News-Antique.com - May 22,2008 - Pictured: 1885 Patent by Rawlings for an early baseball glove design.
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Grade and Description
Fair / Poor - Gloves in this condition have been used, and abused considerably. Irreparable rips tears, and holes. Dry rot, water damage, and hardening of the leather. These Gloves are not displayable, and have no collectible value. The glove can not be restored, but may be good for parts.
Good - A gloves that may have been used considerably. Most of the stamping is gone or barely visible. Leather is much chaffed, thinned in spots, no form left. The glove may still be serviceable, but only collectible if an extremely rare model usually used filler until a better similar type is available.
Very Good - Very used but most of the stamping is visible. No form but intact. Cloth manufacturer label torn or worn out. Piping frayed, and worn.
Excellent - Well used but cared for. Stamping is visible. Dark with age but nice patina. Cloth label intact. Minor piping wear, some form left.
Excellent / Mint - Much stronger than an excellent glove but not near mint. It is an excellent glove with stronger characteristics of a higher grade glove such as strong bright stamping, perfect cloth label, no oil stains, and perfect insides. Etc.
Near Mint - A glove that has seen almost no use. Still stiff in form, all stamping strong. Perfect insides perfect cloth patch, has caught but a few balls. Some otherwise mint gloves may not have been used but have significant enough blemishes such as scratches from some handling or poor storage to drop into this grade category.
Mint - New never played with regardless of age. A mint glove may show some shelf wear due to age Such as minute piping wear, oxidation around brass grommets. Stiff due to no use, slight fading of original color, all of that must be minute, and from storage. Not from use. In its original form when bought.
Vintage Baseball Glove Dating Guide
Pre 1900s - Gloves had no web and are referred to as "workman" style gloves. Early fingerless gloves were used for better grip. Gloves were hand made or altered from existing gloves before they were manufactured for baseball.
1900 - 1915 - Gloves had sewn in webs known as "full webs" These webs were sewn directly to the thumb and forefinger and extended to where the thumb and forefinger meet by 1910 1 inch webs start appearing.
1910's - 1920's - Most gloves have a sewn in one inch web. Similar to the previous web except that the web was one to one and a half inches wide. Player endorsements now can be used to help date some gloves.
1920's - 1930's - A vertical tunnel loop web was used. Either two or four elongated loops were sewn in directly to the thumb and forefinger through which passed a simple rawhide lace. The "Bill Doak Era" of baseball Gloves begins.
