Atogrphed, authentic, how much?
  Find information on Vintage Baseball collectibles, Tips on caring for your Valued Memorabilia collection Price Guide, Dates, and more!  
  Price Guide, Collectors Guide, Worth, Date    
HOME facebook BUY/SELL FORUM CONTACT

NEWSLETTER

  Category
  ADVERTISING
  AUTOGRAPHS
  BASEBALLS
  BASEBALL BATS
  BOBBLE HEADS
  CARDS
  EQUIPMENT
  FIGURINES
  GAMES & TOYS
  GAME USED
  GLOVES & MITTS
  HATS & UNIFORMS
  PENNANTS
  PHOTOS & ART
  PINS & BUTTONS
  PLATES
  POSTERS & SIGNS
  PUBLICATIONS
  RECORDS
  S.G.A.'S
  TICKETS
  MISCELLANEOUS
  Collectors Guides
  BASEBALL CARD
CHECKLISTS
  BASEBALL BAT
DATING GUIDE
  BASEBALL GLOVE
CLEANING GUIDE
  BASEBALL GLOVE
DATING GUIDE
  COLLECTIBLE
GLOSSARY
  EXHIBIT BASEBALL
CARD DATING
  FAKE & REPRODUCTION ALERTS
  OFFICIAL MLB
BASEBALL DATING
  QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS
  PRICE GUIDES
  MICKEY MANTLE
MEMORABILIA 
  SINGLE SIGNED
BASEBALLS
  TEAM SIGNED
BASEBALLS
  WORLD SERIES
PRESS PINS
  WORLD SERIES
TICKET STUBS
  SITE FEATURES
  ABOUT THIS WEBSITE
  COLLECTORS CORNER
  CONTACT
  FACEBOOK GROUP
  FACEBOOK PAGE
  FORUM
  NEWSLETTER 
 
KeyMan Collectibles on facebook
 

"Get This" 
J.M. Secord Advertising Novelty Ink Blotter

1931 Kiwanis Convention Baseball Mitt Ink Blotter

Memphis Chicks Baseball Schedule Ink Blotter


1941 Red Stockings Baseball First National Bank of Boston ink Blotter

Gulf Service Station "Both Safe" Ink Blotter

Atlantic Hi-Arc Gasoline

1948 Sun Life Assurance Company Ink Blotter

Dodd's Sealtest Dairy Products Ink Blotter

"Grantland Rice's Roll Call Of Champions" Ink Blotters

Boston Red Sox Home & Away 1954 Schedule

D&M Baseball Goods
 Ink Blotter

1946 St. Louis Cardinals Ink Blotter

Join KeyMan Collectibles Group on facebook

 KeyMan Collectibles  NEWSLETTER August 2024  
Baseball Themed Ink Blotters
 Steven KeyMan
Steven KeyMan
 - By Steven KeyMan
Founder of Keymancollectibles.com, and a long time collector, Steven KeyMan has more than 30 years of experience in researching, and cataloging information on Baseball Memorabilia. Researching his own personal collection, and helping others find information on their collectibles, the website grew into the largest online resource for baseball memorabilia
 

   Ask Steven: Direct your questions or feedback, about Baseball Memorabilia to Steven KeyMan Steve@keymancollectibles.com You can also Send KeyMan pictures of your personal Memorabilia Display, and get your own Free  Collectors Showcase Room featured on the website..   
 
   Often included with advertisements, ink blotters, like trade cards, were a good way to attract potential customers. Because people kept them on their desks, the advertiser’s message would always be in front of them, and generate way more advertising ‘impressions’ than many of the conventional trade cards. Ink blotters were popular in the days of fountain pens. They are typically thicker than your standard trade card as they were used to help wipe the excess ink from the tips of the pen.  
   
    This Gulf Refining Company ink blotter dates to both the early days of 20th century motoring, and baseball. Day's of reeded shin guards, and gas pump globes. This ink blotter advertises "At the Sign of the Orange Disc ~ That New Improved Supreme Motor Oil" The artwork depicts a runner sliding into home plate, just ahead of the ball about to be caught by the catcher - "Safe!"

