|
 |
| 1935 WALCO Baseball Glove Ad |
|
 |
| 1946 WASCO Sporting Goods Western Auto Ad |
|
 |
|
Western Auto Revelation Brand Baseball Gloves |
|
 |
|
1972 Trio Sporting Goods MFG Co. Catalog |
|
 |
|
1973 Trio Sporting Goods MFG. Co Catalog |
|
 |
| Grants Norwood Line of
Baseball Gloves |
|
 |
|
E.J. Korvette Corsair Baseball Glove Ad |
|
 |
|
TSS Baseball Goves Newspaper Ad |
|
 |
|
1977
TSS Baseball Goves Newspaper Ad |
|
 |
|
Arlans 1971 Newspaper Ad |
|
 |
|
Wales Baseball Gloves Newspaper Ads |
|
 |
|
1979 Nesco Baseball Glove Ad |
|
 |
|
1970 Sportmaster Ad |
|
 |
1960 LASCO
Baseball Glove Ad |
|
 |
|
1965 Town & Country Baseball Glove Ad |
|
 |
|
1970 Town & Country Ad |
|
 |
|
1978 Winston Baseball Glove Ad |
|
 |
|
1953 Granton & Knight Grako
Juvenile Sporting Equipment Trade Pamphlet |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
| KeyMan
Collectibles |
NEWSLETTER |
March 2025 |
|
|
Lesser-Known and Privately Branded |
 |
|
Steven KeyMan |
|
|
Baseball Gloves Part III -
By Steven KeyMan |
|
Founder of
Keymancollectibles.com,
and a long time
collector, Steven
KeyMan has more than 30
years of experience in
researching, and
cataloging information
on Baseball
Memorabilia.
Researching his own personal
collection, and helping others find
information on their
collectibles, the
website grew into the
largest online resource
for baseball
memorabilia |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Ask
Steven: Direct your questions or feedback,
about Baseball Memorabilia to Steven KeyMan
Steve@keymancollectibles.com You can also Send
KeyMan pictures of your personal Memorabilia Display,
and get your own Free
Collectors Showcase Room featured on the website.. |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
Major manufactures such as
Rawlings, Wilson, and Denkert
produced privately branded baseball
gloves for many companies over
decades.
By the 1960s, baseball gloves were
being imported from the Far East,
with leather processed by A.J.
Hollander & Company. These gloves
were inexpensive, and sold at
discount, hardware and department
stores.
Sell was a Sorting goods
manufacturing company, located at
115 Schroyer Ave. SW, in Canton
Ohio. Thomas E. Wilson bought out
several companies when he took over
the operations at the Ashland Mfg
Co. in
1914.
Chicago Sporting Goods Company was one, for the manufacture of uniforms, and
Sell Sporting Goods Co. was another
for the manufacture of gloves and
balls.
Sell Sporting Goods was an outgrowth of Sell Horse Goods Co., owned by
William Sell. Thomas Wilson did not
immediately move the Canton plant
to Chicago but used it in Canton as
a subsidiary until 1919. William
Sell was also an inventor who held
a
patent of an innovative wrist strap
found on some early Wilson baseball
mitts.
Organized in Atlanta, Georgia, by
Palmer Walthour and L.J. Hood in
1907, the Walthour & Hood Co. were
wholesale and retail dealers In
bicycles and sporting goods. The
firm was incorporated in 1914.
After the war, the company grew to
40 employees and grossed $1,100,000
in 1919, all from the wholesale of
bicycles, parts and accessories.
In 1922 the firm decided to branch out, and added a line of sporting
goods. It took over the building at
52-56 Forsyth St., in 1927 with a
new retail store established on the
first floor.
Due to the circle "Walco-Atlanta,
Service First, Quality Always"
company brand identifier stamp on
the gloves wearing out, there are
only four known baseball glove
models to surfaced in the hobby:
Charlie Berry CMA3 catchers mitt;
Jeff Cross signature model No. G75;
Pinky Higgins Signature model G110,
and a G45 Fielders glove.
The Midwest Sporting Goods Mfg. Co.
was located at 2200 N Eleventh
Street Milwaukee Wisconsin. The
company manufactured Juvenile and
low quality children's baseball
gloves during the late 1930s
through the 1950s.
