1800s Baseball Bat
 

Seller described this bat as mid 1800s but also stated it's about 120 years old:confused: Anyways at over $500 is that about average price for such a bat today? My guess is the bat was closer to 1860-70s. Is that accurate? I was sure my snipe close to $400 was gonna get her:( First snipe I've ever placed FWIW

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...vip=true&rt=nc

depends whether there is a manufacturer or any stamping on it...also...the round knob/mushroom knob is very desirable and increases the cost/value! I'd guess late 19th c...maybe even early 20th c.

No markings according to seller.

could be a farm tool handle too..

Based on the straight taper and the ball knob, I'd date it 1860-70. Nice bat. I was thinking of bidding on it myself.

John

I thought it went a bit high for what it is. I was thinking $350 - $400 would get it.

Pretty neat looking Bat though.

"I thought it went a bit high for what it is. I was thinking $350 - $400 would get it."


My thoughts as well. I thought maybe $300.

John

Looks good
 

The squared barrel end scared me off a little bit. It almost looked hacked off as opposed to a natural/original ending to the barrel. I'm sure it was probably ok, but the provided photo just made it look funny with a slightly slanted cut, and looking a bit unnatural.

Michael,

I know it's been almost half a year since that auction, but I was the winner! Here is the funny thing, your snipe bid should have taken it home EASILY! I had the high bid, and as I was riding down the interstate in the car, I was watching closely, as I really wanted the bat. I told myself I wouldn't go any higher than $250.

Well, as the auction went under a minute, 20 seconds actually, the bid was rapidly approaching $250. I talked myself into a bid of $280. Here is the funny thing (not so funny at the time), I was using ebay mobile on my phone so it took a few more seconds to bring up the bid window, so I was typing really fast and knew I only had a few seconds to get the little higher bid in. Anyway, in all my haste, I didn't look closely before I hit confirm bid.

And then, BOOM! I see the winning bid was 510.00, and at first I said, wow that went high, only to then realize I had won.

When I had placed the bid, I was in such a hurry, and didn't pay attention to where I placed the decimal point, so I accidentally put in a bid of $2800!!! OOPS!

At first I was really pissed at myself, but when I got the bat, I was super excited. I'm not a bat expert and don't really have any idea of the actual age of the bat. I'm just starting to amass a collection of baseball memorabilia. Bats are my first priority as they just interest me so much. I wanted to start my collection with a bat from the early early years, so a hand made bat made sense to me.

So is it worth $500? Who knows, but now I have a fun story and a great beginning piece to my collection.

Good Story
 

Oh wow what a story indeed! I'm glad it found a good home without costing you any more than it did. Nice bat to start your collection off with BTW. If you care to share all of us here at net54 love pics and would definately enjoy pics of this bat as well. Enjoy, Michael

I've done that a few times as well. At some point we'll here the story of an underbidder who bid $2,700 by accident!!!

Pics
 

I will definitely post some pics for you guys when I get home. I'm out of town for a few days. I, too, like pics. I get pretty jealous of a lot of the collections on here. I am a high school teacher that doesn't have a ton of disposable income. So my collection is slowly, very slowly starting.

I like the Cigs, Hendricks! Those are pretty cool.

-Mitch

The bat may be a Massachusett's style bat if it has the same handle as mine. It is hard to see if it is or the mushroom style. The first bat in the picture is the Massachusett's style and the fourth one is a mushroom style. Sorry for the bad picture from the book.

What book is this from??

Here it is.

Dynarl,

It looks more like the massachusetts style bat, but given the page seam and grainy photo, i can't be exact. However, I don't think it is a true mushroom style like the one pictured, in that it doesn't have a distinct ridge where the mushroom "attaches" to the handle. It's more of a smooth transition like the 'Mass style.

Also, I remember the guy in the auction said he bought it at a flea market in Kansas, and that the person that sold it to him picked it up at an estate sale in Nebraska. I know it's a bunch of he said she said, but being from Nebraska, I was excited to get it.

