1962 Mets Display

[KJH]

I posted this in the Mets forum, with limited interest. Perhaps this is the correct forum for it. Well, either that or it's just not that interesting I guess.

I am a huge Mets fan/memorabilia collector. The 1962 Mets have become the team I have focused most of my attention on, for several reasons.

For one, I have always been very into '1st's'. The 1st game/season for a franchise. The 1st game in a new stadium. Etc. The fact that the Mets are only 50 years old, and let's face it, have had their share of issues during that time make acquiring vintage stuff from the '62 team ideal. There really is not that much out there to get you distracted and/or off theme, for the most part much of the stuff that is out there is not nearly as expensive as say, vintage Yankees stuff, plus there are just way fewer competitors vying for the top stuff like there are for the Yankees stuff in general.

It was roughly 10 years ago my dad and I started really focusing on the 1962 Mets team. Scouring the internet. Constantly checking eBay for stuff. Going to shows. You name it. Again, being that the market is relatively small, once you become known as a 'serious collector', people actually start seeking you out if they feel they have something you may want.

About 2 years ago I had a 'Eurika!' moment when I was looking through the pieces we have amassed. I realized almost everything we had was flat, and moreso, frameable. Immediatley I had a vision. I/we decided we were going to create the single greatest framed 1962 Mets piece in existance. Over the following year or so I made absolutley sure we had every imaginable artifact that you could concievably fit into a normal size frame pertaining to the 1962 Mets. We even went to visit Andy Fogel, who is the King of Mets Memorabilia to see his collection, and pick up a few of the last things we needed. (Here is a link to his NYT write up from a few years ago if it's never been posted here before. Honestly, it doesn't even do his collection justice. It is absolutley insane. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/24/sp...l/24cheer.html)

Anyway, after roughly a decade amassing everything, planning, and finalizing everything, here is the final piece as it hangs on my fathers wall. It is easily my favorite non-living thing on the planet. I am incredibly proud of how it all came out, and the fact that I, in some manner, have helped protect the history of my favorite team. I also have a 3 ring 'Provenance Book' which contains all the COA's, receipts, prices paid, and any other documentation we have in general.

As a sidenote, I sent these pics to the team itself hoping that maybe they would be able to put it on display in the teams HOF this season. After a lot of discussion I was informed that they very much would love to have it, but it is just too big to fit. They have however invited my family and myself to take it to Citi Field one day this season to go on the field with it pregame and take pictures, which they did not have to do, and which I am really excited and looking forward to doing.

1962_Mets_Final_Piece-Home_3.jpg

1962_Mets_Final_Piece-Home_2.jpg

Going from the clockwise from the top left here is what is contained:

-1962 Mets Yearbook
-1962 Mets Team Photo, which was sold at the Polo Grounds
-1962 Mets Media Guide
-1962 Mets Pocket Schedule
-1962 Mets Scorecard from game at Polo Grounds
-1962 Mets Tri-Fold Roster
-28 signatures on letterhead from the Cincinnati Hilton, including Stengel, Ruffing, Ashburn, and Linsday Nelson, authenticated by PSA/DNA.
-Vintage, 1st generation, 'in action' photo of 1962 Mets.
-Full, uncut, 'regular' ticket to the teams 1st Opening Day on 4/13/62, PSA authenticated
-2, full, uncut consecutive 'season tickets' also to the teams 1st Opening Day on 4/13/62, also PSA authenticated. The only ones ever to be authenticated by them, according to their population report.
-In the middle is the scorecard from the 1st game in the history of the franchise on 4/11/62 in St Louis.

[Mike D.]

A very unique and cool piece!

How big is it? Too big for the Mets HOF...where is that, a closet at Shea?!

Going on the field pre-game for pictures should be a great experience. Enjoy!

[KJH]

Thanks.

It is 42"H x 34"W. Shea is now a parking lot, but I assume you meant Citi Field.

The teams HOF is right off the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. It really is not very big. There is limited wall space(outside of the actual HOF, which obviously is already spoken for), and my piece is way too big to fit in the glass display that they have.

[dmbfan]

As a Mets' collector myself, I am very impressed with this. I'm glad to see that there are others out there that are helping to preserve the history of the Mets. Unfortunately, the Wilpons and Mets' Executive Staff don't have an appreciation for the history of the Mets and try to be the Brooklyn Dodgers. Otherwise, any other team would find room to display something such as this. Thanks for sharing it.

[Mike D.]

Thanks.

It is 42"H x 34"W. Shea is now a parking lot, but I assume you meant Citi Field.

Forgot the name of the new park momentarily! Ah, corporate sponsorships!

I hear the move from Shea to parking lot is considered an upgrade, btw.

What do you think of the new park? I'll have to get down to NYC at some point and check it (and new Yankee Stadium) out.

The teams HOF is right off the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. It really is not very big. There is limited wall space(outside of the actual HOF, which obviously is already spoken for), and my piece is way too big to fit in the glass display that they have.

Still, you'd think they'd make room for a nice piece like that. The on-field thing sounds like it'll be pretty amazing, though!

[KJH]

As a Mets' collector myself, I am very impressed with this. I'm glad to see that there are others out there that are helping to preserve the history of the Mets. Unfortunately, the Wilpons and Mets' Executive Staff don't have an appreciation for the history of the Mets and try to be the Brooklyn Dodgers. Otherwise, any other team would find room to display something such as this. Thanks for sharing it.

Thanks man. I'm sure to some I may sound narcissistic or holier than thou, but that is one of the primary reasons I have posted pics of it where I thought people may appreciate it. The team itself has essentially done nothing to protect and honor their history. It basically literally took fans outrage(a lot of which took place on this site itself) to get through to the powers that be that some of us actually care about the history of our team.

