2023 Holiday Gift Guides: Gifts for the Sportsman



This is a very scarce WWI Work Relief Fund college football poster featuring the Harvard Radios competing against the Princeton Aviators. The game, held on November 23, 1918, was a benefit football game to raise money for the war effort. The poster dynamically depicts two football players mid-action. Below, the names of the teams are printed in yellow, with the date, location of the game, and ticket information printed in contrasting white. The Harvard Radios, composed of both Harvard and Boston College students, were victorious over the Princeton Aviators 28-0. Such a cool find, this poster is handsomely presented in a leather-wrapped frame. 

The most celebrated golfers of the 20th century are captured together in this magnificent one-of-a-kind golf signature collectible collage. Presented are the authentic signatures of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson, and Sam Sneed. All elite players, these men amassed record Masters and PGA titles, elevated and progressed the game of golf, and captivated the attention and admiration of generations of fans. How special would this be to gift to your favorite golfer? 

For the ultimate racing fan, this is the perfect gift- an original Le Mans movie poster.  Le Mans, starring actor Steve McQueen and directed by Lee H. Katzin, is a film based on the 24 hours of 1970 Le Mans race. While primarily fiction, the film features actual footage from the 1970 Le Mans race and captures one of the most iconic, evocative eras in motorsports. McQueen wanted this movie to introduce a wider audience to the world of racing he so dearly loved, and although the movie ended up way over budget, the resulting footage has since been celebrated as fitting tribute to the world racing. 

Presented is a typed letter signed by one of the greatest football coaches of all time, Knute Rockne. Dated October 20, 1927, this signed letter is typed on Rockne’s personal letterhead and was written while coaching the Fighting Irish in Notre Dame, Indiana. Thanks to Rockne’s coaching efforts, he established the school as a major player in college football. In his 13 years as the leader of Notre Dame, his teams went 105-12-5, making his .881 winning percentage one of the highest in history. Rockne introduced the box formation and influence blocking, and made the game more exciting for spectators with a strategy that emphasized deception and speed. Fans of Notre Dame and Knute Rockne will all go crazy for this piece of college football history. 



Presented is an original autograph of Honus Wagner, one of baseball’s greatest all-around players and one of the first five players inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. A signed and dated card bearing his autograph, this is a special piece of sports memorabilia. The card reads, “J. Honus Wagner/ Pirates 1938” in looping black script. The date indicates this card was signed when Wagner was a coach of the Pittsburgh Pirates, rather than a player. Wagner was coach of the Pirates from 1933 to 1951. 

A fun piece of baseball history, this vintage Johnny Walker Baseball Glove would look great on a bookshelf or a home office. Dating to the early 1960s, this glove has a barrel web design and laced fingers. The model number is visible along the heel pad of the glove “Johnny Walker Model No. FG-202.” It is stamped with “Pre-Formed Pocket” in the glove’s pocket, “Professional Model” along the thumb, and “Full Grain Cowhide” along the little finger. The glove has a Johnny Walker red embroidered tag along the wrist strap. 

Consider gifting this signed, early printing of James J. Corbett’s the Roar of the Crowd: The Rise and Fall of a Champion. A delightfully written autobiography of the famous boxer’s career, the book begins with Corbett’s first fight as a child and ends with the aftermath of his last fight. Two separate inscriptions are pasted on the book’s first end pages. The first reads, “Sincerely, Jas J. Corbett April 25/28.” while the second reads, “To my dear friend Judge Corbett with warmest regards, Jas J. Corbett April 25/28.” James J. Corbett is considered by many to be the father of modern boxing. Any fan of boxing will love this signed autobiography.

This is a really impressive and attractive piece of baseball memorabilia. This collage features a typed letter signed by baseball’s Walter Johnson, a reproduction scorecard from the 1924 World Series, and a photo of Johnson in his uniform. All elements are framed and matted together in a custom-built frame. Walter Johnson was one of the original "Immortal Five", the original inductees to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. An impressive and accomplished athlete, he established numerous pitching records, some which still hold today.

Izaak Walton continued to add to the original book for a quarter of a century.  Though intended in part as a practical guide for fishermen, the lasting influence of The Compleat Angler stems from its qualities as a work of literature: it is arguably the best long prose-pastoral in English.  The discourse between Piscator and Venator as Piscator teaches Venator how to bait a hook, catch varied species of freshwater fish, and cook them, is enriched with songs and poems, folklore, recipes, anecdotes, moral meditations, quotes from the Bible and from classic literature, and lore about fishing and waterways.  Edited by George A.B. Dewar, this handsome 1902 “Winchester Edition” is based on the text of the 1676 fifth edition and is ready to gift to your favorite fisherman!