Really! Bat grading is stupid
 

This is what is wrong with this hobby. Here this bat sold couple months ago($1,700), it was graded a PSA 7 and was side written 4-21-32.

Now it shows up again as a PSA 8.5 and in the listing the side written is only shown as 4-21..

http://www.cleansweepauctions.com/it...tem=0000354108

http://catalog.greyflannelauctions.c...-LOT31448.aspx

Well, I certainly would like to know how the same graders raised this bat 1.5 points! Anyone here feel like asking John?

Ken

The numerical system is laughable to begin with. What more do you need than visible side-writing with his name and the date received? Subtracting points for a game used bat showing game use never made sense to me.

Its all BS.Just another way of graders making money. Will never have my bats graded

Interesting, I was expecting to see some restoration that may have raised the grade. Whether a 7 or 8.5, If you want a Lindstrom bat, isn't about the best you can get.. It was returned to the factory by him ( I assume it shows up in his bat orders, I didn't look).

Ok so the bat is beat to hell and ugly, but it is what it is.
Matt

Whoever won it from clean sweep got a pretty good deal. I'm def diggin the bat...

The Lindstrom bat was originally offered by Art Jaffe of Left Field Collectibles. By originally, I mean I had discussed buying the bat from Art back in 2007. I still have the photos he sent me. The email is dated May 1, 2007.

Unfortunately I never put the funds together to buy it and someone else ended up getting it. In a strange twist of events, on the exact same day I found out I missed this early block letter Lindstrom I was offered a signature model version from the mid-30s. It is still in my collection to this day. Tough bat.

We're not questioning whether the bat is real or not. The matter is how can it jump 1.5 in grade. And also why leave out the whole sidewritten date in the auction listing(probably because they want to consider it a rookie era bat instead of a 32 example).

Oh, my bad. Since you could have contacted either Grey Flannel or JT with this question in order to actually get an answer I assumed you had other motives. Especially since your thread title doesn't even mention the bat in question and instead appears to be a thinly veiled attempt to discredit JT and/or the grading process all in one fell swoop.

You're something else Tim. I love how you always defend the people who authenticate bats. I'm not discrediting JT or anything, simply posting how a bat jumps in grades. And I did message grey flannel and they said their get back to me next week after the holiday and I sent john a message yesterday for another question and heard nothing back.

Tim, I'm also curious what your thoughts were on the Black Betsy bat that sold in rea last month. The one that had no factors besides the color of the bat to joe jackson. Yet PSA considered it a game used joe jackson bat.

Where did I defend JT? Point that out to me please.

Added: And you say you aren't discrediting JT, but yet you felt it necessary to start a thread about it on GUU? Even though you have absolutely no REAL information to add to it?

Regarding the REA Jackson bat...did you not read the extensive release about that bat? I got an email all about it on April 21.

Becuse people on GUU actually have talked about bat grading before. So maybe some collectors would like to see how grades change. And the information I add is, the bat changed 1.5 grades in less than 6 months.

I did read that. But it's still not enough proof/evidence that it's Joe jackson bat. Several players used black Betsy back then.

When you say "Black Betsy" are you referring to the J13 model? I just want to be clear.

You had said that all it had was the same color. Are you now saying that it was both the same finish and model as Joe Jackson's preferred model, the J13?

So you don't think it's possible that several players could order the same model? Specially considering we don't have factory records from that time. Really???? Hahahahaha

So I guess the blank barrel bat that I own that is 36 inches long, weight over 38oz, hickory with a large knob. So my bat must be a ruth gamer?

Just because it has a large knob doesn't make it a Ruth model bat. You of all people should know that.

Regarding the Jackson bat, I'm simply going off of what you've said. You said it was only the 'color' that was the same. From what I've read, not only was the finish the same, but the model was Jackson's J13, and the length and weight were within his specs. Outside of that, I'm not the authenticator for PSA so again...why not pose the questions to JT himself?

Because someone has already posed those questions to him(haul of same). Pretty sure the bat only selling for $55,000, proves many people didn't feel comfortable with it.

Yeah...ONLY $55,000. Clearly there are some issues.

Compared to others that sold for $500,000+, then yes $55,000 really ain't that much.

I actually think the whole grading industry is something we could have done without.