Marines Baseball: The Many. The Pricey.

The late summer of 2018 has been quite a boon for baseball militaria collectors with a spate of listings for Marines baseball jerseys flooding the market. In a typical year, one might see four to five Marine Corps baseball jerseys listed at auction and attaining reasonable selling prices (upwards of $100) when the right buyer comes along. In a decade of watching sales and searching for military baseball jerseys, it is readily apparent that the Marines were the preeminent provider of (beautiful) baseball uniforms for their teams.

Aside from the Marines’ dominance of the vintage baseball uniform market in the preceding 10 year-span, the market took an unprecedented turn during the last three weeks with a massive wave of jerseys hitting the proverbial baseball collector market beaches. It didn’t occur to me until today (when I decided to document the barrage with this article) as I began to consider adding one of the new varieties to the Chevrons and Diamonds Archive of Military Baseball Uniforms that I took notice of the several listings that I needed search through.  As I write this article, there are five active listings of USMC baseball jerseys dating from World War II to the mid-1950s. In addition to the five listings, another listing closed less than a week ago that featured the aforementioned new Marines jersey variation; a post-Korean War white wool flannel jersey that is trimmed in navy blue.

If you have read any of my articles regarding my jersey collection or that covered the first baseball military piece that I acquired, you should have a fairly decent understanding of what are, according to my research, the most commonly available military baseball uniform. My informed and educated opinion is that these uniforms have to be have been produced in considerable numbers to have survived seven-plus decades in such great numbers. Perhaps another factor that could have contributed to the Marines jerseys availability is that leadership allowed the USMC ball players keep their uniforms while the other service branches required them to be returned to the command.

Perhaps one of the most common military jerseys, this WWII jersey features the standard color-matched button on the letter “I.” Seller: abramsantiques

The two auction listings (above and below this paragraph) show how each seller is competing for buyers who haven’t done their homework in terms of pricing trends for these 1943-44 (road gray) wool flannel jerseys. These WWII jerseys are somewhat easy to discern from the other USMC baseball jerseys due to the telltale features (see: 1943-44 Road Gray Marines Jersey); the easiest to spot is the color matched button centered over the “I” in the M A R I N E S athletic lettering on the chest. In the listing above, the jersey has featured a buy-it-now price of $299.99 with a willingness to entertain best offers (though I suspect offers submitted in the jersey’s realistic value-range would be automatically rejected).  The second of the pair is undercutting the previous listing by trimming $45 off the price yet still seeking to overcharge his potential buyers by more than $150.00. Though both jerseys seem to be in good condition, the first one seems to be the better choice of two these but mine (which included the matching trousers), which was far less expensive, would still be my best option.

Two WWII Marines road gray wool flannel jerseys for sale simultaneously by two seperate sellers? Proving that there is an abundance of this jersey type, the price should reflect the saturated market. Seller: hubnret

The stamp markings read: “Property of MWSG-27 Spec. Serv.” This jersey was most-lkely used by personnel from the Marine Wing Support Group 27 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina and was issued by the War Department’s Special Services group (source: eBay image).

For the second time in a decade of searching a lightweight cotton duck (canvas material) Marines baseball jersey – red with gold lettering and trim – has surfaced. I found my jersey about six years ago (see: 1944-1945 Marines Jersey – Red Cotton) and last year, I was able to locate the matching ball cap. Priced at $150-100 lower than the two gray wool jerseys, this red cotton version from WWII is still overpriced. Due to it being a bit more scarce than its gray counterparts, one could theorize that it should garner more collector interest and thus, a higher price. What sets this jersey apart from my example is the presence of a stamped marking from the command where the jersey was used.

This is just the second cotton duck Marines jersey to surface in a decade and priced about $70 too high, this would be a great piece to for any baseball militaria collector. Seller: sportsnut5

The last two jersey items that were listed in the past few weeks originate from the mid to late 1950s. The first of the two is one that has probably tripped up a few sellers and buyers due to its similarities shared with the road gray WWII versions. However, a closer look reveals that the colors of the fabric and trim are about all that are common between the two. The seller of this particular jersey was one of those who did not discern the differences and originally listed it as a World War II-era flannel (despite having a real one to compare this one against – see above) prompting me to reach out to the seller in an effort to correct the misidentification. As with the seller’s WWII jersey, this one is overpriced by $180-200 as it is fairly common.

This seller has two Marines jerseys for sale at the same time and both of them are considerably overpriced. Buyers should expect to pay $50-75 for this flannel. Seller: abramsantiques

The second of the 1950s-era jerseys is the one that I wished I was able to obtain due to its uniqueness. White wool flannel with navy blue rayon trim, the pattern of the jersey differs slightly from the road gray jersey (above) of the same era. Both jerseys of this era have shorter sleeve length, wide rayon soutache surrounding the sleeves, collar and on the placket. Similar to my 1943-44 white Marines jersey, M A R I N E S is spelled out in blue athletic felt (aligned to avoid the button holes, eliminating the color-matched button) blocked letters that are slightly larger and wider than the WWII jerseys.

