A very good week for gloves on eBay, plenty to choose from. I don't think we've had too many, or maybe even any, blockbusters this year, but it does seem like there are plenty of top notch gloves having been sold.
A well-maintained Spalding crescent pad basemitt is the first glove up. The glove looks to be in good condition, sports a very solid patch, and of course features the crescent pad, an early 1900s characteristic. Some minor cleaning and this one looks to be close to museum quality. An interesting note, the seller advises that the glove belonged to Henry G.A. Black of Eastern New York /Western Massachusetts area. I find it interesting that the seller is able to offer some personal, historic lineage on the glove. This one earned $687 on 20 bids.
So Rob’s collection keeps getting better….A beautiful Stall & Dean Woody English 8061 model. English models, including the 8061 were Stall & Dean’s top of the line model in the early 30s, and this one has been well kept - just look at that lining! The glove has a great patch and design, but my favorite attribute is the stylish “English” stamping on the glove. The glove looks like it needs a minor cleaning to turn it into an absolute gem, hopefully Rob will share some pics when he is done. A great glove for $383 on a whopping 24 bids.
I don’t know much about modern day gloves but wanted to include this Rawlings Heart of the Hide PRO-SF model. The seller advises that this is a softball model based on the “SF” designation, but I’m not so sure. Anyway, I included it because of the unique webbing, one that I’ve never seen before. This one drew plenty of attention earning $365 on 11 bids.
A rare and unique Draper Maynard Walter “Rabbit” Maranville model brought in $178 on 12 bids. I’m a bit unsure of the quality of the glove though, the seller advises that the signature is faint, but readable, that there is some leather separation on the pocket side between the second and third finger, and some leather separation on the inside, where you put your hand. Nonetheless, I wanted to include it because of the unique styling of the wrist strap, which I can only recall seeing a handful of examples.
A very full-size, high quality 1950's Macgregor Willie May G101 Personal Model earned $295 on 3 bids, closing with a BIN purchase. This model was produced from ’58 – ’60 and was MacGregor’s top of the line endorsed glove. From the seller’s description…” a top of the line glove for its time with anchor lacing on the web, a little finger and thumb loop, a wrist loop, and a beautiful fully intact Macgregor Made in USA cloth label on the wrist strap. It's in great condition with only some darkening in the pocket and shows very little use. The black in the stamping remains with only light wear to the S in Mays.” The glove provides a unique contrast to the later Mays Personal Model gloves such as the GC12, produced just a few years later, which are the more customary elongated outfielder’s gloves.
Perhaps my favorite glove of the week, is this stunning Wilson Lefty Gomez A2034 personal model. This glove looks flawless, aside from two broken laces in the webbing – an easy repair. Produced from ’52 – ’58, the A2034 was Wilson’s top of the line endorsed model for many of those years. A very fortunate buyer seems to have made a very good buy at just $134.
If anything, that hal-chase was the buyer of this glove is a good indication of its quality - An A.J. Reach basemitt that featured a buckleback and positively stunning patch. Perhaps best yet, the seller advises that the lining of the glove is in great shape. So this glove is something of a puzzle – perfect patch, perfect lining (signs of little use) yet the stampings in the pocket of the glove are worn (signs of plenty of use). I guess it is the odd case of the kid, or in this case probably an adult, that actually took care of his glove. The glove sold for a very reasonable $151 on 5 bids.
And now for our bargain of the week…A Nokona Bob “Riverboat” Smith BSB model that sold for just $74 on 3 bids. This was a mid-grade quality glove that sold in the late 50s/early 60s. The glove though features a great patch, retains some of its silver, looks to be in great condition inside and out, and is black (which I think is modestly more popular than the more common brown). I was surprised by the lack of interest in this glove, I had always felt that Nokonas earned something of a premium, but I’ve been wrong before.