[Archive]

Posted By: davidcycleback

My whole bat 2nd opinion story is about an 1800s bat I purchased from one of
the big auction houses. The bat was made in prison and signed, dated and
inscribed by it's maker-- a prisoner serving a life sentence (calls himself 'a
Lifer' in the inscription). Along with the fantastic story around the bat, a
reason I had back of my mind worries about the bat was its condition: It's in
about mint condition. I was planning to resell it and figured I'd better get
a second opinion on the authenticity. I contacted the prison city's historical
society. Without giving any indication how/where I got it, I gave them a description
of the bat, including the tag on the bat. The author of the official history of
the prison, and the president of the society, said the bat was the real deal,
with the tag indicating it was made inside the prison by a prisoner. Naturally,
this was a second opinion I was happy to hear.