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MWObjective: Authentication of Ichiro’s first game bat.
Step 1: Make phone call and obtain videotape of Mariners’ opening night game for 2001 season.
Step 2: Watch videotape.
Step 3: Compare bat to one in videotape in order to make a positive identification.
Step 4: Authenticate autograph and inscription on bat.
Step 5: Put bat in auction.
This isn’t just about the Ichiro bat. If Mastro Fine Sports Auctions is not willing to do some basic work to properly authenticate a bat from this last baseball season -- one that could have potentially sold for $25,000 to $50,000 -- then what have they been doing with all of their other auction lots? There appears to be a flawed methodology here. If they’re out in left field on the authentication of newer stuff, is there reason to believe that they’re anywhere in the ballpark on some of the much more involved and more complex vintage material????
The comparison of MastroNet to Pete Rose (with respect to selling memorabilia) in the Japan Times article was quite ridiculous. I also thought the “up to 75% of memorabilia is not authentic” quotation was contextually inaccurate since it applied to a series of FBI stings and not auction sales. On the issue of the Ichiro bat, however, Jack Gallagher (the author), was not unfair.