One of the most interesting jerseys to come to market in the last year, this 1950s white (with blue trim) was worth overpaying to the auction winner (it sold for double its value). Seller: burski

Not to be outdone within the realm of ridiculously overpriced vintage jerseys and saving the “best” for last, this 1943-44 road gray Marines jersey is the chart-topper of the lot being sold online. The seller was adept at including a descent sampling of photographs that reveal the heavy game-use wear as indicated by the stains and roughed-up material. The garment is in tact and lacks damage (no moth holes or tears) but paying close attention to the soutache and the athletic lettering, one can see that this particular uniform top is not worth overpaying to acquire, especially considering the other two examples listed earlier in this article. Keep in mind that this particular jersey is of the “Vintage RARE” variety (so rare that the actual size tag varies from the auction listing title) making this jersey THE one to pursue. A reasonable valuation of this item is more realistic in the $40-50 price range however, I can imagine that this seller will find a buyer who is not willing to perform due diligence before clicking the Buy It Now button.

What makes this jersey and its $450 buy-it-now price tag a worthy and manageable investment is the wonderful eBay payment plan (only $41 for 12 months which includes a $42 fee!) and the seller might even fly out and hand-deliver it to your door for that exorbitant shipping charge! Seller: ngamus4

Six jerseys being sold within an online auction isn’t an earth shattering occurrence (there are thousands for sale at any given time), however this gathering of vintage baseball militaria is a first. Two of these jerseys will be added to the our Archive of Military Baseball Uniforms to ensure that they are documented in greater detail (than in this article) and to provide collectors with a point of reference for future research and due diligence. Seeing a such a gathering of vintage jerseys in contrast to the availability of their professional game worn counterparts reminds me of the Marine Corps’ long-standing marketing slogan, “The Few. The Proud. ” In comparison to the availability of vintage game worn baseball uniforms from the other service branches, the Marines are experiencing a massive show of force.

Marine Corps Baseball Caps: The End of My Drought?

Baseball is overwrought with comparisons and associations in terms of sayings, phrases and figures of speech. Listen to any radio broadcast or televised baseball game and you will invariably hear a plethora of soliloquies by the play-by-play announcer and the color commentator that are filled with analogies that help to illustrate points or, if you were born anytime after 2000, will leave you baffled as to the point being made. I find that I am guilty when it comes to infusing my articles with such comparisons and today’s will not fail to insert at least one such analogy.

My WWII Road Gray Marines Baseball Uniform includes the trousers. Some variations or trousers also have the red soutache running down the side of each pants leg. This was my first military baseball acquisition (source: eBay image).

Since I started actively collecting military baseball memorabilia, I have found myself alternating between the tortoise and the hare. There have been times that it seemed that I was grabbing up every photograph or piece of ephemera that surfaces – especially since they were pieces that were on the money in relation to the sort of items that interest me which felt as though I was sprinting through my sourcing and acquiring. However, finding (and being able to afford) uniforms and jerseys left me feeling much more like the tortoise as I was patient with the slowness of these items’ availability. I have a handful of jerseys at the moment and it has taken me more than a half-dozen years to accumulate them.

From the outset of my interest in this arena, there have been a few categories that have eluded me all together. One, being the aforementioned hunt for honest military baseballs (vice the frauds that dominate eBay such as these) and the other, vintage military baseball uniform caps. Throughout my years sifting throughout virtually every listing of anything remotely connected to military baseball, I have yet to see a listing for a baseball cap. I have nearly 100 vintage photographs detailing baseball play, team photos, GIs’ snapshots and press photos of games (ranging from just off the front line pick-up games to organized league and championships). Throughout my photo archive and those that are viewable online, I am very familiar with the caps worn by service members during WWII (and prior).  I have seen dozens of auction listings of baseball uniforms and not a single one was ever with a ball cap.

As time went on, I began to extrapolate from the absence of vintage military ball caps that these servicemen either wore them until they became tatters or the caps just didn’t make it home from The War. I likened the lack of caps to a severe drought – one like California suffered through for almost a decade. Last fall and winter, California’s landscape began to change. Aside from the devastating landslides suffered by many areas throughout the state during the massive rains that fell, green foliage began to fill the surrounding areas. Driving southbound from the Siskiyou Mountain Pass on Interstate 5 this spring, we noticed the green vegetation and the fullness of Lake Shasta. The green followed us down through the central part of the state. It was amazing to see that the drought had seemingly ended. Spring marked an end to another dry season for me, too!

