I certainly don't want to come off as defensive, but I did want to address the Black Betsy question. I've been working in sports auctions exclusively for twelve years and the bat has some of the strongest provenance I've ever encountered. You have numerous sources discussing the unusual curve of the Black Betsy. You have photos of Jackson with the bat. There are newspaper articles dating over decades. There is the will, and the letter from the heir. The notion that Jackson saved two very distinctively curved bats with early Spalding imprints for over four decades but that he and his family only acknowledged the existence of one seems astronomically improbable. We all know that PSA/DNA doesn't throw around GU 10 grades without good reason. Any smart collector knows that a little skepticism is a good thing, but this is evidence even the OJ and Casey Anthony jurors couldn't ignore. In other words, we'll take that "heavy sum" action. I'll be looking to retire in twenty years.
__________________
Thank you,
Jonathan Scheier
Cataloger - Consignment Director
Heritage Auctions (
www.HA.com)
JonathanS@HA.com
1-800-872-6467 X1314
placed in the thread by Jim Johnson