How Much For The Mitt?
The baseball gloves you or your dad played with in the ‘50s might bring you $1,000 today.
When ball players first started using gloves in the 1870s, they used fingerless gloves worn on both hands.
In the 1880s, players switched to a full-hand unpadded glove that looks like a "workman's glove".
In baseball's early days, players and glove designers tried just about everything, including an 1890s "duck web" and a strange-looking glove you could wear on either hand. Any of those early gloves are so rare, it's hard to set a price, but certainly $1,000 or more.
Find out about other collectibles described by The Saturday Early Show's Tony Hyman in the Collectibles Archive or visit Tony Hyman's Web site. If you think you have a collectible worth a lot of cash, send an email to sat@cbsnews.com with "What's It Worth?" in the subject line. Or write to "What's It Worth?" The Saturday Early Show, 514 West 57th St., 6th floor, New York, N.Y. 10019. |
The idea of webbing between the thumb and index finger caught on around 1900. Catchers liked mitts that had padding and no exposed fingers to get broken. Any catcher's mitt made in the U.S. is collectible, worth up to a few hundred dollars.
First basemen a century ago liked oven-mitt-style gloves. But first-base gloves were revolutionized with the introduction of the Trapper, the glove of the ‘40s and ‘50s.
Let's say you own a more modern glove and want to know if it has value. First, look at the maker's tag. It must be made in the USA. On the heel, it should have a player's endorsement, with certain players bringing as much as $2,000.
Don't overlook the boxes they came in, as a nicely illustrated one can bring $1,000.
Kid's gloves? Unless they're in the box, in mint condition, the experts say, give them to the kids.
Information and some gloves provided by collector-dealer David Bushing, author of "Sports Equipment Price Guide: 1860-1960" (Krause Publications, $16.95, 1(800) 258-0929). His pocket guides to baseball bats and gloves are $5 each at dbushing1@aol.com, where you may inquire at no charge about any sports uniforms or equipment before 1970.
Early gloves loaned by collector Gregory Gallacher clubhsport@aol.com who wants to hear from you about early football and baseball helmets as well as baseball gloves you might know about or wish to sell.
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