The Rolls-Royce of press pins
HOF 'Retroactives' limited to 500 again
By Dave Moriah
Stan Musialand Roy Campanella are the marquis names on this year's retroactive press pins issued for the fifth consecutive year by
Chemical Bank and the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Distributed at the 1995 induction ceremonies in Cooperstown during the weekend of July 29-Aug. 1, the two-pin set travels back in time to
honor the inductees from 1944 (Kenesaw Mountain Landis) and 1969 (Musial, Campanella, Stanley Coveleski and Waite Hoyt.)
The pins are gradually filling in the years between the first HOF induction ceremony (1936) and the year when HOF press pins were first issued
(1982). Collector excitement over the attractive pins, similar in style and quality to other contemporary press pins, is fueled by two factors.
First, the run of 500 is much lower than any other press pin in baseball. The actual number reaching the collector marketplace is smaller
still, as approximately half the run ends up in the hands of each Hall of Famer and his immediate guests at the induction ceremonies.
The pins have proved quite popular with the Hall of Famers themselves, and some players even request specific numbers for their issue.
The other reason for their popularity is the quality of the players honored. The first issue in 1990 featured the legendary "Class of
1936" - Ruth, Cobb, Wagner, Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson. Wow!
In 1992, the sponsors came up with a new twist. In the spirit of the old fashioned "double header," they decided to issue a
two-pin set. One pin continues the march from 1936 up, honoring the next year's induction class. The other pin features a "wild card" year of more recent vintage. This allowed for pins
honoring living legends like Joe DiMaggio (1992), Ted Williams (1994), and this year Stan "The Man" Musial.
"We choose a year which allows us to honor someone who is still with us who has been a friend to the Hall of Fame," explained Chemical
Bank sponsor Charlie McCabe. "Stan Musial is a regular attendee at the events in Cooperstown, and we all love to hear him play the harmonic."
McCabe also reports that IBM is no longer a co-sponsor with Chemical Bank of the weekend of the pin issue. Pin collectors should be aware
of a resulting quirk. As the pins were manufactured before IBM dropped out, the pin back features both the IBM and Chemical Bank names. However, the jewelry boxes which go with the pin set only contain
the name of Chemical Bank.
Collectors are quite particular about pins being displayed in these original boxes, which feature not only the Chemical Bank name but also
the date of the HOF induction weekend.
Dan Lovegrove, owner of Recollectics, a company that specializes in buying and selling press pins, reports that most collectors he talks
with wouldn't be interested in a pin unless it's in its original display box.
"There's also not much interest in buying one pin out of the two-pin set," Lovegrove reports, no matter who is featured on
the available one. "It's even hard to move the DiMaggio pin unless it's sold in the pair."
Lovegrove, who admits to holding a large quantity of regular HOF press pins, is a believer in the longterm value of the retroactives.
"It's fair to say I only come upon a half dozen or so retroactives each year. They are just not available through
press sources," he explains. "As the years go on people will appreciate just how special, and rare, these pins are."
Lovegrove reports that the press pin market has been soft in the past two years, but when he does find a buyer for the retroactives the
price remains high.
"Anyone interested in the retroactives is willing to pay about $750 for a two-pin set," Lovegrove reports. "People who are
looking for don't argue about the price."
McCabe offers a sneak preview of next year's retroactives, a set which is sure to generate even more interest and enthusiasm among top
shelf collectors.
"In 1996 we will feature the Class of 1974," reports McCabe.
"That, of course, means Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford."
Sports Collectors Digest - August 11, 1995.
Reprinted with permission from Krause Publications, Inc. (c) 1995 Krause Publications, Inc.
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