1980s Think Big Store Babe Ruth Louisville Slugger Baseball Bat

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About the Item

Tremendous think big baseball bat. Replica of the famous Louisville Slugger baseball bat. Signed with George Herman Ruth's (Babe Ruth) burn in signature, circa 1980. Very good original condition. Measures: 99" high. The store was a joint endeavor by two friends, an artist Phyllis Prinz and a business man Robert Malkin. The two, who had an affinity for collecting oversized antique display pieces, opened their store against the advice of friends and experts. The product line started with a small offering consisting of giant 6 foot pencils and replicas of giant 5-foot Crayola crayons.[1] The entrepreneurs had great success and expanded into a nationwide catalog retail concept. The Think Big! product line grew to offer over 100 different larger-than-life objects. With the added success of catalog sales many franchise locations began to open across the country as the pop art style caught on through the 1980s. The unique creations have been featured in many films including Forrest Gump and Big both starring Tom Hanks. Think Big flourished in the 1980s, when the scaled-up aesthetic was popular. Other companies, such as Swatch, also created comically large versions of their wares. In the early 1990s the retailer was at its peak and was sold to the high-end art gallery firm Martin Lawrence Galleries. The gallery already had many retail locations and attracted the interest of pop art fans with their huge collection of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein artwork. However, the Think Big franchise stores began to disappear, subject to high-rent retail locations and increased expense for catalog production.

Creator:
Phyllis Prinz (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 99 in (251.46 cm)Diameter: 4.5 in (11.43 cm)
Style:
Post-Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Ash
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
1980-1989
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1980
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Very good original condition.
Seller Location:
Garnerville, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU1236213573772

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