These gloves would have been sold in five-and-dime, discount stores such
as the F. W. Woolworth Company.
The
Midwest Sporting Goods MFG. Co.
produced baseball gloves for
Woolworth's using their privately
branded Winfield line. Parallel
Midco-Winfield baseball glove
models include: F64V Boone Model;
and the F33 fielders glove, which
is commonly mistaken for a
1920s-1930s model. The F33 fielders
gloves, with the tunnel loop web,
were in-fact issued in the late
1940s-1950s. Most of the juvenile
gloves were made with out-dated web
styles, years or decades later.
"WASCO" Wholesale Auto Supply
Company was a business that
provided automotive repair shops
with a wide range of supplies,
essentially acting as a wholesale
distributor for various auto parts
brands such as Western Auto.
The
Wasco Highest Quality Sporting
Goods baseball gloves were made
by Denkert Sporting goods Company.
During the 1940s Denkert included
"The Finer Points of Baseball"
booklet, inside each box of Denkert
baseball gloves. Denkert also did
the same for privately branded
baseball gloves they produced for
other companies.
Established in 1943
Cambridge
Sporting Goods Corp. was a sporting
Goods wholesale distributor located
in North Bergen NJ, with warehouses
located in, Hillside NJ, Los
Angeles, CA. Eugene, OR, Muncie IN,
and Slidell, LA. They carried a
full line of sporting goods made by
the major manufactures but also
carried a Cambridge line of
sporting goods that were
manufactured and privately branded
for them.
Their baseball gloves were imported from a Japanese manufacture. In 1961
Cambridge, along with A.J.
Hollander, and the Olympic sporting
Goods Co. were prosecuted by the
Federal Trade Commission, because
the gloves they were importing from
Japan had the names of ballplayers
that did not legally give
endorsements to use their names.
Player names misused: Tony Kubek, Elston Howard, Rocky Colavito, Al Kaline,
Whitey Ford, Early Wynn, Duke
Snider, Bill Skowron, Jim Bunning.
Ralph S. Bell a survivor of Nazi
concentration camps, including
Auschwitz, immigrated to the U.S.,
after WWII. In 1947 he met up with
2 other survivors, and they
established the
Trio Sporting Goods
MFG Co., in Chicago.
Trio Imported baseball gloves, were sold at discount, hardware and
department stores such as: Ace
Hardware, Sea-Way, Arro Discount,
Walgreens, Superx Drug Stores, and
Payless.
Hillcrest Sporting Goods Inc., with
a warehouse located in Queens
Village, NY, was a sporting goods
distributor, which operated from
about 1962 to 1981.
The company had a business relationship with the Trio Sporting Goods MFG.
Company. Both companies distributed
imported and domestic sporting
goods. Like "Trio Hollander," they
imported baseball gloves from the
Far East, -
made from leather processed by A.J.
Hollander & Co., in Japan. By 1970,
250,000 hides a year from Garden
City, Kansas, were shipped overseas
to Japan. Hillcrest used the
"Hollander" name brand on their
gloves.
W. T. Grant or Grants was a chain
of mass-merchandise stores founded
by William Thomas Grant that
operated from 1906 until 1976. The
"Friendly Family stores" were
generally of the variety store
format "Known for Values."
Grants
carried a line of Norwood baseball
gloves imported from Japan,
from about 1962-1964."
Grants" branded baseball gloves
were produced around the same time,
and into the 1970s, before filing
for bankruptcy in 1976. The Norwood
baseball gloves feature a "Designed
In United States" W.T. Grant Co.
Japan Cloth patch. Grants "Pro
Model" branded baseball glove
"Autograph Models" include: Bill
Edwards, Bo Belinsky, Chuck Tanner,
and Dick Morse.
E. J. Korvette, also known as
Korvette’s, was an American chain
of discount department stores,
founded in 1948 in New York City.
One of the first discount
department stores, Korvette's
replaced the earlier five-and-dime
stores, and preceded later discount
stores, like, Walmart, and
warehouse clubs such as Costco.