Forgot the name of the new park momentarily! Ah, corporate sponsorships!

I hear the move from Shea to parking lot is considered an upgrade, btw.

What do you think of the new park? I'll have to get down to NYC at some point and check it (and new Yankee Stadium) out.



Still, you'd think they'd make room for a nice piece like that. The on-field thing sounds like it'll be pretty amazing, though!

Yea. Dem's fighting words. It has been said by many, but the words still ring true. 'It may have been a dump. but it was our/my dump.' The Final Game there, and the post-game ceremonies they had on 9/28/08 is still the most painful(well, at least non-elimination game) I have ever been to. Turning off the lights around the stadium as 'In My life' was playing was one of the hardest things I have ever witnessed in a stadium. I miss the hell out of Shea.

I'm OK with Citi Field, but like most Mets fans that frequent it will tell you, with almost no positive memories from it's first 3+ years it's very hard to say as of yet.

In fairness the guy I dealt with on the Mets tried everything he could to get it in the stadium this season for the 50th Anniversary. Even went so far to call the architect of the HOF to see if there was any way to squeeze it in. The last ditch effort was seeing if thet could put it on the Suite Level Concourse, but he was told they weren't sure where they could have put it. Besides, to be totally honest, I'm not so sure I would have wanted it just hanging on a wall in the middle of a concourse totally exposed.

I'm looking forward to going on the field and taking pics of it, again during the 50th Anniversary. I just had a nephew about 6 months ago, and I think it will be an awesome story and pictures to show him the one day we all went onto the field to take pics with the piece of Mets history my dad and I plan on leaving him.

[metrotheme]

You might enjoy this about another "first" in Mets history.

http://www.examiner.com/article/kill...-the-mets-1962

[KJH]

Hey guys. I mentioned this in my original post, so I figured I'd post a pic now that it's taken place.

Saturday the Mets let me go on the field with my piece and take pictures. It was pretty awesome.

Basically, I got to hang out right behind the plate for over an hour while the Mets and Dodgers took BP. Was able to get Matt Kemp's autograph on a brand new official MLB baseball I brought with me that couldn't have come out any nicer if I got it at a card show. I got to stand right next to Don Mattingly as he was introduced to the 3rd oldest living ballplayer, and oldest living Dodger. Then the Mets gave me 4 seats 4 rows off the field, all for free, just as a gesture of appreciation that I put this thing together, told them about it, and was willing to let them display it in the stadium this season if they wanted to.

Either way, it's a rare event when I say this, but good job New York Mets! It's something I will always remember.

62 Field-1.jpg

[Ben Grimm]

As a fan of the game, that's a really nice piece you have there. Glad to hear you had a good time. I love seeing original stuff like this.

[howiek]

As a fan of the game, that's a really nice piece you have there. Glad to hear you had a good time. I love seeing original stuff like this.

Sick collection!! I was at the game myself on saturday.
I'm sure that was a memorable experience being able to get on the field for BP. I also got the chance myself to watch batting practice from the field. It was not as close as you got though. They had a social media event back in june were we where able to watch BP from the left field warning track.
What a view, Huh!!

The 3rd oldest player you referred to is Mike Sandlock, he is the oldest living Dodger.
Congrats on getting Kemp. I was hoping to get him myself. No, Luck

I also have numerous pieces of memorabilia from Shea Stadium. I have not had the chance to display any of it yet. But, you can check it out, its in my photobucket and the link should be below

[KJH]

Sick collection!! I was at the game myself on saturday.
I'm sure that was a memorable experience being able to get on the field for BP. I also got the chance myself to watch batting practice from the field. It was not as close as you got though. They had a social media event back in june were we where able to watch BP from the left field warning track.
What a view, Huh!!

The 3rd oldest player you referred to is Mike Sandlock, he is the oldest living Dodger.
Congrats on getting Kemp. I was hoping to get him myself. No, Luck

I also have numerous pieces of memorabilia from Shea Stadium. I have not had the chance to display any of it yet. But, you can check it out, its in my photobucket and the link should be below

Thanks a lot. It's pretty cool when people that know about and appreciate this kinda stuff tell me I/we did a good job with the piece.

I actually got to do the LF warning track thing last season, which as you hint at, kinda sucks. Outside of the fact that you are on the field, it's essentailly the same thing as if you stood in the LF stands.

This was basically being 10' behind the net for as long as I wanted as players and coaches casually did their thing right in front of us.

The way I got Kemp's sig was pretty cool. There were 2 nuns dressed head to toe in Dodger blue 'nun's gowns' I guess you'd call them watching BP along with us. They had Dodgers pins all over them. You get the idea. They bled Dodgers Blue. I decided to tell them about a book I thought they would enjoy, 'Miracle Ball', which is the story of the ball and of the the nun that caught Bobby Thompson's Shot Heard 'Round the World in 1951, which they seemed legitimatly interested in. At one point I heard Matt Kemp tell Andre Ethier, "Yo, we gotta go over and talk to those nuns! That's awesome!" They came over a little later to talk to, and sign autographs for them. I was standing right behind them at the time. One of them reached down, grabbed the ball that I was holding out of my hand, and gave it to Kemp to sign, which there is no way he would done have unless she did. It was really awesome of her. I think he only signed maybe 4-5 autographs.

Not sure if you read the article I posted above, but that guy Andy Fogel has some artifacts from Shea that will blow your mind. The dude has the top 3' of the left field foul pole sitting in his garage!