Auction Item Details
Lot 59
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Lot Number: 59
Description: **Rare Willie Mays professional model baseball glove c.1955 (PSA/DNA)(Style Photomatch). MacGregor G101 professional model glove of the highest quality the style of which was used by Willie Mays during the era in which he achieved his greatest personal and team accomplishments. The glove displays in a rich brown color retaining its original surface patination with exceptional evidence of use throughout including to the pocket area. That very use likely contributed to a portion of the original web lacings having been replaced and the MacGregor black manufacturer's label which was once affixed to the wrist area was lost to an undoubted number of dives for baseballs in the grass outfields. Some faint vestiges of faded black marker are visible around the wrist labeling area which may well have been "24" but are no longer visible to any degree of surety. Most notably, Willie Mays uniform number "24" is written in period black marker across the back of the one piece web measuring 2" square. The "24" has lightly faded appropriate to evident use and exposure to sunlight over time. Importantly, this trait of documented Mays game used glove with the uniform number written on the back of the web is corroborated by photographic evidence. Accompanying the PSA/DNA letter is a color image of Mays in New York Giants home uniform wearing the identical model glove with an oversized "24" written in black marker across the back of the web. This image was later used on the 1964 Auravision record set with the "NY" altered to "SF" for product use. While the offered glove is not an exact photo match to the aforementioned image it does succinctly corroborate the glove model and specific placement of the "24" uniform number as a matter of practice. Early career Mays game gloves are of very notable scarcity with only a handful of examples of quality having ever been offered to the public. Outstanding exemplar dating to the prime of Mays generational defensive prowess. Includes LOA from PSA/DNA and certificate of provenance from the Willie Mays Collection: EXEstimated Price Range: ($75,000-$150,000)
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