Since Daniel Lovegrove founded Recollectics® in 1990, his company has received much press, ranging from specific collector publications such as Sports Collector's Digest
to newspapers, as well as radio and elsewhere. This part of our site is about Recollectics the company, and is here so that you can learn about us, what we've accomplished, and where we are headed in the future.
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Lovegrove sees long run for 'Recollectics'
By SCOTT SMITH Dan Lovegrove sought to be a scriptwriter when he graduated from the University of Utah a few years ago
with a bachelor of arts degree in theater. Surely the 25-year-old Darien resident could put together a few plots about himself. For instance, he could write Pin of Dreams: A young man becomes engrossed in learning about Lou
Gehrig, the legendary first baseman of the New York Yankees. He reads anything he can find on the "Iron Horse," memorizing every detail about the Hall of Famer's career. Then, he discovers that a one-of-a-kind
pin, designed for Gehrig when he was the American League's honorary captain at the 1939 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, is up for auction, At his first memorabilia auction, the man is able to outbid the field,
gaining possession of what may be the finest collectible associated with his idol. Or, how about Turning Point: A young man undergoes reconstructive hip surgery. During the ensuing rehabilitation, his activities are
greatly limited. To kill time, he reads about sports and sports memorabilia. His research leads him to a never-before considered idea - why not marry his passion for sports and his knowledge of memorabilia collecting to
a business venture. Thus, a new entrepreneur arises at the helm of "Recollectics." Most likely, Lovegrove would write the story another way, probably under a title such as The Memory Maker: A young man decides to
put his knowledge of sports memorabilia and sports history into a business. The business, "Recollectics," is not so much designed to reap a large profit as it is to get people involved in the field of
collecting. Thus, a new form of a memorabilia dealer is born - one who serves as a consultant, not a seller. Actually, Lovegrove would change one part of the last script; he would avoid the term "dealer. " "I'm
a sports-archaeologist"' he says. "I want to build (for) people these collections of meaningful artifacts. " A "sports archaeologist" is, of course, much more than a mere collector of mementos. The
phrase suggests someone who is deeply interested in the history of his subject. "At home, I compile these newspaper clippings and articles, stuff that covers all sports," Lovegrove says. "I seek out sports'
true artifacts. " Lovegrove's holdings are not limited to file cabinets of articles. He is an extensive collector of memorabilia, especially World Series, AII-Star Game and Super Bowl press pins. He spent $38,000 to
acquire the '39 Gehrig pin (see box), Lovegrove insists that he did not buy the Gehrig pin simply to resell it later. Each new collectable he acquires has a story attached to it, a story that he wants, in some way,
to be a part of. "One thing I like about the pins is that they were there, they were at the game," he says. "They were in the lockerroom, in the pressbox or downstairs right next to the players. If they
could talk, the stories they could tell. "That's why any true artifact of sports, that was on the field, they're recollectic. " His own business "Recollectics" is a term Lovegrove coined to define
his view of memorabilia, a piece of sports history with more than a price attached to it. "A recollectic is any type of sports memorabilia that was a true artifact of the game," he says. Lovegrove seees his
business as a consulting firm for collectors. "I'd love to go into someone's home, and if they want to build a baseball room in there, I'd love to help them do it," he says. Beyond serving as a curator, he would
be "a proxy for a busy fan at an auction or show," or "if kids want to learn about pins or something, I'll help them." Lovegrove stresses he is not in this venture for the profit, although he does want
to earn a comfortable living from the business. "We have to go beyond investments," he says. "You have to collect something because you like it, not because of the investment value alone." He believes
that most collectors buy from the heart, not to fatten their wallet in the near future. "Some people wonder why recollectics have defied gravity," he says, referring to boom in the memorabilia business over
the last decade. "The best answer I can find is that it's emotional, it's a passion ... because they can touch history, and collectors want to get as close to a player as they can. " Currently, the
only way to get in touch with "Recollectics" is by mail, but Lovegrove hopes to change that at some future date. "It would be a mail-order business to begin with, but I hope to get a storefront in Darien
some time," he says. A photo start Dan Lovegrove's fascination with sports memorabilia began with a photograph. His grandmother years ago gave him an autographed photo of former heavyweight boxing
champion Jack Dempsey that had belonged to Dan's grandfather. "I guess it's the Jack Dempsey photo," he recalls. "It drew me in. I just love sports." His massive collection of press pins started when he bought
the 1977 World Series pin that coin commemorated the series between the Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. Why did he buy that piece? It reminded the diehard Yankee fan of the team's World Series rings. Press pins are
Lovegrove's specialty and he hopes to write a book on the subject for collectors some day. He is wellqualified. Not only does he own the Gehrig pin - "I'm the only person anywhere who has all the New York All-Star
pins," he says -but he also owns a press pin for the 1937 All-Star game in Washington, something of a find, since most books claim the first AllStar press pin was issued for the 1938 game.
"They're probably the two rarest pins you'll ever find," he says proudly. Cost aside, the Gehrig pin holds the greatest meaning for Lovegrove. He not only finds the on-field accomplishments fascinating, but Lovegrove
also has a special appreciation for Gehrig's overcoming injury and illness to play a record 2,130 consecutive games. Dan Lovegrove knows about physical hardship. He planned to study gemology at the Gem Institute of
America in New York after graduation. But in October of 1988, while still at the University of Utah, he underwent reconstructive hip surgery, which included a metal plate being inserted into his right hip. Unfortunately,
complications eventually developed when the bone began to grow back over the plate. The intense pain Lovegrove suffered forced doctors to remove the plate. "That's one of my recollectics, the metal plate they
put in my leg, " he says proudly. "I kept every screw." The operations forced Lovegrove "to learn to walk all over again for the second time." He put his post-graduate studies on hold and took a job
collecting tickets at the New Canaan Playhouse. To avoid being idle, he read books about sports, especially about Lou Gehrig. That's how 'Recollectics' came to be," he says, "because I had so much free time
on my hands and wasn't able to go out to parties and socialize at the time. "I got so attached to these sports books. They kept me going. " A valuable lesson The rehabilitation taught Lovegrove a big lesson.
"I also learned you should never take a single day for granted," he says. "I guess that's why when I had the opportunity to acquire the Gehrig pin, I had to try to acquire it." Now, he hopes the Gehrig
pin will open some new doors for him. "It will be on my stationary, my invoices to help me advertise and stuff," Lovegrove says. While Lovegrove eventually plans to loan the pin to the National Baseball
Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., he first hopes to show it to two people in particular. One is former Yankee broadcasting great Mel Allen. "I'd like to talk with Mel Allen because Lou Gehrig is to baseball what Mel
Allen is to broadcasting with 'This Week in Baseball' (Allen's weekly television program)," Lovegrove says, adding that the broadcaster also was at the '39 All-Star Game and may know the story behind the presentation of
the pin to Gehrig. Another person Lovegrove wants to show the pin to is a former first baseman who now lives in Washington, D.C. -President George Bush. "I know George Bush played baseball at Yale, and he was a
first baseman, and he was captain of the team his senior year. What a coincidence," Lovegrove says. "I know he's a baseball fan, and I'd love to show it to him."