These jerseys are carbon copies of each other right down to the color-matched button atop the letter “I” in Marines.

Only colors of the materials set these WWII Marines jerseys apart.

Over the letter “I” can be seen this color-matched, button. All of the Marines jerseys in my collection employ the two-hole convex buttons which are unique to baseball uniforms made by Goldsmith/MacGregor.

In early spring, a military jersey was listed online that I had never seen before. Though it was a Marines jersey, the colors were far different from the two that I already have in my collection.  This one, instead of being a wool-flannel road gray with red trim and letter, was a home-white wool flannel with blue trim and lettering that was like a carbon-copy. I quickly submitted a bid and ended up winning it. When I got it home and professionally cleaned, I placed it with the gray/red jersey and they were clearly made to be used as home and road versions for the Marines team. On the red uniform, the button that is on the letter “I” is red to match. On the home uniform, the “I” button is blue to match. It was a fantastic find and one that I think caught other potential collectors off guard. What does this have to do with the end of dry season?

This wool flannel jersey shares design and construction with the grey and red uniform that launched my military baseball collecting. The blue cap with yellow “M” is seen the jersey.

Later in the spring, another auction caused me to pause and spend a lot of time pouring over countless photographs in order perform due diligence prior to making a decision. This particular listing was of a ball cap that the seller listed and described as being from the estate of a WWII USMC veteran. After asking the seller for specific information pertaining to the veteran in an effort to validate his claims, he was unable to give anything that would help me pursue identifying the original owner. He stated that the estate sale was facilitated by a third-party and that any personal information was unavailable. This meant that I had to place little value upon the seller’s claim and pursue another avenue. I turned to the photograph research that I had performed and took a chance based upon what I found.

This navy blue wool cap has seen better days (there is some damage to the middle of the bill). Note the wool yellow “M” and how it matches the blue lettering on the accompanying photograph.

There are several photographs of the “Marines” uniform being worn by men various settings. It is very difficult to discern which darker shade of gray is red or blue (considering the blue of my latest Marines uniform) is essentially indistinguishable, due to all of the WWII images being black-and-white. However, I can tell that the road gray Marines jersey is the most prevalent in photographs. There are at least two photos that could show Marines wearing the home white/blue uniform but it is impossible to confirm. There are a few different caps being worn – the most common appearing to be a road gray with a darker “M” and matching bill color (assumed to be red).  What is consistent across the photos is that the font of the “M” matches the same lettering on the jerseys. The auction cap, navy blue wool, has the same font lettering “M” as is seen on all three of my jerseys. My thought is that the color yellow was used as it contrasts the navy blue and is also a prevalent USMC color used in insignia and emblems. This cap very well could be what was worn with my home white/blue uniform but sadly, I have no definitive proof and no provenance. With the matching letter and matching navy blue, I pulled the trigger and added it to my collection.

As it has certainly rained in California over the course of their drought, one or two days of rain over such an expanse of dryness did not mark an end to their misery. Similarly, one cap over more than six years of searching does not signify an end to my ball cap dry season.

This Marines jersey is constructed from a cotton canvas material (known as “duck” or twill) and is more lightweight and breathable than the wool counterpart uniforms.

Another indication of the lettering material are the visible moth nips. The cotton material is flawless.

The design is very reminiscent of ball caps of the 1940s and 50s. (source: eBay image)

In the last few weeks, two more caps were listed (by different sellers) that caught my attention. Both were clearly Marine corps caps (red with yellow lettering) but they were different from each other. One of them is wool with the letters “M” and “B” and could refer to a few different USMC commands or team-centric organizations (perhaps, “Marine Barracks”). I watched this cap listed and go unsold now a few times (it is still for sale). It was the second cap that stood out like a sore thumb for me.

As I wrote earlier, I have three Marines baseball jerseys. The third one is very different from the home and road wool variants and is constructed from a light-weight cotton canvas material and red in color. The yellow soutache (trim) applied to the placard and on the sleeves appears to be rayon. What drew me to the second (of the two red ball caps) was the base material – also lightweight cotton canvas. The yellow letter “M” on he front panels is in the same font as the uniform lettering and also appears to be wool felt (which is consistent with the jersey). In my opinion, these similarities eliminates almost all of doubt and I couldn’t help but place the winning bid.

The fabric weave of the cap is very similar to the material of the red cotton baseball jersey (source: eBay image).

The underside of the cap shows the leather sweatband and the back side of the letter stitching. (source: eBay image).

When this cap arrives, it will be the second military baseball cap added to my collection in less than three months. Should I declare that my cap-drought has officially ended? Perhaps it has concluded but there is still the matter of the lack of available vintage military baseballs.