Poor management led to bankruptcy and
closure in 1980. They offered a
large variety of merchandise, from
appliances to clothing, and the
private brand
Corsair Baseball
Gloves. The gloves, manufactured
and imported from Japan, have a
cloth patch on the back with an
"EKJ" - E.J. Korvette Logo.
 Founded
by George Seedman in 1929, Times
Square Stores (TSS), was a
department store chain based in New
York City that operated from 1929
to 1989.
Seedman owned the
Royce Union brand name and used
it on a variety of sporting goods
which included; bicycles &
accessories, swim masks, fishing
gear, and baseball gloves.
The cloth patch on the back of the baseball gloves feature the Royce Union
crowned-R logo as used on their
bicycle head badges. Some gloves
feature the logo on the front brand
stamping.
 Player endorsed baseball
gloves include
the
Phil Rizzuto
Signature model 7088 fielders glove
(which is identical to the Regent
signature model 5122, suggesting
it's manufacturer) and 7511
fielders glove.
The Yankee Clipper
Sandy Koufax signature model
Baseball Glove Model 21-8181, has
the Royce Union cloth Patch on the
back. The Yankee Clipper Line of
baseball gloves were manufactured
by A.J. Hollander & Co.
Arlan's was a discount chain store founded in 1945 by William, Herbert,
and Lester Palestine. The chain
peaked in size at 119 stores in
1970, filed for Chapter 11
bankruptcy In 1973, and closed by
1975. |
|
| |
 |
|
| |
Arlan's sold name brand baseball equipment, but for a short time
from about 1963-1971,
Arlan's
imported baseball gloves from
Japan, with an Arlan's branded
cloth patch on the back wristband.
The patch reads: "Pro Model, Most
Valuable player, Baseball Glove, By
Arlans Japan" along the perimeter,
and "MVP" in the center. There is
no Arlans branding on the front.
Wales was a line of discount store
products imported from the
Far-East, which were sold in
discount stores such as; Pay Less
Drug Stores; Bargain Fair; Wig Wam;
and Sad Sack Stores, from the early
1960's to the 1970s.
A wide range of products under the Wales brand name, included; marker pen
sets, electrical tape, batteries,
transistor radios, cameras, and
sporting goods such as:
baseballs, baseball
bats, and gloves. Most of the
baseball gloves did not have a
"Wales" identifier on the front.
All had a cloth patch on the back
that simply read
Wales Japan or Taiwan. Baseball
glove models include; 121 Major
League, 9220 Pro League,
8314, 8890, Professional Model
Fielders Gloves; 37/8859, 8713,
8841 Professional Model Base-Mitts;
7132 Professional Style, 71794
Professional Model Catchers Mitts.
NESCO - National Enameling and
stamping company was
internationally famous for its
graniteware cooking utensils in the
late nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries. NESCO played an
important role in World War I by
producing heavy steel plates for
armoring battleships and enameled
goods for soldiers.
In the 1930s Nesco was the worlds largest manufacturer of housewares,
which included the NESCO Kerosene
range. In the 1950s, NESCO was
purchased by Knapp Monarch Company
of St. Louis, and continued to
distribute a wide range of products
"By Nesco" to hardware, drug, and
discount stores, into the 1980s.
Products included roasters ovens, to outdoor camping gear, exercise
jogging suits, and footballs. From
about 1967-1983,
Nesco also produced baseballs,
baseball bats and discount store
quality baseball gloves.
Sportmaster was a brand of discount
store sports equipment which
included; Bicycles, wagons, sleds,
fishing & camping gear, Archery
sets, table tennis sets, footballs,
basketballs, baseballs, softball &
baseball gloves.
The brand was sold in various discount, department, and hardware stores;
such as Sherman's garden center,
Forney Hardware, Harry Johnson
Drugs, Hardware and Furniture.
Made in Japan,
Sportmaster baseball Glove models
included, Ted's Model No. 6073, Mickey's
Model No. 6043, and Mickey Lolich
model No. 70357. The Ted's and
Mickey's Model fielders gloves,
were produced in block letter type
style rather than in a signature
style with only a last name,
followed by the words "Model,"
indicating that
the manufacture did not have
permission to use the players name.