Maybe he can even help George Bush the fan begin an extensive collection of memorabilia. Gehrig is collection's pinnacle By SCOTT SMITH
Lou Gehrig means almost as much to Dan Lovegrove as he did to the New York Yankees. Lovegrove, a 25-year-old Darien resident, seeks information about the life of the legendary Hall of Fame first baseman with the passion of
a scientist searching for the orgins of mankind. Then again, that's not so unusual for a man who calls himself a "sports archaelogist." While Lou Gehrig's extraordinary feats have entranced countless
baseball fans, he is a singular passion to Lovegrove. After all, not many enthusiasts would pay $38,000 for the 1939 Major League Baseball AllStar Game pin which was designed specifically and only for that year's
honorary American League captain, Lou Gehrig. The 1939 All-Star pin is no ordinary one. Shaped like a baseball diamond, the inner field is made of gold, with a raised baseball proclaiming the game's site and date -
"New York 1939" - serving as the pitcher's mound. The basepaths are a dark blue featuring the words "All Star Game, American League." Four individual diamond stones represent each of the bases, Whereas
each member of the attending press usually gets a commerative pin for an All-Star contest, only one pin was issued for the '39 game, and that went to Gehrig. It was his last appearance in a Yankee uniform. Of course,
Gehrig was no ordinary ballplayer. Nicknamed the "Iron Horse" for playing in an all-time record of 2,130 consecutive games, Gehrig put up some immortal numbers in his 17-year career. He hit .340 over that
span, slugging 493 home runs - including 23 grand slams - and batting in 1,990 runs. In 1934, he won baseball's triple crown by leading the American League with a .363 batting average, 49 home runs and 165 RBIs. What is
more incredible is that he achieved his extraordinary lifetime stats while hitting behind Babe Ruth for most of his career. There was more to Gehrig than just his bat. He still is considered as one of the finest
fielding first basemen of all time. Off the field, he was well-known for his kindness and generosity. Unfortunately, his career, and ultimately his life, ended prematurely, as he fell victim to ALS - Amyotropic Lateral
Sclerosis - since known more commonly as "Lou Gehrig's disease." "Gehrig put his life on the line for the Pinstripes (Yankees)," Lovegrove says. "He was the epitome of a ballplayer." When the
chance to acquire the "Iron Horse" pin arose Lovegrove jumped at the opportunity. He and his father attended the April 28 Guernsey auction in New York City hoping to get an outside shot at acquiring the pin.
After all, it is not often something of such magnitude becomes available. Though many might not be able to fathom spending $38,000 on a sports artifact, Lovegrove feels that he arrived at his price quite logically.
"Right up through April, I kept planning a strategy - 'How am I going to get this pin?' I just decided to learn everything about Gehrig and then take it from there," he says. The most significant fact that
he learned during the quest was that Gehrig never earned more than $39,000 in a season. "I finally decided to go as high as Lou Gehrig's highest contract, and that's as high as I'll bid," he says. His chances
seemed slim, since the auction house listed the value of the pin at approximately $75,000. But when the bidding ended, the price was still within Lovegrove's range, and he was the highest bidder. Thus, he became the
owner of what he believes to be the ultimate piece of Gehrig memo-rabilia. "I still can't believe that when the gavel came down at $38,000, it would be mine," he says. The pin's worth is now irrele-vant to Lovegrove. He
does not plan to resell the piece at any price, not even if someone offered him the original listing of $75,000.
"To me, it's worth more than that," he says. "How can you put a price on a national treasure? Darien News-Review, Thursday July 26, 1990. Volume 18, No. 30.
Reprinted by permission Darien News-Review. (c) 1990 Darien News-Review.
Nothing Tacky About the Value of Press Pins
by Scott Kelhofer If your definition of the "perfect" collectible is
something that's very limited in nature and maintains a high value, then press pins are something you should consider adding to your collection. Press pins have been around for close to 90 years and for most of that
time, the pins served as an ID badge for members of the media covering a major sporting event. Today's media are granted more elaborate credentials than a metal pin in order to guarantee their access to major
sporting events, but the tradition of the press pin lives on, even though it's more of a commemorative item than a required one. The roots of the press pin extend back to the early 1910s, New York Giants manager John
McGraw had quite a loyal legion of friends who liked to attend Giants games and he hated to say no to any of his friends who wanted free access to the games. So McGraw arranged passes for his friends to get into the
stadium. The only problem was that his friends would make themselves comfortable in the press box while the working media was down on the field interviewing players before the game. When the media would come back to
their seats, they found McGraw's friends taking advantage of some of the amenities available in the press box. To avoid the intrusion of the general public into the media's working area, the newly-formed
Baseball Writers of America group issued specially-designed lapel pins that would be required of anyone attempting to gain access to the press box area. Since then, press pins have been produced for virtually every World
Series and All-Star Game in baseball, as well as every Super Bowl. In addition, press pins are known to exist for some Stanley Cup, Finals, NBA Championships, Indy 500 races and Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. One
of the nation's leading press pin collectors and dealers is Daniel Lovegrove of Recollectics, located in Darien, Conn. Lovegrove says he was first introduced to press pins by a friend more than 20 years ago, and he's been
hooked on them ever since. "The only way you can get one is to be a media member or front office employee of the team," Lovegrove explained. "They only made between 2,000- 4,000 pins for the '96 World a
Series. In the 1920s, they made only a few hundred for each team." Because of the fashion in which press pins are distributed, only a few ever seem to make their way into the collector market. When they do,
prices for the items, reflect their scarcity. Older World Series pins - those from the 1910s and '20s - can easily sell for over 1,000 each. Pins from the most recent World Series and Super Bowl games usually start
out in the $150 range. For $150-300, collectors can purchase a wide variety of press pins issued in all sports over the past 25 years.
