"Personal Model" glove

[mikesglove]

Joe Phillips brought up a point about when the term "Personal Model" was first used on a retail glove and what the term implied for the manufacturer. Just considering Rawlings, It seems like the "Catalog Source Book" lists 1953 as the first "Personal Model" in their line of gloves, with the Stan Musial endorsement. I don't have access to a 1953 Rawlings catalog to read what is said about the model but I wonder if Rawlings could have initiated the "personal model" as a tribute to their hometown star, St. Louis Cardinal, Stan Musial.
Many star player, such as Mickey Mantle were seen in ads as "Using and endorsing" a particular "Personal Model" model. I guess at that point they played with that glove. They probably signed an endorsement contract with the manufacturer. It must have really helped retail sales of that glove. My favorite player, Sandy Koufax, wouldn't sign a contract with any of the big four manufacturers. Maybe he didn't like the hype.

[okdoak]

Joe's Catalog Source Book shows a Wilson 900 Bob Feller Personal model listed in their 1939 catalog, but I'm starting to doubt if it really existed. I'm pretty sure that I've never seen one; has anybody? One that shows up more frequently is the Marathon Joe Gordon, though I have no idea when exactly they began stamping them as Personal Models. This one is from JD's great website: