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J. G. Taylor Spink's National Baseball Week -Steven KeyMan |
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Dating back to 1919 the U.S. department of commerce declared National
Baseball Week. It was held just before the baseball season, usually around the
last week in March or early April. The Idea came from a Texan writing to the
editor of The Sporting News. Publisher J. G. Taylor Spink ran with the idea and
it became an annual marketing event for many years. The 10% war tax placed on
sporting goods in 1917, was hurting the industry. The National Baseball Week
was designed to promote the game of baseball, and offered 'playground
ballplayers' the chance to purchase baseball equipment at a discount.
 J. G. Taylor Spink, was also the publisher of a monthly trade magazine,
The Sporting Goods Dealer. Today these magazines filled with ads for sporting
goods, and with a baseball related cover are available in the collectors market
at a deal for $20.00. A cover with Babe Ruth or Joe DiMaggio will sell at
a premium but still at a bargain, for this little known publication.
The first National Baseball week was met with skepticism, but the
following year several thousand sporting goods dealers across the U.S. got
behind the movement. In 1921 the interest was so great that the Athletic Goods
Manufactures of the United States contributed $1,000. to Spink's efforts. The
$1,000. was awarded to the 20 merchants submitting photographs of the best
window displays of baseball equipment. For the three best photographs $100.
each was given; for the next three $75. each was given, for the next five, $50
each, and the other nine $25. each.
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The National Baseball Week, window display contest became a yearly competition,
with participating merchants getting honorable mention in local newspapers.
Sporting goods dealers, hardware stores, drug, and discount stores all jumped
on the marketing bandwagon. Ice cream parlors also got into the act offering
chocolate covered ice cream baseballs in celebration the National pastime. The
1930's proved that J. G. Taylor Spink's, National Baseball Week promotion was a
great success that benefited both merchants and ballplayers
financially, through the great
depression.
Sporting Goods manufactures like J.H. Grady MFG. Co. featured National
Baseball Week information on letterheads and invoices sent out to encourage
merchant involvement.
This 1940, J.H. Grady MFG. Company letterhead displays the March 30 - April 6,
National Baseball Week information at the bottom. The logo depicts Uncle Sam
taking a mighty swing with a baseball bat, and loosing his top hat.
In 1923, the J.H. Grady Manufacturing Co. was organized as a subsidiary of
Rawlings Sporting Goods for the production of Rawlings baseballs. John Henry
Grady, who made baseballs for Rawlings as a youngster, was named President. In
1946 Rawlings acquired the J.H. Grady Production Organization. This was
Rawlings' entry into baseball and softball creation. This acquisition paved the
way for Rawlings to develop into the official baseball of Major League
baseballs in 1977.
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| This is an extremely rare, April 3-10,
1948 National Baseball Week decal. It is believed to have been used by
the merchant to display on a glass entry door, or a store window
display, notifying customers of the up coming National Baseball Week
sales promotion. |
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The National Baseball Week promotions ran consecutively from 1919 through
to 1957, with the exception of 1952. Sometime around the mid 1950's it seems to
have been replaced with the National Little League Baseball week. Below is a
year by year chart of the dates the National Baseball Week was held. |
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- March 24-March 29, 1919
- March 22-March 27, 1920
- April 1-April 10, 1921
- April 1-April 8, 1922
- April 1-April 7, 1923
- April 4-April 14, 1924
- April 4-April 14, 1925
- April 3-April 10, 1926
- April 4-April 11, 1927
- April 2-April 9, 1928
- April 1-April 8, 1929
- April 7-April 12, 1930
- April 6-April 13, 1931
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- April 2-April 9, 1932
- April 1-April 8, 1933
- April 1-April 8, 1934
- April 6-April 13, 1935
- April 4-April 11, 1936
- April 3-April 10, 1937
- April 4-April 9, 1938
- April 12-April 19, 1939
- April 7-April 14, 1940
- March 29-April 5, 1941
- March 28-April 4, 1942
- April 3-April 10, 1943
- April 1-April 8, 1944
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- March 25-April 7, 1945
- March 30-April 6, 1946
- March 29-April 5, 1947
- April 3-April 10, 1948
- April 2-April 9, 1949
- April 22-April 29, 1950
- April 14-April 21, 1951
- April 11-April 18, 1953
- April 10-April 17, 1954
- March 19-March 26, 1955
- April 7-April 14, 1956
- April 6-April 13, 1957
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KEYMAN COLLECTIBLES RELATED RESOURCES |
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