One of the most popular types of press pins among collectors are known as "phantom" pins. "Press pins take anywhere from six to eight weeks to be created," Lovegrove said, "So a lot of baseball
teams would have to have press pins made in case their club made it to the World Series." So while the 1935 St. Louis Cardinals, the 1984 Chicago Cubs or the 1987 Boston Red Sox never made it to the World Series,
there are press pins that were made in case they would have. The '35 Cardinals pin is valued at 550, while the '94 Cubs pin goes for $165 and the '87 Red Sox pin is worth $250. While phantom pins are often priced higher
than standard press pins from the same year, Lovegrove cautions new collectors about jumping into the phantom pin market. "I always try to discourage people from collecting phantom pins unless the pin is dated
because potential phan tom pins can become contemporary, used pins," Lovegrove said. "Some teams have a press pin created that just says something like, 'Cleveland Indians World Series.' If it doesn't get
used in 1996, it could still get used the following year or whenever. Some people might spend $250 on a phantom pin, but then the team might make it to the Work Series the next year and then the same pin is only worth
$125." For non-phantom pins, Lovegrove said that scarcity, condition, and the popularity of the teams depicted or the pin play the major factors in determining the value of a press pin. To be considered in Mint
condition, pins should be in thier original box (if available) have no scratches or chips, and have the pin post intact on the back. "Some teams, like the Cubs, had very small press boxes in the old days,"
Lovegrove said. "So very few pins were originally issued. Pins for the Yankees, Brooklyn Dodgers and Cubs are always good sellers because all of those teams have very loyal following of fans." For more information
on press pin collecting, contact Recollectics at (203) 655-7463, or visit the company's web site, at www.recollectics.com. (Scott Kelnhofer is the managing editor of Sports Cards.)
Sports Cards Magazine and Price Guide - November 1997, Issue #146 Vol. 17, No. 11 Used with permission from Krause Publications (c) 1997, Krause Publications, Inc.
The Hunt for Shreds of October
by Jim Thompson As summer fades into the orange and gold of autumn, hope surfaces for the rarest season of all. It's one that settles for a few weeks in just two cities, drawing people
like pilgrims to a holy land. Workers hang banners along streets choked with traffic, while ballpark crews rush to install extra box seats draped with red, white and blue bunting. The media will report it, fans will watch it
breathlessly and still others will commemorate it. This fifth season won't be found on any calendar, but is commonly known as the World Series. Baseball's fall classic has long been an American masterpiece, therefore
keepsakes from the World Series are some of the most commonly sought baseball memorabilia today. Seeking everything from programs to ticket stubs, baseballs to press pins, World Series collectors focus on the brightest
moment in a baseball season. Get With the Programs For almost six decades, Carl Goldberg rested his hopes for a Series title on the Philadelphia Phillies. When they won it in 1980, the first item he picked up was
the official program - he insists there's no better way to capture the essence of a World Series. "Publications bring you closer to the game," says Goldberg, "[while] card collecting has never done
that much for me. "You have history in your hands. It lets you know what was going on around the ballpark - even how much a hotdog [cost]." This baseball enthusiast has a complete set of programs through 1948,
but his most prized possession is a 1915 World Series prograin, the one that marks the Phillies' Series appearance that year and today costs $10,000. Pre-1920 programs can cost from $3,000 to $30,000 for issues in good
condition. Programs up through the 1950s can run as high as $5,000 and as low as $100. These examples are mostly sought by the serious collector, but don't cross programs off your wish list because your wallet contains
more singles than twenties. Numerous publications offer a terrific opportunity to start a collection with as little as $10. "It makes it appealing for someone to get involved," says Jeffrey Miller, owner of
All Sports Publications in Dresher, Pa. "It's affordable ... $15-$20 will get you almost any [World Series] program through the '80s." Miller specializes in pub- lications from the modem era - from the 1950s to
the present - and notes that 1974 marked a transition in World Series programs. "In '74 the league took over handling the publications", he says, and offered fans the same program in each ballpark. The two teams would
then each insert a specified number of pages in the programs sold at their respective stadium. In addition, Major League Baseball issued newsstand programs that lacked insert pages, thereby generating a third variation.
Collectors usually seek the most limited version of a program. And naturally, the more limited the version, the higher the price. Miller says the 1992 Atlanta Braves game-day program could sell for $50 or more
because of the scarcity of that particular variation. "It was a short printing," Miller says. "People who went to the game reported they couldn't get them." Another such example is the 1986 Mets
game-day program, which reportedly sold out after Game 2, making it more scarce than its Red Sox counterpart. As a rule of thumb, collectors should research the number of variations that exist for each Series program
published after 1973. They could find themselves rewarded with a more limited version at a common price. Having a Ball If a program offers a sense of history, then a teamsigned ball capture's a club's identity.
And the market for such collectibles has never been better. "The team-ball market was always good, but now it's fantastic. It's great," says Mike Heffner, director of acquisitions for Leland's. "In the last
10 years, the market has done nothing but increase. It's been picking up steam, primarily in the last two years." Perhaps because of relative scarcity, some of the team balls creating the biggest demand are
those signed by baseball's more recent champs. "For instance, some of the Blue Jays championship balls are very tough to locate," Heffner says.
The '95 Braves balls are a tough find even with selling prices between $300 and $500. Despite the obvious appeal of owning a teamsigned ball from your favorite club's championship year, Heffner explains that forgeries - however
difficult they are to produce - are becoming more and more prominent. "There are forgeries of even newer team-signed balls," Heffner says. "As they increase in value, we're seeing more and more forgeries,
and that's something that the collector has to be aware of." Team-signed championship balls are some of the most popular items on today's auction blocks, and among the most sought after are those belonging to
the glamour teams, the clubs that hold a special place in baseball history. "The '27 Yankees, the '28 Yankees, the '51 Yankees and the '55 Dodgers. Those are all really hot," Heffner says. Heffner points
out that some nine months ago, a Near-Mint '27 Yankees team-signed ball sold in auction for almost $30,000. "It was beautiful," he says. "It was the nicest one we've ever seen." If you're looking for something
rare, try finding a 1919 White Sox team ball from the year they threw the World Series in the Black Sox scandal. "There's never been an authentic 1919 Black Sox ball known to exist," Heffner says. "There
have been some out there that have been questionable, but never, to my knowledge, has there been an authentic Black Sox ball." As for existing teamsigned gems, collectors must be prepared to prove their devotion,
since asking prices start around $300. Where they go from there can be overwhelming. Pressing the Point It's well documented that the first known press pins were issued for the 1911 World Series by the
Philadelphia Athletics, although why they were needed isn't quite as clear. At the time, press pins were worn by the working media to allow them access to the pressbox. and other restricted areas. Daniel Lovegrove,
owner of Recollectics in Darien, Conn., deals exclusively in pins , and states that the origin of the press pin dates back to the World Series exploits of New York Giants manager John McGraw. Lovegrove asserts that when
McGraw could not secure tickets for his friends at the 1905 World Series, he simply walked them through the gates. But when no open seats could be found, McGraw instructed them to check the pressbox. When the media
returned from their pregame interviews, they found McGraw's companions had occupied their seats. Whether this scenario is completely accurate is unknown. But the first appearance of the press pin just happened to coincide
with McGraw's next World Series trip six years later. For security or showmanship, the press pin is one of the trademarks of baseball that spread to almost every other sport. Unlike the pins of today, those from
1911 through 1919 were quite decorative. "In the early years they were ribbons," Lovegrove says. "They had a medallion at the bottom, and at the top was a broach."
