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REACH BASEBALL BAT DATING GUIDE |
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The A.J.
Reach sporting goods company has
used different center brands in their history. The Logo
samples pictured below are dated to the years they
appear in the A.J. Reach sporting goods company catalogs. By matching the samples with the logo on your
bat you could approximately date to that era. Although
the exact years each label was used may be off by a
year or two,, they do appear in chronological
order. Information will be
added as it becomes available. |
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Sample |
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Manufacturing Period
Description |
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| 1886-1889 Bat
Manufacturing Period |
| The
1886-1889 A.J. Reach Trade Mark baseball bat
featured seven models with three basic center
brands, catalog No. 1 - No. 7. The flagship
model No. 1 Red Band advertised as being used
by "all Professionals" The Center Brand
featured The "Reach" name at the top, "RED
BAND" bellow, and the model at the bottom. All
the bats featured Bands AKA Ring's. The other
two center brands simply reads "A.J. REACH &
CO." on one line, the other stacked stacked
with "Trade Mark" at the bottom |
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| 1890 - 1912 Bat
Manufacturing Period |
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The Reach Keystone Trademark logo makes
it's first appearance in 1890, It is used for
many years after. The earlier bats feature the
logo centered between two bands on each side.
The logo features the word "REACH" inside the
Keystone logo which is centered inside a
baseball. The word TRADE" above and "MARK"
below. See the 1890-1894 Illustration of the 14
bats that were available, in the left column
below. The band center brands are still made in
1912 but with the model number to the right. |
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| 1899-1910 Bat
Manufacturing Period |
| The Reach
Keystone Trademark logo band bats are still
available but the "Reach Special" and "The
Burley" hit the catalogs. Both have
Trademark
script logo. |
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| 1905-1912 Bat
Manufacturing Period |
| Reach began to put
model numbers to the right of the Reach
Keystone Trademark logo. |
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| 1911-1930 Bat
Manufacturing Period |
| The Oval A. J Reach
center brands first appear in 1911 with the
Reach Burly Professional bats. The bottom of
the oval reads "PHILLADELPIA" In 1931 "PA"is
added. |
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| 1915-1920 Bat
Manufacturing Period |
| This A.J.Reach Co.
Delux Center Brand appears in catalogs from
1915-1920, as does another variation of this
center brand that just reads "Reach" Models
include, Professional, Mushroom, Heavy Hitter,
School League, and Boy's League. These bats
have the model number at the bottom. |
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| 1921-1932 Bat
Manufacturing Period |
| This "A.J.
REACH CO. block letter center
brand with the model number below appears in
catalogs from 1924-1932 |
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| 1931-1933 Bat
Manufacturing Period |
| This line of Player
Model bats all featured a players name on the
barrel, last name in script. The center brand
oval reads "A.J. REACH CO." with the model No.
above, & "MADE IN U.S.A" below. The bottom of
the oval reads "PHILADELPIA, PA" the top reads
either "PLAYER MODEL," "ASSORTED MODELS,"
or "BOYS HOME RUN" |
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| 1933-1945 Bat
Manufacturing Period |
| The A.J Reach center
Brand gets a complete make over, which has
design similarities to the Spalding logo. The
border surrounding the keystone Reach Logo
reads Ä.J. REACH PHILADEPLPIA PA" at the top,
and "MADE IN U.S.A." at the bottom. The logo is
centered between two 8 sided polygons. The left
polygon has the name of the model, the right
has the model No. |
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1936-1945 Bat
Manufacturing Period |
| The logo is applied
with heat foil, with the company name "REACH"
across a bordered baseball. Each side of the
center brand features the Reach keystone logo,
inside an oval. |
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| A.J. Reach Sporting Goods History |
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The
A.J. Reach sporting goods company was formed in 1874 by former
player and founder of the Philadelphia Phillies franchise, Al
Reach. The company was then sold to A.G. Spalding in 1889. In
1928, A.G. Spalding & Brothers who controlled 99.7% of the
Wright & Ditson company's shares, consolidated Reach and the
Wright & Ditson-Victor Co. into A.J. Reach, Wright & Ditson,
Inc.
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