The Omaha Find: Rare 19th Century Pins Coming to Heritage Auctions

They sat quietly in the possession of a Nebraska family for generations.  Now, a collection of 87 ultra-rare 1897 Whitehead & Hoag “On Time Starch” baseball pins is about to enter the hobby.

The Heritage Auctions Consignment of the Week launches with the remarkable “Omaha Find” that will be up for grabs in the company’s February 25-26 Platinum Night event in Dallas.  

Passed down through the consigning family for over a century, the collection includes 85 different pins.  Among them are Hall of Famers Jesse Burkett, Ed Delahanty, Buck Ewing, Clark Griffith, Hughie Jennings, “Wee Willie” Keeler, Connie Mack, Bid McPhee, Cy Young, Jake Beckley, boxer John L. Sullivan and important early stars Nig Cuppy and Louis Sockalexis.

The 1 1/4″ pins were once commonly known as “Cameo Pepsin Gum” pins because of the advertising for that product that was commonly found on the back.  However, it’s become clear over the years that Whitehead & Hoag, a large national supplier of novelties at the time, didn’t limit the pin partnership to just one company.

Auction officials say it is the “largest and most impressive single offering ever to cross the hobby’s auction block.”  

All have been authenticated and graded by PSA.  The bulk of the grouping rated 5 (EX) but there were some better and a few worse. The Whitehead and Hoag player pins have been susceptible to fading but the group includes many that have retained much of their original appearance.  Only one of them is missing its paper backing that holds the advertising.

Thee new discovery accounts for nearly 80 percent of the total number of On Time Starch pins listed on PSA’s Population Report.   Of the 79 pins graded EX or better, all but nine are part of the group that will be up for auction.

The collection will be offered as one lot and is expected to sell for at least $80,000.

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About Rich Mueller

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for more than 30 years and a collector for even longer than that, he's usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected]