Extremely Rare 1871 Peck & Snyder Sporting Goods Catalog with Color Plates

Sold For:

$3,600

Year:

1871

Auction:

2017 Fall

Lot #:

1768

Category:

Pre-1900 Baseball Memorabilia

Exceedingly rare early sporting-goods catalog published by Peck & Snyder in 1871. This is one of the earliest sporting goods catalogs we have ever handled and the first example of this particular Peck & Snyder catalog we have ever seen. It is also one of the most noteworthy because of the magnificent color plates featured within. The title of the catalog, as listed on the cover, is Price List of the New York City Base Ball, Skate, and Sportsman's Emporium, below which is a woodcut illustration of two baseball players and a third athlete holding a dumbbell. The substantial 100-page soft-cover catalog features a total of 29 color plates, the majority of which picture baseball equipment. The highlights; however, are the full-page illustrations picturing the uniform styles of the many prominent New York and national teams, including the Cincinnati Red Stockings, the Mutuals, the Atlantics, and the Star Base Ball Club. Also featured are beautiful color images of the company's line of balls, bats, shoes, caps, belts, and socks, which provide a treasure trove of information for historians regarding the evolution of baseball equipment. Also pictured is a trophy bat and various "foul flags." In addition to baseball gear, a host of other sporting goods are displayed and listed in a similar manner, including guns, fireworks, exercise and gym equipment, archery equipment, and cricket equipment. The catalog (5 x 7.25 inches) displays heavy toning and soiling to the covers, as well as a few small edge tears and minor staining. The pages display a few minor surface blemishes, as well as slightly upturned corners in the lower right. The name of a former owner is neatly written in blue ink on the front flyleaf and on an interior page. Despite the obvious flaws, both covers and all of the pages remain firmly bound, and it remains in Very Good condition overall. Given its extremely fragile nature it's a miracle that this book has survived in such an intact state and we would be shocked if a finer example, or any example for that matter, ever surfaces. Reserve $1,000. Estimate (open).