Classic Racquet's and Ball Cans ?

[joe sch]

Thought I would take a chance at starting a related topic that goes with Classic Rackets, really wood era.
Back in those days, there were a pretty interesting selection of ball cans which are also very collectible.
Many not be many collectors of ball cans that frequent this forum but take a look and enjoy another interesting part of the vintage tennis era.

 

[2nd Serve Ace]

Sort of look like beer cans.

 

[Ronaldo]

Sort of look like beer cans.

Yesh!

 

[mixtape]

Looked like skinny motor oil cans at first.

 

[Ronaldo]

Looked like skinny motor oil cans at first.

 

[dak95_00]

A couple of years ago I was visiting a school that had been shut down for many years but was still used in the evenings for adult education. This particular year it had been reopened to house another school’s population while their school was being renovated. I entered the physical education closet and there were probably two cases of Penn tennis cans from the 1980s unopened. They were cans and not plastic. I found it humorous that they’d just been sitting there for 30+ years on a shelf.

 

[coachrick]

A couple of years ago I was visiting a school that had been shut down for many years but was still used in the evenings for adult education. This particular year it had been reopened to house another school’s population while their school was being renovated. I entered the physical education closet and there were probably two cases of Penn tennis cans from the 1980s unopened. They were cans and not plastic. I found it humorous that they’d just been sitting there for 30+ years on a shelf.

I played a small part in Dunlop's switch to plastic "cans" at their Hartwell, GA factory. What a difference the switch would make!! Shipping costs were reduced, effort schlepping cases of balls was lessened...the world simply became a better place!!

 

[JW10S]

Thought I would take a chance at starting a related topic that goes with Classic Rackets, really wood era.
Back in those days, there were a pretty interesting selection of ball cans which are also very collectible.
Many not be many collectors of ball cans that frequent this forum but take a look and enjoy another interesting part of the vintage tennis era.

Cool thread--brings back memories. For those old cans you needed to use a little key that was attached to bottom of the can. You broke it free and used to unwind a small strip of metal around the top of the can to unseal it. I know a lot of people cut themselves doing that. But it also pains me a little that companies like Rawlings and Spalding are no longer involved in tennis.

 

[joe sch]

Cool thread--brings back memories. For those old cans you needed to use a little key that was attached to bottom of the can. You broke it free and used to unwind a small strip of metal around the top of the can to unseal it. I know a lot of people cut themselves doing that. But it also pains me a little that companies like Rawlings and Spalding are no longer involved in tennis.

For sure those keywind cans were dangerous as were the pop top cans. Look at a few pix of the early keywind cans ...

 

[joe sch]

I played a small part in Dunlop's switch to plastic "cans" at their Hartwell, GA factory. What a difference the switch would make!! Shipping costs were reduced, effort schlepping cases of balls was lessened...the world simply became a better place!!

Process and material improvement is usually a good change. In the case of hard carbon air shell rackets, Im not in that camp

 

[joe sch]

A couple of years ago I was visiting a school that had been shut down for many years but was still used in the evenings for adult education. This particular year it had been reopened to house another school’s population while their school was being renovated. I entered the physical education closet and there were probably two cases of Penn tennis cans from the 1980s unopened. They were cans and not plastic. I found it humorous that they’d just been sitting there for 30+ years on a shelf.

If they were 1972 or earlier then the balls would be white and more valuable; ITF changed to yellow so the balls would be more visible on television. This is one reason why the early tennis vids look so poor as it was hard to track the ball mvmt. Video technology has also greatly improved.

 

[coachrick]

If they were 1972 or earlier then the balls would be white and more valuable; ITF changed to yellow so the balls would be more visible on television. This is one reason why the early tennis vids look so poor as it was hard to track the ball mvmt. Video technology has also greatly improved.

Spalding had a white "Professional" ball that had colored seams!!! I thought I was SOMEbody when I took those to the courts, only to have them turn a dull green/gray after a short hit.
I remember the first yellow ball I saw...came rolling down from a few courts over. The 'owner' was worried(I think) that they might not get their ball back.
As it got closer to me and I was mesmerized by the color, the owner shouted: "Thank you....THANK you...THANK YOU!!!" until I retrieved and returned their ball.
Those early balls were hardly "optic" yellow and turned green in a hurry on worn asphalt courts.
Ah, the good old days!!!

 

[taylor15]

I played a small part in Dunlop's switch to plastic "cans" at their Hartwell, GA factory. What a difference the switch would make!! Shipping costs were reduced, effort schlepping cases of balls was lessened...the world simply became a better place!!

I’ve been camping in Hartwell GA my whole life! That’s awesome they had a plant there

 

[coachrick]

I’ve been camping in Hartwell GA my whole life! That’s awesome they had a plant there

Yep...tennis ball manufacturing and warehouse in Hartwell; golf ball mfg in Westminster, SC, just 30 minutes up the road...back in the good old days!

 

[Slingerland61]

Those early balls were hardly "optic" yellow and turned green in a hurry on worn asphalt courts.
Ah, the good old days!!!

I remember for a short time there were two-time balls. Optic yellow and green...I think. Really easy to see spin on those.


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[joe sch]

I remember for a short time there were two-time balls. Optic yellow and green...I think. Really easy to see spin on those.


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I have never seen green tennis balls and believe only white and yellow are allowed by the ITF rules.
I do remember seeing a few orange balls.
One thing for sure, white balls are the way to play grass as well as wood rackets.

 

[coachrick]

I remember for a short time there were two-time balls. Optic yellow and green...I think. Really easy to see spin on those.


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The two-tone balls were great for the teaching hopper...I usually made sure I had a few mixed in. Yellow and orange were common with a few other 'novelty' color combos available.
I think Atlanta almost single-handedly sounded the death knell for the two-tone ball when ALTA(Atlanta Lawn Tennis Assoc) disallowed the two-tone ball for league matches. The local sentiment went from: "What a cool idea!" to "Nope...can't use those in matches so I won't use them at all!"