  Blue Bird was a grape flavored soda made by the Citrus Products Co. of Chicago. In 1926 Blue Bird issued ink blotters to announce a special promotion. "Boys" could mail in 29 Blue Bird bottle caps along with $1.29 to receive a $3.50 Wilson Major League baseball glove, or for 29 caps and .89˘

 you could receive an official league ball – "the identical ball used in the big leagues." On the card is a young baseball player with a ball and glove in full uniform drinking the soda. Another 1926 Blue Bird promotion offered a jade green fountain pen for .99˘ and 29 bottle caps. It is likely that the ink blotter accompanied the fountain pen.

Realizing that average parents take a great deal of pride, in having their child earn something useful for legitimate services rendered, the Ward Shoe Repair Shop 5824 Pasadena avenue, had adopted a unique method to encourage the children to work during their spare hours and at the same time help him to advertise his business.

 As Advertised on this ink blotter, Ward gave away one National official playground ball for a specified amount of shoe repair work brought to him. Everyone can earn one of these balls as one coupon is given with every 25 cents worth of business that is brought to this shop, and 30 coupons earns- one of these $1.75 playground balls. The coupons were good until October 15, 1927. However, by September, Marion's Shoe Kraft took over the shoe repair shop at 5824 Pasadena avenue, and continued the National Official Play-Balls promotion. The same playground ball promotion was held at all Shoe Service Shops in California.

  Buster Brown, a comic-strip character created by Richard F. Outcault, first appeared in the New York Herald in 1902. It was Adopted as the mascot of the Brown Shoe Company in 1904, Buster Brown, along with Mary Jane, and with his dog Tige. The Brown Shoe Co. was founded by George Warren Brown in 1878, in St. Louis, Missouri.

 The ink blotter depicts three children with baseball equipment, standing in front or a picket fence. A boy with a catchers mitt, and mask, a girl with baseball bat, an a boy with a baseball and glove. The white fence has the Buster Brown trademark logo, and reads "Buster Brown Shoes - For Girls - For Boys" below it. A space below is reserved for a local shoe store's advertisement.
 
 
 
   
 
  This 1934 Blue Valley Butter Ink Blotter illustrates a boys and girls baseball team playing ball in front of a Blue Valley billboard sign, wearing Blue Valley baseball uniforms. Two girls looking on with skirt uniforms, and one boy shouting "Get in the game." The bottom right reads Good food-good sport-good health" with "© Blue Valley Creamery Co. 1934" at the bottom.

  In 1935 Frank Frisch, manager of the St. Louis Cardinals endorsed Goodrich Safety Silvertown Tires, with life-saver golden ply. "Blow-Out Protection At No Extra Cost" This ink blotter was used as an advertisement for "Goodrich Silvertown Stores, Henderson 8000 Telephone Lakewood 5515, Carnegie at 36th 14710 Detroit Ave."

 Frank Frisch is pictured over a yellow background, and the speech bubble reads: "It's a nerve racking business to face big league pitchers day in and day out, but those vicious pitches are nothing at all compared to the blow-out I had. I certainly don't want to face another blow-out. That's why I Have Goodrich Golden Ply Silvertowns on my car" Frank Frisch Mgr. St. Louis Cardinals.

Baseball Schedules were popular and commonly used, like this 1945 Pittsburgh Pirates, Forbes Field Home Schedule, ink blotter. Rip Swell in a pitching pose is featured on the left, above a list of Pittsburgh Pirate World and National League Championships. Separated by the 1945 home schedule,

to the right is Babe Dahlgren, remembered for replacing Lou Gehrig in the lineup on May 2, 1939, which ended Gehrig's 14-year, 2,130 consecutive game streak. Below Dahlgren in a batting after-swing pose, is the key for (N) night games, (D) double headers, and (H) holidays listed on the schedule.

In 1949 the John Hancock Insurance Company ran the Mighty Casey "He Never Struck Out At All" national magazine Ad campaign. The company also produced posters, and ink blotters which coincide with the ads. The John Hancock produced ink blotters feature "Casey At The Bat" artwork on the left,
 done by renown illustrator Albert Dorne, co-founder of correspondence schools for aspiring artists, photographers, and writers.

