1908-09 Rawlings fun pages, plus, member sign-in issues fixed

The earliest Rawlings catalog we have currently in our collection is this 1908-09 Fall and Winter, and it is filled with all kinds of interesting things!

Currently only for paid member levels, this gem stands apart from later Rawlings catalogs in so many ways. Just scanning it was a challenge due to the brittleness of its pages. It started with hunting, and there are pages and pages of shotguns and rifles, as well as revolvers. Hunting gear comes in, including a grass suit to wear over your head and clothes to attract geese and ducks!

The catalog then gets into more equipment, including whistles, corkscrews, compasses, goggles, more. Finally, after over 50 pages of hunting equipment, they start into the golf clubs. In the many catalogs over many decades available on this site, it's fun to see how much equipment changed, or in the case of the clubs, didn't change much in over 115 years. The boxing gloves, however, have definitely evolved, and this catalog also includes fencing equipment! True to the era, there is a full body exerciser that attaches to a wall, a "complete home gymnasium," for only $1.25. In here, "foot ball" is still two words, and there is a rugby ball as well as some footballs that look more like basketballs. The pants included the firm rattan thigh guards in the front. Football helmets were still leather, and they were still using nose guards, although this catalog shares a fancy new rubber nose guard instead of the heavy metal from prior years.

The last page of the catalog is selling a Rawlings Mange Cure (!). You can see why this particular catalog is so entertaining for even the casual browser, and if you're trying to find out what year some thigh guard pants were made, or a leather helmet or pair of shoes, this is where to look, and this is a major reason this site exists! Scroll lower on that page to see the Rawlings' 1908-1909 price list.

Login issues for members should be fixed!

We had mistakenly set some page settings on our back end that should not have been set. If you find you're still have issues, hit refresh to make sure you have the latest version. If it's still a problem, please contact us and let us know. There is little more frustrating when doing research than to have a slow site or, worse, one that isn't letting you as a member log in!

The Search Screen has been been improved!

You can search on that screen by catalog company name, by athlete name, and by equipment connected to athletes. There is an option to choose if you only want an athlete image as opposed to an autographed baseball glove, for instance. As catalogs get loaded, this list is consistently updated.

New catalogs on the site include the Rawlings above, a 1950 Hillerich & Bradsby Louisville Slugger, and a Stillman B Call's Athletic Goods that we believe is about 1893. You can also check out Adirondack's new models of baseball bats in 1952 with some additional marketing materials lower on the page.

We're working hard to get more catalogs in!

If you have ever crafted a web site, you may understand how they can be... finicky... and there is much to be done on the back end that doesn't seem to make much difference, but we think a better search and a better login experience are important. See something in the lists you want us to scan next? Let us know!