What was your favorite memorabilia pickups from the last Decade?

[baseballart]

My favorite acquisition has to be the original illustrations by Charles Copeland for Frank Hart's 1938 novel, The Speed Boy. The book itself is interesting as it deals with baseball in the deadball era, and I'm not sure how popular that was in 1938, given Babe Ruth's rise to fame.

Here are some of the illustrations, as well as the book itself



Max

[drc]

My favorite pickup of the decade was an 1896 baseball bat handmade and inscribed in Maine State Prison by a prisoner serving a life sentence. It had the original prison decal stating it was made in the prison and came with the original, but very tattered, leather carrying case. The bat itself was Near Mint plus, apparently unused. The bat was a working adult size but with a unique design, including rings cut into the barrel mimicking a Spaulding painted ring bat. You can see a couple of the rings in the left of the picture. After I bought it from a reliable source, I sent pictures of it, including a closeup of the decal, to the prison museum (it's now a state historical site, the original prison was largely destroyed by fire in the early 1900s). The curator said it was genuine and that the prison had a prisoner woodworking shop and baseball league.

[bcbgcbrcb]

I hope that the vendor felt sorry for you and at least gave you a discount on the Shoelsess Joe in such poor condition..............

[thekingofclout]

1927 Lou Gehrig Study by Charles Conlon.
gehrigeyes.jpg

[HRBAKER]

[JeremyW]

http://www.net54baseball.com/attachm...1&d=1261010107

photo size 8.5" X 11.5"

[smokelessjoe]

By far my best pick-up in the last decade... (I have shown it many times)

The first picture is a diagram of a baseball field with four names written on the bottom corner. The second picture is the "Rules and Regulations of the New Marlboro Match Base Ball Co." Notice the same four names on the bottom corner. The third picture is a signature of whom I am certain is responsible for drawing the diagram and the rules. The fancy signature "William Lewis Camp" is in an autograph album from the South Berkshire Institute dated 1863. The signatures of all four of the names written above are in this album which ties the whole lot to the South Berkshire Institute. The fourth picture is of the Institute located in New Marlboro, Mass.

[GaryPassamonte]

A similar period image to yours, Jeremy. 1874 or 1875 Bostons and an unidentified probable NA team, possibly from Philadelphia.