MM

[glove-works]

Check this ebay auction out:

200199756544

[MVALZ]

His finger must have gotten stuck to the 0 key...three too many

[softball66]

I'd already seen this glove when it was previously submitted to a large auction house and I had questioned its validity at that time. It was not accepted by the auction house. The provenance letter stated emphatically that this MM was given to the "friend of Eddie Joost," in 1954. This MM glove unfortunately dates to 1956 which seriously damages this statement in the letter. It also strongly believed by those familiar with his gloves that Mantle very likely didn't use a Mantle MM personal model, rather he wore HH and HSP style gloves as many of his outfielder peers also did, including Willie Mays. I also questioned that Mantle was a close friend of Eddie Joost, who played for the Phila As. Possibly, and Joost is still alive to verify all of this. But the glove still doesn't fit the date of the glove given to the owner in the provenance letter.
I also notice that the description in the ebay auction says that MEARS states that the glove has the "characteristics" of Mantle. I didn't notice that in the MEARS letter.
FYI

[mudman]

That's crazy!!!!!![/i][/b]

[Studboy]

It's 20 cent fixed price listing day, probably worth the gamble that some bone head with a load of cash would buy it, if not there only out 20 cents! I see there are a few gloves listed today with larger fixed price tags then normal.

[david bushing]

Joe, we stated in our original letter that the glove was an over the counter glove with no special traits and that the value of its potential use by Mantle was strictly the provenance. It is very common for letters of provenance to be off on dates. We have a letter on a Maris hat that was given to a guy in 1961 yet it was a new era hat made no earlier than 1965-66. That does not mean he didnt get it from him, just that he is off on his memory on dates. The same could be said for this letter in that it was 56, not 54. Even if he was off, you are still buying a store model retail glove with a story. The glove is a top of the line from the era in which Mantle played but the same could be said for any MM personal model. Its like having a Brooklyn hat with 42 under the bill, without provenance, it is just a nice hat. The more flaws in the provenance, the less confidence in buying/selling. We never stated it was a game worn glove, only that it was a period top of the line model that was accompanied by this provence and that it was both reasonable and plausible that Mantle could have used a MM model during this era. Regardless, my idea of value would be 10% of what he is asking unless the glove was signed "my gamer" by Mantle with a picture of him wearing it. David Bushing

[softball66]

Dave, you and I have already discussed this MM but unfortunately no one at MEARS has discussed it with its owner or with this seller on eBay who is describing your opinion letter, as among other things, as having "characteristics" of Mantle which you don't mention in your letter but would leave the eBay reader to believe that the glove had "broken in" characteristics of Mantle's. The seller and obviously the owner is waving the MEARS letter like a flag of approval. You have to admit that is a problem, especially if someone plunks down $100 grand for this glove. MEARS might have been better served with "Unable to Authenticate."
The provenance letter is not only "off" but impossibly "off" since it clearly states "1954" for its reception, but the glove couldn't have been made until two years later. I do remember my military dates from the 1950s with great clarity. I guess somewhere Navy records or even recollections from Eddie Joost which could verify this "faulty memory."
For me it just doesn't add up, especially to the tune of six figures.

[jackwhale]

It seems that the value of the glove is close to the shipping price!!!
$100. for shipping--after you've paid the 100K.
This guy is trolling for the fools of the world.

And Dave, 10% of 100,000 is still too way too many zeros.
I could trade my imaginary Ferrari for this glove.

[mudman]

"And Dave, 10% of 100,000 is still too way too many zeros"


Amen!!!!!!!

[softball66]

At the risk of belaboring this subject here's some more opinions on this high priced glove, that I've given some thought to.
The eBay seller is certainly using the Opinion Letter from MEARS in a manner that Dave didn't intend. He's done a certain amount of interpretation from the MEARS writeup that seems to ascertain that this is a Mantle gamer when, as Dave says, that's not what was intended.
The fact is that this glove came from 1956 or 1957 (another year for the MM). This is determined by the lacing in the heel and stamping on the inside of the glove which was made in 1956 to the MM model. The letter of provenance is clear about the late summer of 1954 as to receiving the glove from his friend Mantle.
By 1956 his friend who'd introduced him to Mantle, Eddie Joost, was out of baseball. Joost was playing for Boston in 1955.
The letter writer seems to imply that he was in the Yankee locker room when Mantle gave him a spare glove from his locker. This would lead us to think that Mantle was very good friends with the guy enough so that he allowed him to his locker and gave him a glove.
Again Mr. Joost, now at 92 or so, may remember the glove recipient and that he himself was good friends with Mantle.
As to the photos of Mantle that the eBay seller is presenting with the glove as to ?photo matching? The shots are taken from 1951 in one photo with the half century patch 1901-1951 being worn by Mickey. The glove Mantle is wearing is almost certainly an MC Mort Cooper glove and I have a blowup of the photo that shows that "Mick M." is written on the wrist strap. The other photo shows a VERY young Mantle and probably dates to the same era.
The only period I would suspect that Mantle might have used an MM would have been in 1954 when his glove was introduced and it was, along with the Playmaker Supreme, the highest priced glove in the Rawlings line. Rawlings' officials may have encouraged him to use it that year though it is believe that the HH model, a bigger glove, was given to the pros that summer. The HH was introduced to the stores in 1955.
When this glove was turned down by the auction house, I told the auction people that I would be that the glove would show up in another auction or on eBay, which it has
I agree with Dave that people and even players mis-date time periods and players even their gloves.
But at $100,000 and the eBay seller suggests that it may be worth more, one needs to be very careful about provenance matching up with facts.
Dave maybe you can help with part of your worksheet notes section that may have led the seller to interpret "characteristics". You write "Snugger Adustment Features ("preferred by" is scratched out) found on high retail glove as examined glove of Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron & Bob Buhl."
Not sure what this means. "Snugger"® wrist attachment which was introduced by Rawlings in 1952 ("Wrist-Lok" in 1951) as a wrist tightener, and had been employed on all of Rawlings better gloves, retail or pro level from 1951 forward.
Final grade from MEARS: "Authentic." My question is: Authentic to What?

[KeyMan]

I'm sure Mantle used other gloves during the 1956 season but here is a picture to confirm he did use a Rawlings model HH. This is the Glove he used during Don Larsen's perfect Game in the 1956 World Series. The Glove is displayed at the Baseball HOF.

http://www.theswearingens.com/mick/images/hofglove.jpg

[BretMan]

So, Keyman, is that a picture of a glove from your personal collection, or what? (just kidding!)