 The original oil painting hung in Buzzie Bavasi's office behind his desk. Bavasi was General Manager of the Brooklyn/LA Dodgers from 1951-1968, the San Diego Padres, 1969-1972 (president from 1973-1976), and GM of the California Angels from 1977-1984. To the top right of the "Casey At The Bat" artwork, is a small segment of the full magazine poem titled "He Never Struck out at all"

  During the 1950s, noted illustrator William Medcalf produced a series of baseball related artworks for the advertising firm of Brown & Bigelow. The artwork was featured on a number of branded promotional merchandise which included calendars, schedules,

playing cards, and ink blotters. Six of Baseballs biggest stars were depicted on these advertising novelties; Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, and Connie Mack, appeared as they did in the early 1950's, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and John McGraw as spiritual images. The 3-7/8 by 9 inch ink blotters were printed by Brown & Bigelow with a blank space for advertisers, to the right of the William Medcalf illustration. The advertisement on this Babe Ruth “C'Mon Kid” ink blotter is for T. B. Lee, Realtor, 501 County St., in Virginia.

In 1955 Brown & Bigelow issued the "Grantland Rice's Roll Call Of Champions" adverting ink blotters. Grantland Rice was an early 20th-century American sportswriter whose writing was published in newspapers around the country.

 The 4 by 9 inch, sports themed ink blotters with the header "Grantland Rice's Roll Call Of Champions" featured artwork on the left with a quotation below written by Grantland Rice. A space to the right was reserved for an advertiser. The bottom reads "Created by Brown & Bigelow St. Paul, Minn., U.S.A." The 1955 copyrighted ink blotters subjects included: Man O'War; Jack Dempsey; Knute Rockne; Ben Hogan; Bobby Jones; Charley Paddock; Bronko Nagurski; Babe Ruth; Lou Gehrig; and John McGraw-Christy Mathewson.

  The years 1947 to 1957, were considered the Golden Age of New York baseball. Ten out of the 11 years featured a New York team in the World Series. The Yankees won 7 titles, the Dodgers, and Giants each had one. Seven of the ten years, featured a "Subway Series" with two New York teams, playing in the World Series.

 
    The three New York teams often shared sponsored adverting such as pocket schedules, and ink blotters featuring local advertisers. Sponsored by The Savings And Loan Association of Newburgh, New York, this Boston Printing Co. ink blotter features the 1955 home schedules for the Yankees, Giants, and Dodgers. 1957 marked the end of the "Subway Series" era between the three teams as the Dodgers, and Giants moved to California the following year.

The ink blotters were produced by the Boston Printing company, located at 72 Broad Street. They printed these schedule ink blotters for other teams in the Boston area. This Ink blotter shared by the Boston Braves and Red Sox features a First Portland National Bank

 advertisement. Colors are used on the 1953 schedule, with blue indicating the Braves home games, and red for the Red Sox. Opponents are on top of the date.
 
 
 
 
 
  KEYMAN COLLECTIBLES RELATED RESOURCES  
   
 
 

Collectors Showcase Baseball Memorabilia Rooms
 
  Half the fun of collecting is showing off your collection to others. Lets See your Room!  
 
Collectors Showcase Room Free Collectors Showcase Room Showcase your memorabilia
 
  Showcase your collection on KeyMan Collectibles for Free!.
Just send pictures, and Get Your Collectors Showcase Room Now!
 
     
  KeyMan Collectibles Collectors Corner - Keep up with the latest collecting news, announcements, and articles of interest on the webs best resource for baseball memorabilia.  
  KeyMan Collectibles Baseball Memorabilia Facebook Group - Post Questions and comments relating to Baseball Collectibles and Memorabilia. Interact with other collectors or show off your collection.  
  KeyMan Collectibles Forum - A great option for those that "Don't do facebook"  Post Questions and comments relating to Baseball Collectibles and Memorabilia  
 
 
 
  Home | Auctions | Message Board | Newsletter | About this Site  
Link Directory | Links Page | Collectors Corner | Contact | Site Map