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Conference school::sports_memorabilia

Title:Sports Memorabilia
Notice:Wanted: 3.*; For_sale: 4.*; Traded: 5.*
Moderator:SCHOOL::KOPACKO
Created:Wed Aug 27 1986
Last Modified:Thu May 08 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:730
Total number of notes:8547

591.0. "Stadium Seats: Furniture for Fanatics" by 31320::TUTAK_PE (Bunny Brief Lives) Thu Sep 30 1993 16:48

    
    This is a rather obtuse aspect of Sports Memorabilia collecting, but I
    have noticed in some of the trades occasional ads for stadium seats.
    Admittedly, you can't stockpile these like cards and other flat items,
    but after refinishing (assuming they need it), I would think they'd be
    an interesting addition to a study, or a rec room (assuming, of course,
    compliance from any applicable S.O.). 
    
    Out here in Seattle, I have a chance to purchase some box seats that
    are left from Sicks' Stadium, where the Seattle Rainiers (PCL) played
    from '38-'66, the Seattle Angels in '67-'68, and the ill-fated Seattle
    Pilots (AL) in 1969. 
    
    I've talked to the seller, and have gotten some preliminary info.
    Apparently, about 400 seats were purchased in 1972 when the stadium was
    demolished in 1972 by someone in Vancouver, B.C. who was going to use
    them in another project. They were never used and have been sitting in
    a warehouse all this time. They are manufactured by the American
    Seating Company, and apparently have a serial number on them.
    
    This is all fine and good, and makes a nice story, but how does one
    make sure that the seats are really authentic ? Is there information
    concerning serial numbers and manufacturers of stadium seats to ensure
    authenticity ?
    
    And if they need refinishing, what's the best way to do them...strip
    the paint, recondition the wood, and redo in stadium colors
    (robin's-egg blue--yuk) or redo in more simple terms, i.e. flat black
    for the cast iron frame and natural wood stain for the seat slats and
    back ?
    
    Anyhow, these are just a couple of questions in what is amounting to be
    a new topic. 
    
    I have seen the seats and am intrigued by them (they would go in my
    den), but not if they can not be authenticated.
    
    Any info ?
    
    Peter
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591.1Tak a chairAKOCOA::MKELLYFri Oct 01 1993 12:163
    If the price is right I'd be interested in one.  I'd also like one from
    Forbes Field, Ebbets Field, Cominsky, Tiger.
    Mike
591.2who would want to fake them...POLAR::FERGUSONRPROFESSORITue Oct 05 1993 15:2626
    For one thing, you don't want to refinish them!
    
    Unless they were recently painted by brush or something, you want to
    retain the original "patina" if you want them to retain their full
    value (whatever that may be).
    
    If they have been painted recently (within the past 30 years) you might
    want to get the top layer of paint off, but getting off the top layer
    without hurting the under layer...GOOD LUCK!
    
    RE:authenticity???
    
    Locate some copies of the newspapers related to the stadium's
    construction and maybe you can find some details in print which might
    help prove their authenticity. (papers - try the local library or
    the state archives)
     
     A real long shot might be to try to track down the companies old
    records. This is possible but REAL TIME-CONSUMING!!!
    
    Regards,
    
    R.M.F.
    
    (Ramsay still displays the ball & photo in a place of honour)
    
591.3Gotta do something....NWD002::TUTAK_PERickenbackerhackerWed Oct 20 1993 19:2434
    
    Grazie, professori...
    
    Sorry for not putting this in sooner as a reply. If what you say is
    true, then I might have a problem. If I don't refinish them, they are
    going to look like something the (admittedly very large) dog dragged
    in. They were stored in a warehouse, and one or two of the wood slats
    have some dry rot, to which I am going to have to put in some filler
    compound. In addition, there are two very thick layers of
    paint on them, both layers being robin's-egg blue. The paint is peeling
    off the metal frame (armrests, counterbalance, seat) rampantly. 
    
    I can duplicate the original scheme, I mean, there is no problem with
    repainting the whole thing in the original color. However, they really
    do need work. They are easily restorable. But I have to do
    something, otherwise I am never going to be able to bring these things
    into the house. I'd like to put them in the study, eventually.
    
    I've seen old seats from Comiskey Park, and they were in good shape,
    but it was obvious that they were repainted. 
    
    But as long as they are retraceable to Sicks' Stadium (by serial number
    or whatever), I'm confused as to why they have to remain in the
    original color scheme. All I was going to do was bring the wood back to
    a natural finish (light stain), and (after priming) do the metal frame
    in a flat black. I was also going to retain the original seat numbers
    on the top slat of the backrest.
    
    Peter
    
    PS: Best wishes to Ramsay--and Bud is doing fine, BTW. He has the BB
    card in a prominent place on his mantle. I am doing a series of
    interviews with him for eventual publication (hopefully) in an SABR
    journal. More about that another time.