Mickey Mantle Glove

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Mickey Mantle Glove

Postby longhorn22 » January 31st, 2011, 5:03 pm

I found a Rawlings Mickey Mantle glove Model #JG72 RH thrower. It has a bellows web and has color combination of light brown and dark brown and has stamped "Softball Size"on the outside of the little finger. The signature is stamped in gold lettering and also has stamped "Wing Tip", plus the Rawlings tag has "Korea". Anyone have any idea when this model was put out and its current value? Thanks. :?:
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Re: Mickey Mantle Glove

Postby BretMan » January 31st, 2011, 7:06 pm

That's a model number that doesn't seem to appear in the old Rawlings catalogs. During Mantle's career, Rawlings issued probably a dozen different glove models with his endorsement that appear in their catalogs. The only problem is, not all of the gloves they made were listed in their catalogs! The catalog gloves were usually the ones aimed at the retail sporting goods market. They made plenty of gloves for other retailers, like K-Mart or JC Penneys, for which no catalog data exists. Throw in the gloves they made for promotional tie-ins, premiums or giveaways and I've seen probably at least another dozen uncataloged Mantle glove models.

I would say that this is definitely a glove from late in his career- and possibly even after his career had ended. According to "The Vintage Baseball Glove Catalog Source Book", Rawlings began using the "GJF" prefix as a model number on gloves in 1968 and continued using it through the 1970's. Their last cataloged Mantle glove appeared in 1972. I believe that the Bellows Web and the two-tone dark/light brown color combination first appeared in the early 70's and that would be my best guess at an exact date on this glove.

As far as a value, a few things to consider. Condition obviously plays a part in determining a value. The "imported" gloves are far less valued that the ones made in the USA. Being a glove from near the end of his career would also tend to hold the value down. This is likely a "mid-priced" glove, having orginally sold for far less than the top-of-the-line models, and thus not as collectible.

On the plus side, there is always a strong demand for Mantle gloves. This being an unusual model might heighten the interest, as might the unusual color combination and gold stampings, along with the Bellows Web and Wing Tip back. For a clean glove in average used condition, I would say about $50 for this one.
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Re: Mickey Mantle Glove

Postby longhorn22 » January 31st, 2011, 7:35 pm

Thanks for the info. I plan to keep it for one of my grand kids. Again thanks.
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Re: Mickey Mantle Glove

Postby softball66 » February 1st, 2011, 9:58 am

Bret's right on the money in his assessment. This has to be the only Mantle glove with this model number and description that i've heard of. And why the combination of "softball size" and Mantle's name?
I'm looking in the 1974 and 1976 Rawlings catalogs and find the two tone brown and tan/Bellows web combos in the GJ27 Rudi, in 1974 and in 1976 a GJ127 Rudi with the same features. It's definitely a post career and rare Mantle model and an export from the far east --hence the "J" letter, (first Japan and later Korea) and the slow pitch softball craze was "catching" in the mid 1970s. A "special edition" Mantle.
I think later on the multi color 1970s gloves will become popular with glove collectors. IF -- they hold their color and one doesn't wind up with turquoise and pink from fading. :?
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Re: Mickey Mantle Glove

Postby longhorn22 » February 1st, 2011, 2:41 pm

Thanks for the info. It also seems to me that the glove is a rare model. Plus correct me if I am wrong. I believe that somewhere on the internet I read that the bellows web was discontinued because it was not allowed any more. Am I correct? Too bad it is a foreign model and not a U.S. model. Still it is a nice glove that I was lucky to obtain. Thanks again to you all for the info.
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Re: Mickey Mantle Glove

Postby softball66 » February 3rd, 2011, 10:16 am

According to glove expert Denny Esken ,who said he was told by Bob Clevenhagen, that the web was too expensive to manufacture, thus discontinued. Denny maintained that he thought this was the best glove web made up until that time. So, I don't think I remember it being called "illegal." Rawlings probably felt that its basketweb was just as effective and more economical.
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Re: Mickey Mantle Glove

Postby longhorn22 » February 3rd, 2011, 1:13 pm

softball66 Thanks for the info.
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Re: Mickey Mantle Glove

Postby mikesglove » January 27th, 2018, 2:50 pm

Mickey Mantle JG72 "Bellows Web" "Wingtip" glove from ebay. Interesting!
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