Complete with ribbon, some of the first "pins" are valued at $10,000 or more. "I think they're the most coveted of World Series collectibles," says Lovegrove, who explains that some years are so limited that
even the Hall of Fame doesn't own a complete set. Manufactured by jewelry companies such as Jostens and Balfour, pins were limited to the number of working media that required them.
To illustrate, Lovegrove recounts the 1929 World Series at Wrigley Field. "At Wrigley Field there was a very small pressbox, therefore they didn't issue many credentials for that Series," Lovegrove says. The Wrigley
pins of which Lovegrove speaks list for $1,850, but as with any collectible, the more modem issues are generally more affordable. "The 1982 Cardinals I sell for $40," Lovegrove says. Modem-day press pins through the 1950s
generally sell for less thar $300. As baseball's media exposure grew, so did the production of press pins, resulting in more reasonable market values. Another effect of modern day baseball was the surfacing of phantom
pins. These were commissioned well in advance of the Series because of the long production times. Consequently, pins would leak out for teams that never actually made it to the Series. Lovegrove warns that
although phantoms are often more limited, they should include the year, otherwise they could be issued by that team in the future. For example, in 1981, an Oakland A's phantom press pin surfaced with no date. But it only
remained a phantom until 1988 when the Athletics issued it as the official World Series press pin. Many owners stopped dating pins so they could be used for the team's next Series appearance. That's the Ticket
What World Series memento better symbolizes the game itself than an actual ticket used to gain admission? "Ticket stub collectors are a very small percentage," says Ken Adelson of Adelson Sports in
Scottsdale, Ariz., "although they are very avid." The most recent World Series stubs hover in the $35-$40 neighborhood, although Adelson has marked a notable short- age of the '95 Series tickets. "Last
year's ticket was really hard to find," he says. "I'm getting $75 for that one." Most collectors try to obtain one ticket from each year of their favorite team's Series trip, or one from each city in the
Series. Serious collectors who chase stubs from the early 1920s face prices that top the $1,000 mark, Adelson says. Such a quest, though, is not recommended for the newcomer.
"I wouldn't advise getting into that unless you know the market," Adelson says. In the older market, condition is everything and every bent comer or crease lessens the value. "It's just like a baseball
card," Adelson explains. "There's a direct correlation between price and condition." One footnote for the collector of World Series ticket stubs is that all tickets are not the same. In fact, a whole, unused
ticket will garner roughly twice the value of a stub. Adelson adds that stubs to historical games will cost more than others in the same Series. The Bill Buckner game in '86, Kirk Gibson's game in 1988 or Carlton
Fisk's homer in '75 each would be accompanied by premium price tags compared to stubs from other games in those respective Series. In the arena of World Series collectibles, items that can be attached to
significant games or events usually will draw the highest demand. They will generate more emotion from collectors, who are then more likely to shop with a "must-have" attitude. Other items associated with
the grand history of the World Series include felt pennants, commemorative bats, game-wom uniforms and numerous obscure promotional items and advertisements. All of these items offer collectors an opportunity to remember
the most spectacular time of year, when a single team is crowned champion of the baseball world. Jim Thompson is a freelance writer in Buffalo Grove, M. Beckett Baseball Monthly - October 1996, Issue #139
Reprinted with permission from Beckett Publications, Inc. (c) 1996 Beckett Publications, Inc.
Thompson wins first Recollectics Scholarship
By VIRGINIA BATES When Daniel Lovegrove opened
his sports memorabilia business, Recollectics, five years ago he had two goals. One, which he began accomplishing right away, was to make his business grow and become successful. Daniel worked multiples of 40 hours each
week, and Recollectics was soon sending its products from -the small room behind the Chamber of Commerce all over the globe. Daniel was swamped with work. So two years ago he called the Darien High School Jobs Office, and
one of the applicants for the job lie offered was Eric Thompson. Daniel says, "One of the best things I ever did for my business was hire Eric Thompson."
Eric did a lot more than prepare orders, wrap packages and make trips to the Darien Post Office. "He was a true businessman," says Daniel. "He mastered the day-to-day operations. He ran the computer, did
pricing, helped to prepare ads. He learned to buy and sell - he knew the business and he served the customers." Last year, when Eric was a senior at Darien High, Daniel was able to get to his second goal. "I had
dreamed of creating a service scholarship that could be won by my employees," said Daniel, smiling, "and Eric was a perfect first candidate. The idea was that Eric create a community service project and carry it
through on his own." Eric Thompson thought he knew of a job that really needed to be done. He, along with many other Darien kids, had been going to the Cafe at Christ Church in Greenwich, a drug-free,
alcohol-free place where young people could go to hear music and dance. The Cafe, begun in 1984, closed last winter. Eric went to Steve McCardle, who had assisted Director, Dave Pettie with the running of the Cafe. Eric's
idea was to help stage two post Cafe events, essentially to round tip a group of kids who were willing to work their heads off to reopen the place at least twice. "The kids took all the responsibility," said
Steve McCardle. "They held weekly meetings; cleaned up the room at Christ Church. They cleaned and refurbished sound equipment wrote publicity, made signs and got, Pepsico to donate refreshments. Our role was
purely that of advisors. "Alex Ivey of Darien got the band for the first night, and the kids set up a bar and security at the door. It was a huge project, and Eric was key."
"Eric had incredible tenaciousness," says Steve's wife, Susan' "I never worked so hard in my life," says Eric. Renamed "250 - PULL" the Cafe reopened for two crowded nights, July 22 and August 12.
The project met Daniel Lovegrove's carefully thought out criteria for the Recollectics Service Scholarship. The motto for the scholarship printed on the presentation plaque designed by another Darien High School student,
Emil Corsillo, reads, "Invent Opportunity - Serve Your Community." Eric is now a freshman at Rensselear Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., and Dan Lovegrove says, "Eric will always be a part of Recollectics, no
matter where he goes and what he does." The awarding of the first Recollectics Service Scholarship is celebrated by winner Eric Thompson, left, and by sponsor Daniel Lovegrove, owner or Recollectics. Eric is currently
a freshman at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. DARIEN NEWS-REVIEW, Thursday, October 19,1995 Reprinted by permission, Darien News-Review. (c) 1995 Darien News Review.
