We called the Las Vegas Club more than a half-dozen times but never got any response, so the best we can offer right now is input from a regular Vegas Club visitor, who writes us, "it is my opinion that there wasn't much left that had real value. [A couple of] autographed jerseys worn by OK players in the Pro Bowl 18 years ago, three or four seats supposedly salvaged from the first Comiskey Park in Chicago, some baseball bats in a display rack. It all looked like stuff that could be easily made in China and sold by a vendor at the local flea market. I think being authenticated as coming from the Las Vegas Club would be the only thing that gave it much value."
This tallies with a report in the now-defunct Las Vegas CityLife weekly, which already in the summer of 2012 had this to say of the collection in a feature about little-known Las Vegas attractions and whether or not they were worth a visit:
"This sports collection is strewn throughout the lobby of the Las Vegas Club, near Tinoco’s, which recently closed. It includes NFL jerseys, boxing photos and a collection of World Series bats from 1946-58.
The collection has some unique items that might appeal to the hardcore sports fan. But the Hall of Fame is poorly lit, and some of the displays are a little ragged. One of the World Series bats had fallen off of its peg. A collection of neat boxing photos couldn’t be seen in the low lights. Still, the image of boxer Lou Nova with two black eyes and a towel wrapped around his head still sticks with me. It’s an interesting image of an obscure fighter. Pretty neat, if that’s your thing.
Is it visit-worthy? Not unless you really like sports and happen to be in the area immediately surrounding the Las Vegas Club.
Be that as it may, we’d appreciate any tips from someone who might know the current whereabouts of the Vegas Club souvenirs, which back in their Hall of Fame heyday, at least, comprised the largest personal collection of sports memorabilia from the past and present in the country and included card collectibles, autographed balls, gloves, bats, and photographs.
