Vintage Baseball Glove Forum

This glove box "...1930s-Vintage-Ken-Wel-Baseball-Glove-Box-Dazzy-Vance-/130438748807.." on ebay now is so nice...is it possible that it cound be a forgery. Doesn't seem like it would be too hard to do. What do the collectors think?

I would vote real. I think the rivets on the side of the box are a good indication it's period. It's an interesting piece and sure to spark much bidding near the end - I know I have it on my watch list to see where it ends up.

Are you referring to the signature only? It looks to me that it is printed on the box along with the other graphics, though the seller does use the word "written". I only found one other example of the box online and it was shot from a different angle so it's unclear if the box should have a printed signature or not.

That was my impression at first glance too, Mark. Though boxes can be reproduced, Ken-Wel boxes would be one of the most difficult due to the four metal stabilizers, or rivets as Brett called them. Sure, it could be fabricated, but the intricacy makes it unlikely. If we begin to see more of them pop up in this condition, a flag would be raised. As for the Vance signature on the box, I've seen Ken-Wel boxes with facsimile signatures, block letter names and just model numbers. So this one is not out of the ordinary. Can't be certain without seeing it in person and putting it through the three senses test (sight, touch and smell). Sound doesn't make a difference and I've never tasted a box, a glove box, but their smell is important. I always get laughed at when I buy a box because I sniff it. It is a telling factor, though. Not that it makes a huge difference, but it is originating from upstate NY where Ken-Wel was based. If it were coming from Ohio, where many forged advertising pieces originated, I'd be more skeptical. Lastly, if someone were to forge a box in this detail, would they settle on a Vance model or go all out and make it a 632 Gehrig? That said, I'm in the market for a Ken-Wel Gehrig box if anyone has one!

To me this looks to be the real deal. It has an aged look to it on some of the type face (broken). The background color orange is uneven from previous UV perhaps hitting one particular area. There's a tear at the bottom of one side. The number 560 is stamped on which tells me that Ken Wel was using stock boxes, unfolded at first, for all of its gloves and stamping them with individual numbers for each glove model. Dazzy Vance signature looks faded. If someone tried to duplicate the box and the aging, etc., why not do a Babe Ruth Box instead of a Vance? IMHO

With respect to the signature, it seems fairly common to see handwritten names or model numbers on old glove boxes. My impression is that this was often done by the retailer, just to provide a quick identification on the shelf or in the stockroom.

Seller replied to my inquiry and said it is a stamped signature on the glove box

$400.00

I'm a little surprised at the ending price - I thought it would go for about double what it ended at.