Vintage Baseball Glove Forum

They finally show an old glove on American Pickers and he just tosses it aside. Come on Mike - it could have been a good one!

I was thinking the same thing. I went to their shop last summer when I went to a bunch of antique festivals in Iowa.
A lot of the stuff you see in the show they buy, but you don't see them negotiating for it. So you never know maybe he bought it.

There was another episode when they bought that cool hood ornament from a guy with the closed service station. When they first walked in to the station on the desk was a nice blond leather split finger that looked great. They didn't even pick it up.

Ha! I was watching that episode and was going to mention the old glove that made a brief appearance.

Back a few months ago, shortly after American Pickers debuted, I sent them an email through the contact link on their website asking about any old gloves they might encounter in their searches. I also offered a few tips on what to look for and noted the values of some particular glove models. The guys don't seem shy about spending, say, ten bucks for other items they can sell for five or ten times that amount and I kind of figured that baseball gloves might be a common item in all those old barns and houses they pick through. There certainly would be the same profit potential and marketability as some of the old oil cans, toys or smaller items they buy. Unfortunately, I never did get a reply.

So my heart jumped a little when Mike pulled that old glove from the pile, as dusty and dirty as it might have been. Then it sank as he said, "That used to be a baseball glove", then casually tossed it aside, intent on finding other treasures.

I even hit rewind on the DVR and paused it, trying to get an ID on the glove. It looked like a button wrist fastener and seemed kind of flat, like maybe a smaller sized inexpensive glove. But who knows? For all you could tell from that poor dirty glove's ten seconds or airtime, with a little spit and polish it could have been a diamond in the rough!

I saw it too. We glove collectors are all alike. I played it back a few times and I swore it was missing the wrist strap and it had a bad lining. At least that's what I keep telling myself. It was hard to tell because it was rolled up at first.

Screw Mike and Frank. I'm sick of Frank offering ten bucks for everything. I want to see more Danielle.

JD

Ok, I admit it rewound it as well and tried to get a better look at it. I swear it was missing the web! My wife was laughing because I watched it a couple times to check it out. I told her the other glove guys watching it are probably doing the same thing. Now I can tell her I was right.

I'm right with JD on this one, danielle needs to show her face more. Leave Frank at the shop and bring her Mike! I did the rewind as well on the glove, also think it was a little beat.
Jared

Brett, it used to be a drab buckskin Wm Read & Sons webless crescent. Looks like it had nice contrast piping too. I paused it on just the right frame and got a good zoom on it. Clear as day.

Echoing the others, I couldn't believe my eyes when he just tossed it aside. Yes, I rewound it, too. Argh! I can just imagine the beauties they've passed on over the year (me too, I supposed, on rusty bike parts and locked up engines). At least they bought all those old trophies in that one New York strorage facility episode. Anyway, I can hear them now ...

Mike: I'm not sure what it is, but it's old.
Frank: Looks like an old handball glove. I'm going back to look for oil tins.
Mike: Tosses it back next to an old leather ball with unique lemon-like stitching. Do you have any rusty signs?

I do enjoy the show and wouldn't venture have the places they go! And yes, more Danielle, less Frank for Season 2.

After years of watching the informative "Antique Road Show", we now have "American Pickers" and "Pawn Stars". About one segment in 10 is interesting in P Stars simply because of the novel items being brought in. The routine/drill is basically the same in the buy and sell segment. Many sellers just want some air time. Notice how often the Pawners will bring in an expert and pretty sure that their deals are wrapped up with the "free" appraisal. Stars and the appraisers probably make the money.
American Pickers brings much further and broader enlightenment. The sharp picker will have a knowledgeable eye for few,if not many items. Often the pickers seem to take a flyer based on hunches.
They passed on the glove, but I've probable missed on some cut glass, painting, etc. etc. Ebay has become valuable that way. Had to look up an oil company signage the other day. And found what I was looking for price wise on completed sale.
It's best to specialize as best you can in the picking business. It's also a good idea to "get lucky!" The American Pickers is enjoyable to me and like GloveCrazy-- they venture into areas Angels dare not tread sometimes.

But remember it is the cameraman who get their first

Good point Murph.

It's fun to bag on the show but think about it, how cool is it that they are bringing things to market, things that would never surface otherwise? As collectors, we would love to have more great gloves come to our hobby, if anything, just to see them. There would be more to go around. I love what they are doing. Some of these things would probably never see the light of day unless guys like them rescue them from a dirty and dusty grave. I dig the concept. And for the record, I would totally be climbing up in the rafters and getting down and dirty with them in the rodent crap if I could. I miss the hunt. I wouldn't however miss (pass up) that musty old leather smell coming from across the barn. I love that smell.

JD

Hi Guys,

I like the American Pickers program too and enjoy all the stuff they dig up in the attics and barns. I sent them an email yesterday to offer them some words of encouragement to keep on digging and should they turn up an old glove again to give it some more consideration for themselves and the viewers of their program. I have not heard back from them but will let you know if they do respond back. The more visable the old gloves become to people the more chance we might see more old interesting gloves and bring more people into our hobby.

I agree with William on the glove they passed over in that old barn.

Dave

I got the eye roll not only from my wife but 2 teens for my "pause-rewind". Always good to be incharge of the remote.

Number9 wrote:Brett, it used to be a drab buckskin Wm Read & Sons webless crescent. Looks like it had nice contrast piping too. I paused it on just the right frame and got a good zoom on it. Clear as day.

If this was the case I would have been on my way to upstate New York already, snow and ice be damned!

I agree with the others that it's great to see some of these items "rescued" and put into the hands of people that will appreciate them. Taking a risk on items is fun to do and I have some luck stepping out of my comfort zone once in a while. Mike seems more willing to learn more about a wide variety of things - we should invite them to the forum and give them a Vintage Glove 101 lesson.

Better make sure if all three come to the thread that JD sets at the back of the forum class. No learning would likely take place with him in the mix. LOL In my email to them the other day,(don't know if they will even read it) I invited them to check out a few of the samples pages from my glove book on ebay and gave them a link to the glove story they will be doing on Hearltland Highways tv in late February. I also personally invited them to my home if they are ever in the Olney, IL area. Just trying to make them aware their is a group of us leather hounds roaming the countryside looking for old leather friends.

It will be cool if they follow up on anything.

Dave