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Montgomery Ward sold the privately branded Marathon
line of baseball bats, that were made by Hillerich &
Bradsby up until or around the 1960's, and used
different center brands in their history. The Logo
samples pictured below are dated to the approximate
eras they were used. By matching the samples with the logo on your
bat you could approximately date to that era. Although
the total years each label was used has been estimated, they do appear in chronologic
order. Information will be
added as it becomes available. |
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Sample |
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Manufacturing Period
Description |
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| 1910's -1920's Bat
Manufacturing Period |
| This
is the earliest center brans used by Montgomery
Ward line of Marathon baseball bats It
can be positively
identified to the 1910's-1920s era.
The center brand logo is a simple
Shield design with the
brand name
"MARATHON"
(slightly arched) with the word
"TRADEMARK"
below followed by the catalog number at the
bottom. |
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| 1920s - 1934 Bat
Manufacturing Period |
| This
Marathon Shield logo center brand is seemingly
identical to the era before but
"REG.U.S.PAT.OFF." replaces "TRADEMARK" below
the 'MARATHON" brand name which is now aligned
true from left to right with the first two, and
last two letters slightly extended at the
bottom. The catalog number is again at the
bottom. It is uncertain as to the number of
years this logo was used outside of the dating
to the late 1920's. and into the 1930's. |
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| 1935-1940s Bat
Manufacturing Period |
| This center
brand shows up in the 1930's (as identified by
the logo on the 1935 catalog cover below)
-1940's. The Shield logo is no longer used. The
Brand Name "MARATHON" is centered between a
designed Montgomery "M" at the top and a
designed Ward "W" at the bottom. The 4 digit
catalog number (not pictured) is below the
logo. |
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| 1940's-1960s Bat
Manufacturing Period |
| This logo was
used in the 1940's through to the 1960's. The
"MARATHON" brand name is centered in a circle
sandwiched between a Montgomery "M" above and a
Ward "W" below centered between a star on the
left and a star to the right. The top of the
circle reads "SPORTING" the bottom reads
"GOODS" The catalog number is below and outside
the circle. (not pictured) |
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| 1960's-1970s Bat
Manufacturing Period |
| This logo was
used in the 1960's through the 1970's. The
Montgomery "M" and Ward "W" logo is centered in
a circle sandwiched between the Model number
above and "HAWTHORNE" below. |
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| 1960's-1970's Bat
Manufacturing Period |
| Sometime
during the mid 1960's Montgomery Ward no longer
used the Marathon label, but they still used
Hillerich & Bradsby
to manufacture the bats. Specially
branded Hillerich & Bradsby labels with 4
Trapezoidal shapes at each corner giving the
appearance of an oval, were used to be sold at
various department stores and mail order
companies such as Montgomery Ward. The
Montgomery Ward bats can be identified by the
catalog number used, starting with the "60"
prefix. and a "Montgomery Ward Powered"
stamping to the right of the center brand. |
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1970's Bat
Manufacturing Period |
| In the
early 1970s, Montgomery Ward sold a line of
Stan Musial baseball bats with Stan Musial's
signature endorsement inside the center brand
with "Wards" above and "Big League, 60-21400"
or "Little League 60-21402" below, with a
player semi-sig endorsement on the barrel. By
1973 Musial's endorement was removed from the
center brand, replaced with a centered "Big
League," and "60-21405 " below, or "Little
League," and "60-21404" below, with a barrel,
player semi-sig endorsement. |
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| Montgomery Ward History |
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Montgomery Ward is a mail order and department store retailer,
that operated between 1872 and 2000. Montgomery Ward Carried a
Small line of sporting goods through the years that included a
the private labeled Marathon Brand, Hawthorne, &
(Wards/Hawthorne), as well as a Montgomery Ward brand that
included gloves imported from Korea and baseball bats with the
Hillerich & Bradsby Co. branding.
Montgomery
Ward sold the privately branded Marathon line of baseball bats,
that were made by Hillerich & Bradsby up until or around the
1960's. By the 1970's Wards carry a baseball bat line with the
Hillerich & Bradsby department store logo.
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Catalog References |
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Montgomery
Ward
Catalog 1916 |
Montgomery Ward
Catalog 1921 & 1923 |
Montgomery Ward
Catalog 1931 |
Montgomery Ward
Catalog 1935 |
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