LASCO - Laredo Army Surplus
Company, was started up in 1946 by
brothers George and Sam and Wernick,
after George returned from WWII
service, in the Army Air Corp.
After serving San Antonio, Texas
for 13 years, in 1960 George and
his wife Lillian, expanded LASCO
Cut Rate Center at 6127 San Pedro
Avenue. The Wernicks offered "the
thriftiest department store and gas
station in town."
The following year in 1961, LASCO store's entire $30,000 inventory was
liquidated by receivers and LASCO
closed it's doors. LASCO Baseball
Bats and Gloves were liquidated at
half price. The
Lasco branded baseball gloves
seem to have been made by unknown
manufacturers during the 1950s to
1960. Models include; 1804, 2-520,
2-525, 2550, 7000, professional
model Fielders Gloves; 2-110
Professional Model Base-Mitts.
Town & Country was a brand name of
baseball gloves imported from
Japan, which were sold in discount
stores such as; Pay Less Drug
Stores; Raley's Drug Center; Rink's
Department Store; Cullum & Boren
Sporting Goods, from the early
1960's to the 1970s.
There were number of cloth patches used on the back including; black -
with a gold color "TC Japan" logo;
red, white & blue which reads "Town
& Country- Japan;" Black "Major
League By Town & Country Japan;"
and Black "Town & Country U.S.A.
Japan"
Town & Country baseball glove models include; K-145, K-215 Little League,
S-2 Professional Model, F-533,
F-337 Sports Masters, TC-220
Handcraft Professional Youth
Gloves; T-1998 Field Master, H1200
Field Master, TC-140, TC-220,
TC-7700, TC-788, Professional
Model, Fielders Gloves; F-3000
First Base-Mitt; TC-1063 Major
League, C-2011 Professional
Catchers Mitt.
Winston was a line of sporting
goods imported from the Far-East.
Sold in discount stores during the
1960s - 1970's, the sports
equipment included: tennis racquets
& balls, golf balls, basketballs,
footballs, Shoulder Pads, football
helmets ("not recommended for
contact play") and baseball gloves.
Discount stores include: T.G.&Y;
R&S Auto, Play World, Barkers,
K-Way, and Domann Drug.
The
Winston baseball gloves had black and red cloth patches on the back which
featured the country where they
were manufactured, Taiwan, Japan,
or Korea. Winston baseball glove,
Block Letter player endorsed models
include: Duke Snider Model F-61;
Mickey Mantle Model F-71; and Yogi
Berra Model C-83 Catchers Mitt.
Graton & Knight Manufacturing Co.
was established in Worcester,
Massachusetts in 1851, as tanners
and manufacturers of leather
belting and other leather goods.
Throughout its peak years the
company processed over 300,000
hides annually.
Development of plastics and synthetic materials after World War II
drastically reduced the demand for
leather, and the company ceased
operations about 1962.
Graton & Knight, produced a Grako line of leather toys in the 1950s, such as
Cowboy holsters, Hobby Craft kits,
and Juvenile Sporting equipment
which included "Star Player"
baseball gloves. The baseball
gloves also came in packaged sets,
which included 1952 Topps Baseball
Trading Cards. Pictured here is
item 567-C "Star Player" catchers
mitt featuring top grain
cowhide, sheepskin back, and
rawhide lacing.
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Lessor Known and Privaley Branded
Baseball Gloves Part I
Lessor Known and
Privaley Branded
Baseball Gloves Part II |
|
| |
|
|
| |
KEYMAN COLLECTIBLES
RELATED RESOURCES |
|
| |
|
|
| |
KeyMan
Collectibles Collectors Corner
- Keep up with the latest collecting news,
announcements, and articles of interest on the
webs best resource for baseball memorabilia. |
|
| |
KeyMan Collectibles Baseball
Memorabilia Facebook Group -
Post Questions and comments relating to
Baseball Collectibles and Memorabilia. Interact
with other collectors or show off your
collection. |
|
| |
KeyMan Collectibles Forum
- A great option for those that "Don't do
facebook" Post Questions and
comments relating to Baseball Collectibles and
Memorabilia |
|
|
|
|
|
