Father & Sons Collecting Baseball's Vintage Treasures

It's been nearly twenty years since 12 year-old Jonathan Popovich and his father John were strolling through antique shops in Lambertville, New Jersey.

Like most youngsters, Jonathan was more intrigued with young players like Don Mattingly and Roger Clemens than with dusty old sports equipment. That day, however, the two generations of baseball fans found a 1940s era glove endorsed by a fairly non-descript big leaguer named Bob Usher. They took it home and from that day on, the focus of their shared hobby changed course.

Today, the collection built by John, Jonathan and youngest brother Michael numbers over 500 pieces, ranging from 19th century equipment to 1960s era pennants and they are sharing it through their website, Dugout Treasures.com.

Dugout Treasures is not a commercial sports memorabilia site. The family began in the hobby as collectors and remain true to their roots, despite accumulating an impressive array of ancient baseball artifacts. They do have some items for sale and will trade for items that spark an interest, but their goal is simply to have others appreciate and utilize the collection for various projects.

In an effort to make that happen, the family is making portions of it available, free of charge, to those who want to use vintage sports items for various projects but may not have access to a sizable collection. Photographing pieces is one opportunity as well as loaning items for display.

"We hope to be able to provide as many people and organizations with the resources and knowledge necessary to further their initiatives, publications, advertisements and historical exhibits," Jonathan Popovich told SportsCollectorsDaily.com.

"We remain, first and foremost, collectors and enthusiasts of basball history. Our hope is that our zeal will inspire others, especially young collectors, to get involved and carry the hobby on into the future. Second, we hope to be able to reach out to companies, organizations, and museums who are looking to bolster their initiatives, articles, books, events, and historical exhibits with vintage memorabila."