anyone collect team pictures/team photos?

Does anyone collect team photos that are usually Team Picture Night SGA items? Since people collect so many obscure items for their player collections, I'm surprised these don't seem to be all that popular (though I have seen people collecting Topps team cards, which tend to use the same image). As I've reached the end of the "easy to find" parts of my various player collections, I've started trying to dig up team photos that feature my players. I've learned that some teams have a long tradition of them, while others not so much.

Are these included in any of the big baseball memorabilia price guides?

I'm working on a blog post about team pictures that I hope to get finished soon. I've already started tracking which photos I still need for my player collections, which is no easy task.

Is there any interest in a sort of catalog or index of which teams have issued official team pictures (meaning not just something cut out of a book or magazine, but a standalone photo printed in quantity specifically for giving away as its own thing)?

Here's the earliest team photo I've found for my Dave Henderson collection (#42, dead center):



And the earliest for my Hensley Meulens collection (front row, center):



These are the photos I'm hunting that I know exist:

1976 San Diego Padres
1978 San Diego Padres
1984 Madison Muskies
1984 Seattle Mariners
1985 Modesto A's
1987 Modesto A's
1990 New York Yankees
1991 Oakland A's
1992-93 Toronto Blue Jays 5x7
1993 Columbus Clippers
1996 Minnesota Twins
2006 Indianapolis Indians

Some I have seen as lots, but so far don't want to dish out the price for the bundle when I only want the photo. Some I only know they exist because of mentions on team promotional schedules. If anyone is looking for them, I've got some Padres team photos from the 1980s I'd be happy to trade.

I collect team cards and exhibits for my Grace and Zimmer PC's, but the stadium giveaway team photos are too bulky, and since they're not catalogued, hard to distinguish between ones that were given away at the stadium (SGAs) and ones that were advertising premiums from grocery stores, gas stations, etc. I'd be inclined to collect the SGAs, and maybe not the ad premiums. Tougher to distinguish for older teams, like Zim's Dodgers of the 50's and 60's, but even teams like 1989 Cubs I see team photos in various formats that I don't know their origins. If it was a true SGA, I'd add it to my Grace PC.

gracecollector said:

I collect team cards and exhibits for my Grace and Zimmer PC's, but the stadium giveaway team photos are too bulky, and since they're not catalogued, hard to distinguish between ones that were given away at the stadium (SGAs) and ones that were advertising premiums from grocery stores, gas stations, etc. I'd be inclined to collect the SGAs, and maybe not the ad premiums. Tougher to distinguish for older teams, like Zim's Dodgers of the 50's and 60's, but even teams like 1989 Cubs I see team photos in various formats that I don't know their origins. If it was a true SGA, I'd add it to my Grace PC.

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I notice there are a lot of people selling copies of team pictures on eBay. I got one of those for my Winfield collection before I really understood what I was buying. I'm more careful now. In several cases, I can only find copies, which makes me wonder what original item they are reproducing. I can't find much evidence of yearly Yankees team pictures (at least not issued as such) from the 1980s, but several copies exist on eBay with no sponsor information or anything. I've seen people selling reproductions of the San Diego Padres photos, but only in 8x10 and chopping off the San Diego Union-Tribune logo.

DaClyde said:

I notice there are a lot of people selling copies of team pictures on eBay. I got one of those for my Winfield collection before I really understood what I was buying. I'm more careful now. In several cases, I can only find copies, which makes me wonder what original item they are reproducing. I can't find much evidence of yearly Yankees team pictures (at least not issued as such) from the 1980s, but several copies exist on eBay with no sponsor information or anything. I've seen people selling reproductions of the San Diego Padres photos, but only in 8x10 and chopping off the San Diego Union-Tribune logo.

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Same thing for Zim's Senator teams of the 60's. I have to admit though, while I don't buy them, these repro team photos are extremely handy in identifying which Topps team cards Zim was actually pictured on, as the repro ones often have the row-by-row player listings on them, and can be matched to the Topps photos (often are exact photo used on the Topps team card).

Like the Seattle Marine photo in your first post... that was a newspaper insert and not a SGA, right? I thought about purchasing a nicer example of this 1973 San Diego Union Evening Tribune team photo for the Zim PC, but decided against it because of its size and not being a SGA. I may change my mind on it though. But collecting these "premiums" just opens up another can of worms. I have no problem picking up a premium if it is just of one player, but the team photo stuff just seems like a pain to figure out what's what.

I picked up one these team-signed lithographs of the first Dayton Dragons team. Adam Dunn is 6th from the right and Austin Kearns is 3rd from the left.

I guess I hadn't really thought through the SGA vs non-SGA, I was just thinking more officially sanctioned vs not. I have no idea how a lot of them were distributed, though if I do embark on the task of building a catalog of them, I'll be sure to include that information. And you're absolutely right, they're a pain to manage, either storage or display. I've got most of the Padres photos from 1970-85, though a couple have had the blue bar cut off the bottom. Those 1973 uniforms were hideous. The Brother Elephants in Taiwan have had basically that same uniform (though with black trim instead of brown) since 1990, though occasionally they did temper it with black pants (sort of like the Pirates).

Love that Dragons lithograph!

I have 5 or 6 Twins ones with Puckett on them. I believe they are about half original and half repo but I dont really care all that much. I have them on my list but I usually have a pretty strict spending limit on them.

I have most of the photos Garvey appears in, but finding out they exist can be a challenge. So many SGAs die in obscurity it seems. I have seen a few items that showed up right away with 1-2 copies and then never showed again later.

I think it is the 1980 Mariners team photo that Ill probably pick up some day because it featured both Vada Pinson and Bill Mazerozski as coaches and I had my picture taken with both. I love finding the old 70s/80s Mariner stuff too because it reminds me of being a kid and going to the Kingdome for many games in the terrible years before Griffey. First it was Rupe, then Bochte, then AD and Langston before Griffey came along.

mrmopar said:

I have most of the photos Garvey appears in, but finding out they exist can be a challenge. So many SGAs die in obscurity it seems. I have seen a few items that showed up right away with 1-2 copies and then never showed again later.

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I would love to see someone construct an historical team promotion calendar database. Not sure how to go about it. I wonder if a Google Calendar can be shared... [edit - nope, that's no good, while you can search the calendar, it only gives you a total of results, but doesn't actually show them to you. What's the point of a calendar search that just gives results as a quanitity?).


I finally got it posted to my blog. For those having trouble sleeping, here you go:

Player Collecting: Team photos, remember those?