'Retroactive' HOF Press Pin honors Mantle
By David Moriah Mickey Mantle hasn't had a year like this since 1956! It has seemed as if collectors have been trying to will the Yankee hero back to life with a blizzard of new books,
cards and assorted memorabilia devoted to the Mick. Now a truly limited, and potentially high priced Mantle item is about to be issued in time for this year's annual Hall of Fame induction weekend in Cooperstown, N.Y. The
1996 ceremonies in baseball's mythic birthplace will take place the first weekend of August, and the legendary No. 7 will be a major star of the show.. How so? By virtue of being the lead name on this year's
"retroactive set," the special press pin produced annually to fill in the years before 1982 when pins were first issued by the HOF. Mantle and teammate Whitey Ford were inducted together in 1974 along with
four other players. The second pin in the set is 1945, a year which saw a whopping 10 players enter Cooperstown's hallowed doors. By far, however, it is Mantle - and to a lesser extent Ford - who put the shine
on this year's pins. Mantle collectors, who are as ubiquitous as dandelions in the spring, will likely be scrambling after the handful of retroactives which enter the marketplace each year. The pins, produced by
Balfour and sponsored by Chase Manhattan Bank (previously Chemical Bank), are limited to a production run of 500. Distribution occurs at a banquet in Cooperstown held exclusively for members of the HOF and their guests.
Each living Hall of Famer receives one at the dinner; their guests and top baseball dignitaries receive virtually all the rest. The result of this arrangement is a pin set which trickles into the collectors' marketplace by
ones and twos. The occasional SCD ad which includes an retroactive pin set typically lists a price of $500 and up. Dan Lovegrove of Recollectics, a business which specializes in press pins of all sports, expects the few
pins which become available to change hands in the range of $750, Lovegrove is excited about the idea of this year's pin. "The Mantle pin should bring a lot of baby boomers into the press pin hobby," speculates
Lovegrove. "The 1950s are definitely the most popular years for World Series press pins, and having Mantle's name on a pin will definitely attract attention." Selecting 1974, the induction year for 1950s stars
Mantle and Ford, was no coincidence. Charlie McCabe, the Chase Manhattan Bank marketing executive who has steered production of the retroactive pins since their inception in 1990, has made it a practice lately to select
one living Hall of Famer each year to be the "star" of the set, In 1995 it was Stan Musial, in 1994 Ted Williams, and in 1993 Joe DiMaggio. "When we heard last summer about Mickey's declining health we
decided to feature him in the next year's set," McCabe reports. "Unfortunately, none of us knew how quickly Mickey would go downhill, and he didn't live to see the pin. We decided to go ahead with it and make
it a tribute to Mickey, and of course, we do have Whitey Ford as a living Hall of Famer who can enjoy the honor." The other names honored on the 1974 pin include Negro League great "Cool Papa"
Bell, Cardinals outfielder Jim Bottomly, umpire Jocko Conlan, and a name only the most serious fans would recognize as a Hall of Famer Sam Thompson. The 1945 pin features a veritable "Who's Who" of obscure Hall of
Famers - Roger Bresnahan, Dan Brouthers, Fred Clarke, Jimmy Collins, Ed Delahanty, Hugh Duffy, Hugh Jennings, Mike Kelly, Jim O'Rourke and Wilbert Robinson. A recently released book, Slide, Kelly, Slide by Marty Appel,
may shed some light on the career of Mike "King" Kelly, but for the most part, the class of 1945 goes down as an ay - avolanche of forgettable names. Of course, there's only one name anyone will be looking for if
they have the opportunity to hold one of these pin sets, the name that seemed to live in the headlines of American sports pages every summer from 1951 through 1968 - Mickey Mantle, the one and only.
Sports Collector's Digest July 19, 1996 Reprinted by permission Krause Publications, Inc. (c) 1996 Krause Publications, Inc.
A piece of the past
Collector's dreams pinned to Gehrig artifact
By Larry Hartstein DARIEN - Every year except ,1939, Major League Baseball has issued tens, sometimes hundreds of press pins, to reporters covering its all-star
game. That, year, however, only one pin was made for the event. A pin designed especially for Lou Gehrig was presented before the game to the chronically ill Yankees captain, who two months earlier had removed
himself from the lineup after playing in a record 2,130 consecutive games. Daniel Lovegrove of Darien is the new and extremely proud owner of the Gehrig pin. He bought it at a New York City sports memorabilia for
$41,800 with the help of a loan from his parents. "I've read everything I can about Lou Gehrig," Lovegrove, 25, said. "Day in, day out, he was on the field. He played with cleat wounds. One time he
got beaned in the head, but the next day he was in there. He played hard all the time. To me, Gehrig is just incredible." Shaped like a baseball diamond, the pin measures almost I inch square and boasts a six-point,
14-carat diamond at each comer in the baseline. Its value stems not from the diamonds, but from its hallowed place in baseball history. Gehrig's wife, Eleanor, gave the pin to the nurse who cared for him until his death
in 1941 from a rare type of paralysis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which has been called Lou Gehrig disease since his death. Lovegrove, who graduated from St. Basil's Preparatory School in Stamford before attending the
University of Utah, does not think of the pin in terms of investment value. He has no desire to sell it. Lovegrove says Cooperstown, N.Y., is where the pin truly belongs, and he plans to loan it to the Hall of Fame
after completing some unfinished business. The Gehrig pin up close. "I want to bring it to the White House and show it to the president," he said. "He was a captain and a first baseman, too." If
Lovegrove does not sound like a typical collector, generally interested only in an item's protit potential, it is because he is an intense baseball fan fascinated by the game's memorabilia. "Someone showed a press pin
to me once, and ever since I've been hooked," he said. "They're very special. They were at the game, down there in the locker room next to Reggie Jackson and Lou Gehrig. If the pins could talk, the stories
they could tell would be unbelievable." The Gehrig pin is only one of Lovegrove's valuable collection, which includes autographed baseballs and Super Bowl pins as well. His World Series press pins with team logos, among
them a 1927 Yankees pin, would probably gamer hundreds of dollars at most auctions. The pins were first used the way press passes are today, allowing a writer covering a game to enter the stadium. Over the years the
pins became symbolic, although Major League Baseball continues to issue them at the all-star game and for post-season play. Lovegrove prefers to talk about the games the pins honored, not the large amounts of cash
they are worth. "The money shouldn't be the important thing," he said. "I don't want to sell or invest. I want to help people build collections." To that end, Lovegrove plans to open his own business,
"Recollectics," in Darien within eight weeks. The business would be a way for new collectors to begin. "From memorabilia you can recollect. You can learn history that you can't get out of a
textbook," he said. With the long hours he has devoted to the study of collecting, Lovegrove will probably make a good teacher. Much of the research was done the past two years, which he spent mostly on crutches while
incapacitated by a defective hip that was redesigned. The recently concluded rehabilitation delayed his enrollment at the Gemological Institute of America in New York City, but Lovegrove draws inspiration from a hero
who faced greater setbacks. "Gehrig put his life on the line for the pinstripes," he said. "He was the epitome of a ballplayer ... No one can ever have a complete collection of pins without the Gehrig pin.