Can't wait to post pics in a few days and see what you guys think! I really hope its not a farm tool!

Mitleth I've been told my bat is a Railroad bat that is made out of a Railroad tool. I think your bat was made out of some kind of tool and there were different kinds of tools. Mine has the letters N.Y.C.S. and it is 32" long. Hope this helps looking forward to more pictures. D.

Pics!
 

Here are some extra pics of the bat. I don't think it is a worn down ring bat. I also don't see any evidence that there was ever any markings on the bat.

Open to any new info on maybe what type of bat it is/age. Not terribly worried about it, as I am really happy with it, but am always curious.

Also have never attached pics on here before. No idea how clear/big they will be.

Thanks!



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Interesting thread. I just picked us an NYCS bat that is also 32" in length. Not sure if it was ever used as a baseball bat, but still a cool piece.

N.Y.C.S. bat
 

Here is my N.Y.C.S. bat. I have been told it is a Railroad bat and I bought it at a booth that had all Railroad items at an antique mall. Seeing your bat makes me wonder if the N.Y.C.S. could stand for New York City Schools:D

I really have no idea, but I just found this blog on the New York Central System (NYCS). An interesting mystery :)

http://nycshs.blogspot.com/2008/05/n...d-history.html

a lot of farm and industrial tools were made of wood. Back in the day, when something broke it was saved and used for other things. Here is an 1909 Appleton Car Mover Co Steampunk Industrial Railroad Tool. If the metal workings on the end broke off and the owner/user round and squared off the end, well then it might be something a collector might think is a baseball bat.

It is my opinion that none of the items displayed on these 3 pages are baseball bats. Not saying someone didn't use any of them as a 2nd use item as a bat. And yes maybe when they broke on the job the boys didn't use them as a bat on their lunch hours, but they were not made as such.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y20...ps09b8e301.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y20...psef7ff31a.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y20...psd33be745.jpg

The Spalding "Wagon Tongue" bats were actually made from Broken or unused Wagon Tongues. Spalding would advertise in newspapers that they would BUY Wagon Tongues to make their bats out of! So famers weren't the only ones making Bats from other wooden items, AG Spalding made a fortune doing it on a big scale too!

Here is mine. Proably 31". Cracked handle which i think makes it a bat. Kind of an oval shape.

Chris,

I have an almost identical bat to yours, labeled NYCRR, with the same dimensions. It was not uncommon for these railroad tool handles to be used as bats back then.

John

But the farm/railroad tool can be purchased for $1.00 to $200.00. But because it was broken and reused as a baseball bat does not make it a $500 to $1000.00 item

The fact that Spalding was a bat maker and took a wagon tongue and repurposed it as a bat and marked it as such is a different story

Most if not all Spalding Wagon Tongue bats that I have handled were 34" to
42"

Most of the pictured railroad bats are 32" which even for the time would be considered a child's or young adult bat

A 42" spalding wagon tongue would awesome! Did you sell it or do you still have it?
Matt

sold about 8 years ago. weighed close to 50 oz's

I bought this as a bat but who knows. It's not the shorter 31-32 but 42". The end has been cut on. No markings on it. What do you think? Railroad tool?

Any idea what it weighs Clint?

It's around 48 oz.

Super nice bat Clint. What's the diameter of the barrel?

John

On these items that were converted to bats from other items, there should be some markings on them to show where the grain run is. Maybe not a manufactures logo, but an X or other marks to show the side of the bat to be used for hitting. Also if it was used as a bat there would also be markings constant to hitting a ball on the barrel

Thanks John. The barrel is 7.5" around.

And it was marked "Spalding"?

went back to find email of description from when I sold it.

42 inch 48.6 oz on postal scale

Spalding Wagon Tongue which was split on either side of spalding logo

Clint,

Here's a pic of one of my bats from roughly the same period with an egg knob, 38" long and about the same barrel diameter as yours

John