I’ve had, maybe, three inquiries this year from readers wanting to know the value of their old clubs. In decades past, I might have gotten that many in less than a week.
But times and interests change.
For example, those Jack Nicklaus or Tommy Armour blades circa 1950 and 1960 that could command $500 to $800 from collectors simply don’t appear to have that much appeal any more. A really pristine set might arouse some interest, but since the pros are now playing forgiving sticks with high-tech shafts and changing irons or woods every year or so, the market seems to have gone soft.
The key to the old classic club market was the touring pros. If they carried a vintage club, collectors coveted one like it.
As far as I can tell today’s golfers are more interested in finding sticks that will improve their games tomorrow than collecting the golden oldies of yesterday.
To make matters worse, at least from the classic clubbers point of view, pros are changing clubs and brands like day-old shirts.
The Nicklaus VIP irons of the late 1960s had a mystique about them. They were the clubs that Jack used to win most, if not all, of his major titles. And MacGregor’s Tommy Armour irons of the late 1950s and early 1960s were big with the touring pros in the 1970s, and thereby became instant, expensive collectables.
I remember reading an article in a national golf publication that quoted a dealer in classics that he could sell toilet paper for a premium if each tissue had Tommy Armour’s name on it.
All of today’s mass-produced irons, hybrids, fairway clubs and drivers are of such exceptionally high quality that I believe the average golfer could buy pretty much buy the same sticks used by the pros off the rack in a pro shop or golf store. That excludes the pros who want their clubs specially tweaked for weight, lofts or lies.
I am certainly not an authority on great old clubs. But I did dabble in the market several decades ago when many of the “classic” clubs were commanding high prices. Some of those classics popular at the time were MacGregor M85 irons and drivers, Wilson’s “Designed by Arnold Palmer” putters and original 8802 and 8813 putters, and some of Spalding’s sand wedges.
But any expertise that I had came from my main guru, the late Dan Hite of Springfield, and from classic-club newsletters or articles in golf magazines.
Dan always cautioned me about buying class clubs: “The value of any club is whatever someone will pay.” That proved correct more than once.
Occasionally you would hear of a collector striking gold. Hite did it. He was working in his golf club repair shop one Friday afternoon when a young man walked in and offered to sell a set of MacGregor Tommy Armour 845 irons. Dan glanced at them and offered the fellow $400. The guy readily agreed and Hite paid.
Later, when Dan examined the clubs more closely, he discovered the name “Ben Hogan” stamped on the back instead of “Tommy Armour.” He had never seen or heard of that variation before and called the MacGregor Co. He was contacted about an hour later by an executive who told him that the clubs had been built specifically for Hogan. Actually, there was one set built for Hogan and one for an anonymous friend. Both sets apparently had the same serial number.
About a month later, a collector contacted Hite and offered to buy the clubs for $10,000. Needless to say, Dan took the money. But he always wondered if that particular set had been in Hogan’s bag for a tournament.
I became hooked on the classics when I bought an old set of MacGregor M85 irons from Dan. I couldn’t hit them a lick, but they were nice to look at. With my limited pocketbook, I never got into the category of a “player” in the classic club game. For instance, I never owned a set of 68-69 Nicklaus VIP irons or a George Lowe Bristol Wizard 600, a putter than could get up to $2,000. I just bought classic clubs to play with them, not to hide them in a closet.
Eventually, I discovered that many of the coveted classics weren’t as playable as the modern clubs. I did have a set of McGregor Tommy Armour irons from the 1950s that were as good as any sticks I have ever owned. But a guy with a wad of bills and my own greed took them away from me.
I remained a collector for several years until just before the Japanese got out of the market in the late 1980s or early 1990s. I got rid of my collection about that time.
Collecting was fun, but my discretionary money was too limited. My only real disappointment was that I never found a set of 1991-1992 MXD irons by Accumark. I had tracked down a couple of sets of 2 through sand wedge twice only to see someone buy them an hour or so before I got there. Interestingly, those clubs were hard to find, but never achieved the status of classics.
If you decide to begin collecting classic clubs remember that the market has changed and may not be as broad or deep as 30 years ago. And always keep in mind Dan Hite’s sage comment: “The value of any club is whatever someone will pay.”
Points leaders
Les Taylor won the Joplin City Champion seniors title and finished second as a senior at Briarbrook’s Invitational to maintain his hold on first place in the Range Line Golf Center’s Area Golfer of the Year senior competition. He has amassed 225 points.
Moving into second place is Jim Lucas, who won the Briarbrook event to earn 135 points.
Others scoring points are Dan Tourtelot, 105; Bob McKay, 90; Jim Weaver, Dave Tourtelot and Lou Rapalino (tie), 80; Terry Key, 75; Frank Jacobs and Chad Walker (tie), 70; Chuck Land, 60; Goose Garritson, 55; Daryl Deel, 45; and Tim Old, 20.
Leading the regular (under 50 years of age) division is Andrew Maier, 170 points. Tug Baker has 150. Evan Wood and Ethan Hutcherson are tied with 135 points.
Others with points are Andy Franklin, 80; Bill Curry and John Robinson III (tie), 70; Corey Clingon, 50; Brian Black and Chris Patterson, 35.
Couples event
The Beauty & the Beast four-person couples scramble will be played July 21-22 at Briarbrook Golf Course.
Entry fee is $150 per couple for members with cart, $190 per couple for members without cart and $250 per couple for non-members. Entries and payment should be mailed to Briarbrook Golf Course, P.O. Box 346 , Carl Junction, Mo. 64834. For more information call 417-649-6777. The field will be limited to the first 60 paid teams.
Shotgun starts are scheduled at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. both days. Championship and A flights will tee off in the afternoon on Sunday. All other flights will tee off in the morning.
Sports
June 30, 2012
Goodwin: The value of any club is whatever someone is willing to pay
- High School Sports
- Missouri Southern Sports
- Pittsburg State Sports
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Younger Joplin team regains Women's Horton Smith Cup
Globe/T. Rob Brown Jill West launches her teeshot during Tuesday's singles action in the Women's Horton Smith Cup matches at Briarbrook Golf Course.
So much for first-time jitters.
Continued ... - Skyler Bowlin signs with Austrian league team
- Carthage halts Miners' winning streak
- Outlaws earn doubleheader split against Chillicothe
- Former MSSU pitcher Grant Conrad beginning career as pro umpire
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