Other collectors may say it's not a press pin, but it's very special to me anyway." Stamford ADVOCATE, Saturday February 14, 1998. Volume 168, No. 308.
Reprinted by permission Stamford Advocate. (c) 1998 Stamford Advocate
Special Correspondent
Hockey rings, pins are hard to find collectibles
BY ROBERT WIMMER Usually most ads and
articles deal with baseball and Super Bowl pins and rings, but there are hockey ones, too. Recently I received a 1942-43 Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup ring. Unlike the big diamond-studded rings of today, the 1942-43
ring was a pinkie ring with the inscription reversed. The story behind this ring was after the Wings won the Cup, the general manager, Jack Adams, asked the team if they wanted a cash bonus or a ring. The players
voted to take the cash. After the money was paid, the NHL President, Frank Calder, told the Wings they must give the players a ring, too. Adams was furious. To get back at the league, he had the pinkie rings made with
the inscription backwards, such as a signet ring. There were only about 20 made and none of the office staff received one. As for the press pins, there are two types All-Star Games and Stanley Cup finals. As for the
AD-Star games, I have three in my collection - two of them; the 1981 game at Los Angeles and the 1974 game at Chicago are in the shape of a skate, while the 1980 game at Detroit is in the shape of an oval. The Stanley cup
pins are in the shape of the Stanley Cup. The older ones I have are the 1971 and '73. These have a dull gray finish. The 1980, '81, '83 Cup pins have a shiny finish. As to the price of the pins, I contacted SCD advertiser
Daniel Lovegrove of Recollectics. Daniel specializes in baseball, football, hockey and all sorts of pins. His market value on the Stanley Cup pins is in the $150 range, while the All-Star pins go for about $200 each.
Lovegrove can be reached at (203) 655-7463; or P.O. Box 1011, Darien, Conn. 06820-1011. His fax number is (203) 656-3825. I would like to hear from other collectors regarding other hockey rings and press pins or hockey
awards. Write to me at the address listed at the top of this column. Sports Collectors Digest - April 14, 1995. Reprinted with permission from Krause Publications, Inc. (c) 1995 Krause Publications, Inc
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.
Gehrig pin is prize of collection
By Robert Obojski Daniel Lovegrove began his career in
sports merchandising shortly after graduating from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, in 1989. Lovegrove, who majored in theater arts, abandoned the idea of becoming involved in the commercial theater, and
feels he made the right decision in starting his Darien, Conn.-based firm "Recollectics," less than a year after receiving his degree. Lovegrove's career in the sports memorabilia field was put on hold for
many months because of a congenital hip condition that, happily resulted in a successful hip redesign through advanced surgical methods. Just as he was in the process of founding Recollectics, he took a number of
courses at the Gemological Institute of America in New York City. At the Gemological Institute he learned a great deal about the intricacies connected with the designing and manufacture of all types of jewelry.
Lovegrove began collecting sports jewelry in the mid-1970s when he was still a teenager. "I was introduced to the hobby and was taught first-hand about collecting by a friend of the family, Mr. Walter Hess," he
told SCD. "Walter Hess was an executive with the L.G. Balfour Co. (Attleboro, Mass.) and he was responsible for the design and manufacture of numerous sports awards, including: World Series press pins, World Series
trophies, Cy Young Awards, Rookie of the Year Awards, All-Star Game MVP Awards, League Championship rings, NBA championship rings and Super Bowl Championship rings." Lovegrove took two courses about the history of
baseball at New York City's New School for Social Research, courses taught by noted baseball historian and artist Michael Schacht. "Mr. Schacht helped me to broaden my interests in collecting baseball
memorabilia," said Lovegrove. "Several of his portraits of baseball greats are housed in the Baseball Hall of Fame's Museum in Cooperstown." Lovegrove has a number of Schacht artworks in his offices including
portraits of Hall of Famers Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, Cy Young and Walter Johnson. Lovegrove named his company "Recollectics," a term he coined - the "re" referring to reminiscences, with
"collectics" referring to collectibles. "A recollectic is any type of sports memorabilia that is a true artifact of a particular game," he said. While Lovegrove now deals in a wide variety of sports
collectibles, especially in the baseball field, he does continue to specialize in sports jewelry. Among the key types of items in his inventoryare Hall of Fame press pins, and press pins from the Super Bowl, Stanley Cup
(Hockey), and from the NCAA Basketball Championships. He also deals in Indianapolis 500 "pit badges". He has also dealt extensively in Baseball Hall of Fame bats, single autographed baseballs and autographed team
baseballs. He advertises in a variety of sports publications, including Sports Collectors Digest. He's attended a number of sports collectibles shows in the East over a period of several years, but said he didn't take out
a table until this past August at Gloria Rothstein's East Coast National staged at Westchester, White Plains, NY "It was a great experience to hold a table at a major show," he said. "For starters, I
got to meet some of my mail order and phone customers face-to-face for the first time. Holding a table at a show is like 'showing the flag.'" Over the past couple of years, Recollectics has grown to such an extent
that Lovegrove hired some high school students to work for him parttime after school hours. Baseball Jewelry Inventor Lovegrove's business card, in addition to giving the usual business address, phone
number, etc., is also inscribed "Daniel Cary Lovegrove, Inventor, U.S. Patent #5, 193, 360." The patent concerns a ring that features a removable tablet which is, as Lovegrove describes it, "ideal for
engraving and inscribing." Called a "PULTAB," by Lovegrove, the patent for the ring was granted by the U.S. Patent Office, Washington, D.C., on March 16, 1993. A detailed definition of the Pultab is given in
the abstract included in the U.S. Patent Office document awarding the patent which reads in part: "This invention is a tablet finger ring which includes a finger-engaging band portion and a head portion. The
head position is provided with a slot below the upper surface thereof in which is slidably positioned a tablet on which inscriptions or the like may be applied to the upper surface The tablet is completely removable
from the slot to apply the inscription and to read same." Lovegrove said the Pultab ring is designed especially for sports presentation purposes and the tablet (or tab) allows sufficient space for an appropriate
inscription. Lovegrove is in the process of marketing the Pultab ring on a commercial basis. He indicated that successfully applying for a patent is a long and expensive procedure. His application tic fees, plus the
cost of his own pate, attorneys, came to several thousand dollars. The Unique Lou Gehrig Pin While Lovegrove is a sports memorabilia dealer, he remains a collector at heart - and the "crown jewel" of his
private collection- is the unique Lou Gehrig All-Star predestination pin. The great Gehrig removed himself from the Yankees lineup on May 1939, after having played in 2,13 consecutive games. The America League decided to
honor Gehrig by naming him as honorary captain of the A.L. All-Stars that year. Gehrig received the pin in a special ceremony before the start of the 1939 "Mid Summer Classic" played on July 11 Yankee Stadium.
