The game of baseball has a great following and the fanfare doesn't just end with the game. Memories are cherished for many years and those fond memories are rekindled when you have an antique baseball glove to cherish.

Antique gloves have a lot of fond memories attached to them. An older glove might have less webbing between the thumb and index finger. Very old gloves have no webbing at all. Of course old gloves don't command the price that a signed piece of baseball memorabilia has. One of the most popular vintage baseball gloves is made from burgundy colored leather. Sports fans collect a wide variety of related memorabilia. Team sport memorabilia include items from many different professional sports, the most popular being baseball, hockey, football and basketball. Vintage articles collected cover trading cards, game equipment, uniforms and advertising pieces. Of course, autographed items always command the highes prices. Baseball gloves were used originally in the 1870's. They were designed to pad the hands of fielders whose job was to knock down the baseball. They were a piece of leather padding that covered the player's palm. The player's fingers fit through holes. Because most players did not wear gloves, it was originally thought that any players who wore gloves were babies. However, by the 1890s, gloves started to take on the appearance of the gloves of today.

The early gloves that were made could withstand as many as eight seasons, unlike modern gloves that only last around three seasons before they need to be replaced. Today's gloves are made of synthetic materials like vinyl and plastic, but most professional players still prefer leather.

By Jason Gluckman

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