03-2021, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MK

Greg,
I didn�t have that version but did win it. I believe I am only missing one other version now.

Great group of pennants, Mike!

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