Page 1 of 1
Toughest 1950s Personal Models
Posted:
January 28th, 2009, 3:53 pm
by okdoak
An older thread on the few Spalding Phil Rizzuto PM's that have turned up got me thinking about this. Which are the toughest 1950s PM's to find? My list of tough ones: Macgregor GC10 Gus Bell (have never seen one on ebay), Spalding Sam Esposito, Sam Mele, Don Larsen, and Sal Maglie PM's. Though there is no shortage of lower priced Espositos and Meles, I can't remember ever seeing an Esposito PM and maybe a couple Mele PM's (I have one of them, the really beat up one). The early A2000s seem pretty scarce as do the Rawlings HSPs (have not seen an HH on ebay for quite awhile now, but the HSPs seem much tougher to find to me). Anyone else wish they were flying down the road in a 57 Corvette (T-Bird is okay too) listening to Chuck Berry on AM with a brand new HSP tucked behind the seat?!
speaking of 1957
Posted:
January 28th, 2009, 7:43 pm
by softball66
I was flying down the road in 1957 but in a Chrysler New Yorker, borrowed from my parents of course. I was more into Fats Domino and was playing my senior year of high school baseball with, to the best of my memory, a JG
Rawlings model. I did find the first Kangaroo glove I'd seen that summer, a Nokona that I loved.
The Spalding Personal Models from that era do seem to be more scarece than the Rawlings and Wilson PMs. The HSP had a narrower production span than the HH, according the glove catalog source book (hint). And find a Roy Sievers RSP model?
Hate to admit this, I own a Gus Bell GC10 and like the poster, I haven't seen a lot of these.
I remember about 10 years ago, I almost fainted when I found a mint Frank Bolling personal model Spalding in mint condition.
Cruisin'
Posted:
January 28th, 2009, 8:32 pm
by okdoak
Lucky that gas was cheap back then, Joe! I graduated HS in 1971 but had a friend who drove a late 50s Olds and another buddy had a 64 ( I think) Buick Wildcat. Lots of leg room in those tanks! Oops, off the track again...Yeah, very few RSP sightings or Rolfe RR 40s or 50s era. Haven't seen a Rawlings Bob Dillinger for awhile either, but I have one so they can't be too scarce. Any opinion on why the RR is so much tougher than say a KK, MC, or BD? Feel like posting a pic of your GC10 sometime? Promise I won't pester you about selling it, I just have never seen one!
Personal Models
Posted:
January 28th, 2009, 9:40 pm
by swalt1234
I think Rawlings HSPs are fairly common, most of us have seen a bunch. The trick of course is to find one in great shape and the hand that you want. It seems a lot more collectors are looking for a good HH or RR. I think Joe is right that the Spalding Personals are tough to get: that Spalding Colavito 1141 and the Maris Personal are so nice...
Here goes some pix
Posted:
January 28th, 2009, 10:41 pm
by softball66
Guys I took these shots years ago. There's a combo shot of two Gus Bell personal models, the GC10 (which I think a lot of pros were using) and the odd, smaller MPM (nice looking glove though and fits like silk on the hand.)
Posted:
January 30th, 2009, 3:16 am
by okdoak
Nice!
Interesting contrast
Posted:
January 30th, 2009, 8:56 am
by softball66
Yes that MPM was a honey. I sold it to a great Cincy Reds collector, Kenny Wolfe, who's taking good care of it. Of the two gloves pictured, notice how much smaller the MPM is than the GC10. Of the two I favored putting on the the MPM. I have a Johnny Temple MacGregor personal model that has the same great feel. MacGregor did a good job with its leathers as probably others on the forum would agree, in the 1950s. I understand that a lot of the quality fell away at MacGregor when Brunswick purchased the company and many of the old Goldsmith craftsmen were let go or retired.
Of the personal model issue, the Rawlings personals are the most common as Rawlings was out-producing most of the others. Wilson had its A2000, which wasn't listed as a personal model (some of the just under A2, the Antonellis and Foxes do show up fairly often). Spalding and MacGregor were running three and four behind those two and consequently their sales smaller thus fewer of their top models show up.
1950s Personal Model Gloves
Posted:
January 30th, 2009, 6:46 pm
by DaveGrob
I picked up a rather nice glove to support an article I never got around to writing. If this glove is high on someone's wish list, please let me know as I have no real attachment to this glove.
1950s Sal Maglie Spalding 1061 Personal Model (right handed thrower). Very clean patch and button, sliver still present in stampings.
Haven't figured out how to upload images, but more than happy to send pics.
Cheers,
Dave Grob
Posted:
January 30th, 2009, 8:53 pm
by vintagebrett
I always liked the Rawlings MC Mort Cooper - I remember we found one back about 15 years ago and it was a huge glove. Haven't seen many since.
okdoak, I know you are looking for an RR - here is the one in my collection. Be happy to trade - drop me an email and maybe we can work something out.
Posted:
January 31st, 2009, 12:06 am
by okdoak
Sounds great, Brett!
Re: Toughest 1950s Personal Models
Posted:
April 14th, 2020, 10:29 pm
by mplsgloves
Re: Toughest 1950s Personal Models
Posted:
April 15th, 2020, 7:49 am
by vintagebrett
Great job! Turned out great. I had an MPM a few years back and it was tiny - very well made but small. There could be slight differences in sizes from year to year I'm guessing or could be the way the glove was broken in that makes it appears smaller.