Damaged WWII baseball trophy - Not sure what to do now...

[Topnotchsy]

One of the coolest items I had in my WWII baseball collection was a trophy that former MLBer Barney McCosky received for having the most RBI's in the baseball league they held in Hawaii for troops. I picked as part of a collection of WWII items years ago.

Recently I traded the trophy as part of a deal for a different really cool WWII baseball item, but as you can see in the pictures, it did not survive the trip with USPS.

I had insurance on the package, but the Post Office says regarding filing that there needs to be some substantiation of the value.

I am sure that many people here have dealt with damaged items that did not have any clear market value.

I'd love any thoughts on how to handle the situation.

Thanks

[Duluth Eskimo]

USPS insurance is a joke. You’re not going to get anything. Looks like it can be repaired by a knowledgeable trophy expert, but probably something that now gets to stay in your collection. Not sure what it’s worth, but everything over 1k I send registered mail and overpack it with bubble wrap and packing peanuts. It’s always sad when something that has managed to survive 50-100 years gets trashed by the post office. UPS and FedEx are no different. Good luck

[NiceDocter]

Looks pretty fixable to me. Maybe talk to a local trophy shop for assistance.

[Tigerden]

At least the damage seems very repairable. If the top photo is how it will display after the damage I would epoxy the pieces myself. The value is the McCoskey provenance. Very cool piece! I’m intrigued by the team photo. I have a nice Great Lakes pennant from 1943 with Cohrane.

[murphusa]

Alway take apart a trophy for mailing

[perezfan]

The base can probably be repaired. I would scour eBay for a similar base of that exact size (on a non-baseball trophy of lesser value). There will be many to choose from.

Was the Bat in his hands when you sent it, or did it break off as well? The Batter's arms and body are blocking that space in the lone "before" photo. If the bat broke off, and if you still have it, that will be a tougher repair which will likely require a professional restorer.

If you repair it and want to sell, you'll need to disclose the restoration. So as stated above, perhaps it's now permanently slated for your personal collection. I hope the PO comes through for you, but wouldn't hold my breath.