Extremely Rare 1950s Brooklyn Dodgers Brooklyn Bum “Three-Dimensional” Pennant

Sold For:

$3,480

Year:

1955

Auction:

2019 Fall

Lot #:

2173

Category:

Post-1900 Baseball Memorabilia

Exceedingly rare Brooklyn Dodgers "three-dimensional" pennant dating from the 1950s. This is just the second example of this extraordinary pennant we have ever handled. Our first offering, which was featured as Lot 1222 in our Spring 2014 auction, realized $3,851. We cannot recall having seen another example at auction until now. The blue-felt pennant features a colorful image of the bum holding a bat over his shoulder, with a sack tied to the end of the bat. The bat, which is sliced in half, and the cloth that represents the sack are both separate, physical pieces. The bat slides under the bum's hand through a precut hole in the felt, while the end of the bat and sack are stapled to the pennant on the reverse. The lettering to the right of the bum reads "Dem Bums" and "Brooklyn Dodgers." It should be noted that during the 1950s the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants also produced similarly designed, and equally rare, "three-dimensional" pennants, examples of each are also featured in this auction. (Incredibly, all three pennants were just recently discovered by our consignor at an estate sale and are therefore new to the hobby.) Another unique feature of this pennant is that the illustration and all the lettering appear to be done in colored felt, as opposed to standard paint. Given the cost of its manufacture, this was probably a very expensive pennant at the time, and one that only the wealthiest fans could afford. That fact, plus its fragile nature, probably explains why so few are known today. The pennant, which is complete with tassels, remains in remarkable condition given its age and fragile nature. There is a tear along the top of the bum's sack, which reveals the cotton-filled interior, but the sack remains securely affixed. Aside from a tiny clip at the tip, and tack holes at the tip and corners, the pennant remains in Excellent condition overall, with no fading to the colored felt. This is a most extraordinary example of one of the "Holy Grails" of both pennant and Brooklyn Dodgers collecting. 28.75 inches in length. Reserve $1,000. Estimate (open).