Gehrig, in a Yankee uniform, sat on the bench for the entire game as the A.L. won 2-1. The pin, especially made for Gehrig measures about one square inch. It shaped like a baseball diamond, wit the inner field made of
gold. The raise golden baseball in the center proclaims the game's site and date - "New York 1939" and also serves as the pitcher mound. At each corner in the baselines six-point diamonds representing the
four bases. The vibrant blue basepath crafted in enamel are emblazoned "American League All Star Game" in bright gold lettering. On the reverse side there is an engraved "Lou Gehrig . Surrounded by
scrollwork above and below. The "Dieges and Clust" hallmark stamp appears at the base below this engraving. Interestingly enough, this 1939 AllStar pin is the only gold award Gehrig ever received. Gehrig's wife,
Eleanor, gave the pin to her husband's nurse who cared for him until his death on June 2, 1941 (17 days from what would have been his 38th birthday). The nurse eventually gave the pin to a nephew, who in turn sold it in
February 1989. In May of the same year it was purchased by Famous American Name Sales Inc. (FANS). FANS then loaned it out to the Baseball Hall of Fame Museum to be exhibited in time for the 50th anniversary of the
Baseball Shrine in Cooperstown. Then, beginning September 1989, the pin was exhibited on a tour throughout the United States. Finally, the Gehrig pin was put up for auction at a Guernsey's sale conducted on April 28,
1990 at New York City's Passenger Pier 90. The pre-sale estimate was set at $75,000/$100,000. Lovegrove attended the sale, along with his father, and thought he had little chance of bidding successfully if the price
came up to pre-sale estimate levels. But he was lucky when the floor bidding stopped at the $38,000 mark, and with the 10 percent buyer's premium, total price paid came to $41,800. "1 got a real bargain," he
said. He identified the underbidder as Joshua Evans. "When I held up my paddle at $38,000, Josh just threw up his hands," he said. Lovegrove researched Gehrig's career carefully before he showed up for the
Guernsey sale, and decided that he'd bid up to $39,000, the most the great Yankee slugger earned in a single season. "Yes, I made up my mind that $39,000 was as high as I'd go, and I got lucky," he told SCD.
"The Gehrig 1939 All-Star pin stays in my permanent collection," said Lovegrove. "I wouldn't even sell it if somebody offered me $100,000. How can you place a price tag on a national treasure?" The
Guernsey auction catalogue called the Gehrig All-Star pin, "one of the finest and rarest specimens of baseball memorabilia in existence today." (The Guernsey's sale, held on two days, grossed more than $2 million,
one of the largest sports memorabilia auctions up to that point.) Lovegrove usually keeps the pin in a bank vault. It is properly housed in a handsome, inscribed plastic case. Gehrig is Lovegrove's all-time baseball
hero. "He said, "Gehrig was the epitome of the great ballplayer. As far as baseball pins are concerned, no one can ever have a complete collection of pins without the Gehrig specimen. Collectors may say it's
not really a press pin, but it's very special to me, regardless." He plans to loan it to the Baseball HOF to be included in the Museum's Lou Gehrig exhibit. A couple of years ago, Lovegrove designed a specially
inscribed ring for pitcher Jim Abbott, who was then with the California Angels. "I always admired Jim Abbott because he overcame an enormous physical handicap in becoming a major league pitcher," said Lovegrove.
"He was born with only a left arm and hand, and yet he was able to pitch a no-hitter for the New York Yankees in 1993. "I just wanted to let Jim Abbott know how much I admire his courage by having
this ring made for him as a tribute. "I consider myself as a 'sports archeologist.' I want to help hobbyists to build their collections around truly meaningful artifacts. A sports archeologist is, of course, much more
than a mere collector of mementos. The phrase suggests someone who is interested in the history of this subject. At home I compile countless newspaper and magazine clippings, stuff that covers all sports. I continue to
seek out the true artifacts of sports." Sports Collectors Digest October 24, 1997 Reprinted by permission Krause Publications, Inc. (c) 1996 Krause Publications, Inc.
Media woes led to a unique collectible
ERIC BREIER While the Chicago Cubs were playing the Detroit Tigers in the 1908 World Series, many reporters were struggling to get a good view of the games. The poor
seating arrangement helped lead to one of the more unique World Series collectibles available to sports memorabilia enthusiasts. Several reporters formed the Baseball Writer's Association of America because they were upset
over the seat location for the 1908 World Series, won in five games by the Cubs. And that eventually led to the creation of the press pin. In 1911, the Philadelphia Athletics became the first team to issue press pins
to reporters covering the World Series. The pins provided access to the press box for media members while keeping out those who weren't working members of the press. And 86 years later, journalists covering this year's
World Series between the Florida Marlins and Cleveland Indians also will be issued press pins. "Today it's more of a tradition," said Daniel Lovegrove, an expert on press pins. "You need more elaborate
credentials." Lovegrove is the owner of Recollectics, a sports memorabilia company based in Darien, Conn., that specializes in press pins of all types. Although press pins don't serve as official credentials anymore,
they're among the more unique World Series items available to collectors. Programs and ticket stubs are two of the most popular World Series collectibles, but press pins are just as valuable, and often more SO. The
costliest and most difficult pins to find are the ones from 1911 through 1919, when a ribbon was attached to a medallion. 'Early ribbons are hard because finding them in excellent or mint condition is nearly iinpossible,"
said lovegrove, who sells press pins through the mail and through his Internet site (www.recollectics.com). "A lot of times the ribbon frays and becomes detached from the broach piece. It depends how they were
taken care of?' A mint 1911 Athletics press pin fists for $15,000 in the October issue of Beckett Vintage Sports. A mint 1919 Chicago White Sox pin, the year of the infamous Black Sox scandal, books for $10,000.
