Vintage Baseball Glove Forum

Hello. Sorry to bother all of you.

I'm new to glove collecting, and I have a couple questions on restoration and upkeep. These are probably pretty basic starter mitts for all of you, but I don't want to mess them up.

I bought a Lowe & Campbell Billy Herman glove (A17, 1930s or early '40s) from Goodwill and it is in need of some repair. I can get it re-laced easy enough, but the back strap has someone's last name written in marker. Obviously, I'm not the only person with this issue. Should I remove this marker? Can I remove it safely? I saw on the forum that folks use 320-grit sandpaper and Glovolium. Would you guys suggest that I use those items on my glove?

I also have a Robin Roberts MacGregor G29 that has a tiny bit of ink on a finger and on the back. It has much less ink than the Lowe & Campbell. Should I remove that ink? Does anyone know when this model was out?

I wouldn't sell these gloves -- since they are my first ones and I have grown quite fond of them -- but how much would these be worth if they were restored?

Thank you all in advance. This is an interesting forum.

Best,
Robert

Welcome to the hobby! The gloves you have are pretty common so there isn't too much value outside of what they mean to you. That being said, they would be great items to condition and see what works for you and what doesn't. I've never been a fan of the sandpaper route but I know others who are.

Robert,

Welcome aboard. And please do not think you are bothering us. Everyone has questions, and the collective knowledge on this Forum is yours for the asking. Questions don't always get an immediate answer, but usually you will hear back from someone. Be sure to browse all the posts and categories. That's what I did when I started here. It will keep you busy for weeks! Have fun.

Scott

Hi Robert,

I second what Scott and the others have mentioned. Enjoy the forum and the glove hobby.

Dave

Thank you all for the warm welcome. I knew I would like this board.

I'm really liking the 1930s-1950s gloves. What would be a few fairly common gloves that won't be expensive to collect, but still would be neat to have? I'd like to start with common gloves, learn how to rehab them properly, and then move to more expensive models.

Best to you,
Robert

Hey, Robert, I like the gloves from those eras, too. You can't beat Goldsmith/MacGregor Goldsmith for well made but common gloves from the 1940s. They must have sold a ton of Elmer Riddle, Eddie Miller, and Pete Reiser gloves because a lot of them show up on ebay. The 1940s Rawlings Bill Doak gloves are pretty common, too, but they're pretty popular among collectors esp. in nice condition. Rawlings Marty Marion "Mister Shortstop" is a well made 1950s common. The early ones have the cool Rawlings cloud patch. Some glove brands seem to carry less weight with collectors, too; Marathon, JC Higgins, Dubow, and Hutch among them and their top line gloves were high quality. I've found bargains on scarce glove styles because they were made by Higgins and I'm sure there are more out there.
I looked up your gloves in Joe Phillips Catalog Source book. Your L&C A17 Herman shows up from 1936-38 and G29 Roberts from 1958-60. Also concur that heavy black magic marker is the toughest thing to remove from a glove. If it's a lighter amount or faded, it may be possible, though. Go gently with the sandpaper.

Forgot to mention that Wilson and Spalding made unendorsed Professional Models in the 1940s that show up regularly on ebay. Most of them are very high quality and are reasonably priced. Rawlings top line Warren Spahn XPG3 from the 1960s turns up pretty often, too. The well worn ones can be had pretty cheaply these days. Lots of Higgins Bob Fellers and Marathon/Sporting Goods Joe Gordons, but they show up in varying degrees of quality.

Thank you so much for this information. You've been a huge help.

Best,
Robert