This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/31/2016
Launched in 2009, Pawn Stars immediately took the nation by storm, Rick Harrison, his son Corey "Big Hoss," his dad Richard "Old Man" and Austin "Chumlee" Russell have become household names as they bickered, bartered, and bantered with the American audience.
For those in town, each day about 4,000 people visit the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop on the Las Vegas Strip. No, it's not a sign of the recession. People flock to the store, sometimes forming a line at the door, for a chance to get an item appraised.
For the current MEARS Auction, there is no need to leave the comfort of your home. All you have to do is log onto your computer, and bid on the following lot which walked into the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop.
If you are a fan of the show, you will see how the owners of the shop rely on outside experts to authenticate the items that have walked into the store. In this case, Rick and the Old Man sought out the expertise of MEARS to help them evaluate and sell their 1978 Mike Schmidt Philadelphia Phillies game worn jersey.
Our professional staff reviewed the shirt, our findings:
Style: The powder blue Wilson style body shell has a zipper front, founded tail, and is garnered with a white and red shoulder/sleeve stripe. On the front the “P” is applied with red on white double tackle twill. “20” appears on the front and reverse in matching font. The style of the shirt compares favorably to period images.
Manufacturer (Wilson): Per the Official MEARS Tagging Database, the style of the Wilson tag was supplied by the company during the 1974-1978 era.
Size (44): Measurement of the shirt and comparison to on hand size 44 products confirms the shirt is consistent with the tagged size of 44. Also, size 44 compares favorably to other examples of Schmidt shirts examined by MEARS. They include:
1979 Schmidt (size 44)
1982 Schmidt (size 44)
Game Wear: The shirt shows heavy game wear which may be attributed to extended organization use, i.e. minor league. The nameplate has been removed from the back, the player name has been removed from the collar, the “2” on front has pulled from the shirt on the right side, the two has come loose on the left side, and light staining is found on the front.
Final Grade (MEARS A5): Due to the amount of wear which is consistent with extended organization issuance, the missing name plate (-2), missing player ID (-3), were combined with the condition flaws for a total of minus 5 points being deducted. The missing player ID (minus 3) was most likely caused by the extended organizational player removing the name, which also caused the condition issues, so a duplicate deduction was not assigned.
During 1978, Mike Schmidt appeared in 145 games, hit 21 HR’s, and won the Golden Glove award. Schmidt helped lead the team to a 1978 Eastern Division Championship.
Great opportunity to own a great Schmidt shirt that even Chumlee would be proud to own!
(93U0314)
LOA Troy Kinunen / MEARS