4. "Batter-Up" Wrapper Origins Revealed
In the few encounters that vintage collectors have had with the mysterious baseball-themed wrapper shown here, it has been erroneously linked to the 1934-36 R318 Batter-Up high number series produced by the National Chicle Company.
The manufacturer's imprint on the wrapper and recent research of U. S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) records, however, show conclusively that the wrapper was used in the mid-1930s to distribute candy of a now unknown flavor manufactured by the Paul F. Beich (pronounced "bike") Company of Bloomington, IL.
While the products of both companies were manufactured during the same period, there seems to be little else connecting them. And unfortunately, there is no indication that Beich Company candy included any baseball cards wrapped with the product.
The colorful blue and yellow wrapper measures 3-3/4 by 7-1/2 inches. The text printed below the Batter-Up logo states that the contents weigh three-quarters of an ounce and that the contents were produced by the Beich Company with facilities located in Bloomington and Chicago.
PTO records show that the Batter-Up trademark application was filed in June of 1934 by the Paul F. Beich Company located at "Lumber and Grove Streets" in Bloomington. The trademark was assigned Registration Number 0324458 the following May. The filing, which includes a graphic of the logo as shown here, states that the brand was first used in commerce in April of 1934. The "Goods and Services" category is stated as "candy" but no further product details are provided.
The Paul F. Beich Candy business started in 1892 and the company became a leading producer of candy for fundraisers, as well as the military and NASA.
For many decades, the company oprerated with plants in Bloomington (see postcard at left) and Chicago.
After more than ninety years of family ownership, the company was sold to Nestle Candy Company in 1984 and the operation changed its name to Kathryn Beich Inc., a Nestle Co.
In 1999, the manufacturing and fund-raising units were split. Nestle dropped the Beich name from the plant but kept it for the fundraising products.
Lincolnshire Equity, a New York-based investment fund purchased the Beich fundraising operation in 2002.
A "Beich Candy Wrapper" Profile Page has been added to the Old Cardboard website and the wrapper image has been added to the Gallery of Wrappers page of the Reference section.
5. News Briefs (A Digest of Recent Hobby Happenings)
2011 Show Schedule Updates. Get a head start in making plans for next year's vintage card shows. Most key shows for 2011 (including the 32nd annual National Sports Collectors Convention to be held August 4-8 in Rosemont, IL) have now been added to the Key Events Calendar on the Old Cardboard website.
More on Baseball Gloves. Reader David Cunningham has recently completed a new book, "Baseball Gloves Merge with America's Past," in which he links the evolution of fielders gloves with other early twentieth-century events. The 56-page 8-1/2 by 11-inch book is heavily illustrated in full color and available for $24.99 postpaid. For more information, contact the author at cunn3@frontier.com.
Lyman and Brett Hardeman
Old Cardboard, LLC.
Old Cardboard, LLC. was established in December 2003, to help bring information on vintage baseball card collecting to the hobbyist. Produced by collectors for collectors, this comprehensive resource consists of three components: (1) Old Cardboard Magazine, (2) a companion website at www.oldcardboard.com and (3) this eNewsletter. The Old Cardboard website contains more than 500 pages of descriptive reference information for baseball card sets produced fifty years ago or longer. Each of these set summaries has a direct set-specific link to 
auctions and a similar link to 
's powerful search engine for further research. The website also includes a Show and Auction Calendar, an eBay Top 50 Vintage Sellers List, and much more. As a result, the Old Cardboard website makes a great "Alt-tab" companion for vintage card shoppers and researchers. Old Cardboard eNews provides current hobby news, upcoming shows and auctions, and updates to the website and the magazine. It is published around the middle of each month. For a FREE subscription to the eNewsletter, or for subscription information on Old Cardboard Magazine, please visit the website at www.oldcardboard.com. If you find this information resource helpful, please tell your friends. We need your support and your feedback. Thank you.
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