However, there is hope for the collector working with a more modest budget. Most pins from the late '50s to the present can be had for tinder $300. The 1984 Padres press pin is among the least expensive available, listing
at $60 in Beckett. Press pins have been produced every year for each participating team since 1912 with the exception of one -the 1918 Cubs. "They had a very small press box;" Lovegrove said. "Maybe the
finances were tight, who knows. They're the only team that has not :&sued a pin)." Some World Series press pins for teams that don't make it to the Fall Classic are also available. Near the end of each regular
season, teams that have a shot at the postseason will produce pins in anticipation of a possible World Series appearance. Of course, many of these teams never make it that far, but that doesn't mean the pins - called
phantom press pins aren't on the market. Some of the more difficult phantom press pins to find, according to Lovegrove, are 1960 Baltimore, 1979 Houston, 1981 Cubs and 1974 Texas. However, phantom pins aren't as popular as
some of the others, "I don't get as many calls for phantom pins as World Series or All-Star," Lovegrove said. "I've been selling a lot of Super Bowl pins lately They seem to be catch mg on more and more. But
I do sell a lot of World Series, All-Star and Hall of Fame pins!' Pins were issued for All-Star games beginning in 1938. Pins also are issued for the Super Bowl, and baseball and football Hall of Fame ceremonies,
among other sporting events. While non-World Series press pins are generally of similar high quality, that wasn't the case in at least one instance. "The 1988 Cincinnati All-Star pin is real chintzy and very poor
quality," Lovegrove said. "A lot of that is up to the owners. The owner of the Reds Marge Schott) ordered a pin that wasn't of the same quality It's hard to find, though. It came in a wrapper instead of a
case.... She did make up for it in 1990 (when the Reds were in the World Series). She must have taken a lot of heat for '88." The North County Times, Monday October 20, 1997.
Reprinted by Permission from The North County Times. (c) 1997 The North County Times.
STAFF WRITER
Recollectics®
PO Box 1011
Darien, CT 06820-1011(mail@recollectics.com)
Phone 800.550.7463
Fax 203.656.3825
Recollectics® strives to provide the genuine sports enthusiast with the finest collector items availible. E-Mail us. Toll Free: 1-800-550-7463
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Lovegrove Turns Pins into Business
March 16, 2001 By Linda R. Goodman Daniel
Lovegrove never thought he would become a sports memorabilia collector for a living, but after a chance interview with a family friend for a school project, it changed his life. "When I was in eighth grade, we were given a project in
school, we had to interview someone outside the family," Lovegrove, a lifelong Darien resident, said, "and we were to spend the day with the person and see what they did for their job and then make a presentation to the class."
The friend of the family was Walter Hess, who worked for the L.G. Balfour Co., which make press pins, including the 1977 New York Yankees World Series press pin. Lovegrove became fascinated with the pin.
"I was just in awe
of the pin because it resembled a championship ring," he said. "Mr. Hess used to design these and would sell these to the Yankees and if the Yankees got to the World Series they (Balfour) would make the press pins, the World Series
trophy, and also the championship rings."
Lovegrove, who has an undergraduate degree in theater from the University of Utah, had two visions in mind: the first was to write scripts and the other was to become a gemologist. But hip
surgery in 1989 forged the way for Lovegrove to start up his business. "The surgery was kind of a curveball," he said. "After Utah, I came back here and, it (the business) evolved. I started this business in 1990 and the
business just took off."
And so Recollectics was born. Lovegrove likes to call his business a mail order company and his main purpose for Recollectics was specifically to buy and sell press pins.
The inception of press pins
dates back to 1911. Back in 1908, New York Giants manager John McGraw told his friends to get into the Polo Grounds in Manhattan by ducking under the turnstile. For the next three years, they did just that and would all congregate in the press
box, making a racket. The baseball writers became distracted and were not able to do their jobs.
"The baseball writers got fed up with it and this was before television," Lovegrove said. "So writing about the game became
extremely important and they got tired of (McGraw's friends in the press box). Because of this they founded the Baseball Writers Association of America, that's how it got started." The first press pins arrived in time for the 1911 World
Series between the Philadelphia Athletics and the Giants.
Lovegrove has been mentioned in magazines like Sports Collectors Digest and the book Sports Memorabilia for Dummies for his press pin collection. Among his memorabilia collection
is a pin that was issued on Sept. 5 and 6 1995, the days Baltimore Orioles shortstop/third baseman Cal Ripken Jr. tied and broke New York Yankees legend Lou Gehrig's consecutive-games-played streak of 2130.
Lovegrove, who describes
himself as a Yankee fan but also a baseball fan in general, has a few articles that have garnered some great value over the years. One of them is an autographed photo of Gehrig, valued at $20,000 on Lovegrove's web site. Another is the 1939
All Star Game pin which was specially minted for Gehrig, although he retired in May of the same year. Gehrig was named honorary captain of the team. Lovegrove purchased the pin in 1990 at a Guernsey's auction for $41,800 and now is offering it
at his web site for $249,000. Lovegrove also collects championship rings, including the first World Series ring from 1922, which belonged to the New York Giants' Ralph Shinners.
"I had no real intention of getting involved in
championship rings and all," Lovegrove said. "It was just something that came along the way. I'm known throughout the country for the press pins, some people call them media pins. I never thought I would be selling, making sales
internationally. I never thought people would call me and interview me, put me in magazines or books, which is quite an honor." But Lovegrove was hesitant to discuss his incident involving a 1977 World Series ring, which he now describes
as "something I have put behind me."
Lovegrove had purchased the ring originally belonging to John Delorean who was part owner of the Yankees, at a Christie's auction in 1996. After he bought the ring, he put it up for sale on
his web site and ended up in court because the ring had been reported stolen. However, Lovegrove kept his receipt from the auction and he was allowed the keep the ring because the judge determined he had bought it in good faith, not knowing
the history of the ring. Subsequently, he sold the ring a short time after.
Although collecting pins is Lovegrove's main business venture, he also takes pride in giving something back to the town of Darien. In 1993, once his company got
off the ground, he enlisted the help of the Darien High School jobs office. He used the office to hire DHS students to work with him at his business. So, far he has employed 15 students to work for Recollectics. Lovegrove credits the DHS jobs
office and his student employees with getting Recollectics to where it is today. "It's been phenomenal because they've really helped me build the business," he said. "They really helped the web site for me."
In turn
Lovegrove has established Recollectics Service Scholarship to help his students work on a project outside the office which would benefit the community. One of his students built chairs, which are now at the Darien Senior Center. Another
student walked the Appalichian Trail and raised $7,000 for the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. Lovegrove is also active with the Darien Little League Challenger Division, working as a sponsor and a coach.
Lovegrove has also
become an inventor, developing the "Pultab" ring, which is a ring that has magnetic, but removable section below the face of the ring. He has been working on it for 10 years and hopes to market it this year.
For more information on Daniel Lovegrove's sports memorabilia collection, visit