Genuine Vintage 1960s 1970s New York Yankees Pro KM Game Used Baseball Cap For Sale

Genuine Vintage 1960s 1970s New York Yankees Pro KM Game Used Baseball Cap. This cap was purchased in an estate sale a few years ago. No history on the cap, but it is an all original genuine vintage professional game used Yankees cap made by PRO KM. There is a 27 in black marker written underneath the cap\'s bill. The cap is in great condition with no stains, rips, tears or holes. The cap was folded in half to put in the pocket of the baseball player so the bill\'s hard board was cracked in half. It did not break through the cloth. The stitching on top of the bill is slightly tattered. Rare offering on .
Here is what I found on the history of PRO KM cap maker on the internet by prosportscollectors

Tim McAuliffe and KM Pro

Tim McAuliffe got his start as a distributor of caps in the late 1930\'s. He was first to sell caps with buckram stiffener behind the front of the crown. I\'m not sure which company made those early caps for McAuliffe as he was not a manufacturer. Tim McAuliffe\'s rise to prominence began around 1940 when he became distributor to the Red Sox, first for Spalding jerseys, then Wilson jerseys later in the 1940\'s. He began distributing caps made by Spalding, and also started his own cap label, with some McAuliffe caps distributed by Mitchell & Ness. By 1949 or 1950 McAullife caps were made exclusively by The Leslie Company, owned by Jacob Kaufman, and sold under the Tim McAullife label (the 24 Lincoln St. address was added to tags in 1951). And by 1952 he had an exclusive deal with Stall and Dean (established 1898) to make jerseys under the Tim McAullife Inc. label.

In 1952, McAullife and Kaufman introduced the \"KM Pro\" model, KM meaning Kaufman-McAuliffe. In 1953 Kaufman applied for the KM Pro trademark, and from July 1953 onward caps had \"KM Pro\" stamped into the sweatband. With demand growing fast, some McAuliffe caps were made by New Era in the late 50\'s-early 60\'s. From the mid- 1950\'s to mid- 1960\'s, Tim McAuliffe (and Wilson) caps were the dominant brands used by MLB teams. However, by the late 1960’s, New Era (maker of Wilson caps) had gained the largest share of the MLB cap business under both the Wilson and New Era labels.

Tim McAuliffe\'s business closed in late 1968 or early 1969 when Mr. McAuliffe passed.

The Leslie Company and KM Pro

Jacob Kaufman\'s newly formed Leslie Company took over Spalding\'s cap making business around 1949 or 1950. He soon partnered with Tim McAuliffe, who was rapidly gaining business as a distributor to MLB teams, and by 1953 the pair had introduced the KM Pro model cap to MLB (side note - Kaufman also patented the cardboard insert in 1956). In addition to making caps under the McAuliffe label, KM Pro caps were distributed by Mitchell & Ness into the mid-1950\'s, and were manufactured for Wilson. From the mid-1950\'s to mid-1960\'s KM Pro caps were used by every team at some point. After Tim McAuliffe closed in 1969, Leslie continued making caps for MLB teams, changing the McAuliffe label to a KM Pro label. But in the early 1970\'s, New Era had virtually taken over the cap market. KM Pro closed in late 1976, and its equipment was sold to New Era, to statup Devon Professional Cap, and to Roman Art which then started the Roman Pro cap label.

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