July 2011 pickup thread

[vintagesportflips]

Earllier today I finally had some luck scouring the antique store that I also rent a display case in. I picked up an early figure eight baseball as well as a Spalding football from the late 20's early 30's time period. The football needs a little work, but should cleanup very well. The baseball is the piece that I am more excited about. It is a smaller sized baseball with just about an 8 inch circumference. The ball retains its makers mark as well as its model name: ROCKET. The Rocket is tough to discern in the photos, but is easier to see in person. The maker is Shibe, and it is in the shape of a baseball diamond. I was pretty excited to see Shibe as the maker, given his later connection with the Philadelphia Athletics and his namesake Shibe Park. I believe the ball dates to the 1880s. It has some condition issues with a large stain on one area, and its marks aren't the strongest, but I was still pumped to find it.