Help needed with dating Gloves...

[frikativ54]

I've been having some difficulty dating some 1990s Louisville Slugger TPX fielding gloves. The few I've seen or owned have had one star on the back, four stars, and five stars on the back. I've heard that these stars have to do with when these gloves were made - and thus used. Does anyone have some more information? Below are more thorough descriptions of some of the features of these gloves.

On the one-star glove, the pocket reads "TPX Tournament Players Series" and to the right, "Horween USA Leather." One five-star glove reads "TPX Pro" in the pocket, with a circle around it. The right side says, "Genuine Steerhide Leather." Another five-star glove reads "TPX Tournament Players Series" in the pocket and "Horween USA Leather" on the right side. Finally, a four-star glove reads "TPX Pro" in the pocket and "Horween USA Leather" on the right side.

If anyone can give me help with this, I'd greatly appreciate it. I'd really like to date these gloves and figure out when they were used.

[camarokids]

Maybe BMH can help?
The stars do not make sense.
I have a glove used in 2004 with five stars on it.

[frikativ54]

Maybe BMH can help?
The stars do not make sense.
I have a glove used in 2004 with five stars on it.

I heard that originally the stars were a year code, but eventually, they made all the new ones produced have five stars.

How does one get a hold of BMH? I contacted Louisville Slugger four or five days ago, yet I have heard nothing back.

Has anybody cracked the code?

[frikativ54]

I contacted LVS Customer Service via phone, and I had much better luck that way. They did some research, and I obtained the following information:

"The stars were used as year indicators in a 5 year cycle. So 1991 & 1996 had 1 star, 1992 & 1997 had 2 stars, 1993 & 1998 had 3 stars, 1994 & 1999 had 4 stars, 1995 & 2000 had 5 stars. This star system was last used in 2001."

For one of my mitts, it was shipped between January and March of 1996. However, it had a 1995 date code - 5 stars - because it was still in LVS's 1995 fiscal year.

As for the fiscal year and how it impacts other TPX glove dating, I have yet to receive an answer. I'll update this thread, if I hear anything back.

Hope this helps.