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DDThere have been legitimate game used bats, balls, helmets, etc. with provenance that would satisfy the most discriminating of collectors. That appears to be a small percentage of all the items sold. For the larger percentage, it may be more appropriate to clearly indicate that it is game used, but cannot be attributed to the specific player.
Bottom line is it is all best estimation, outside of the few that can be legitimately traced back to a player. The auction houses and the authenticators should share the responsibility in conveying this.
There was a Black Betsy bat auctioned about two months ago, by Vintage Authentics I believe, where they said it was a Shoeless Joe Jackson bat. Black Betsy was a style of bat as well, and you could not pay me enough to believe it was actually Shoeless Joe's bat, no matter who said it was.
I think that buyers may also confuse opinions from experts with fact. Given the best information available, it is my opinion that this is an authentic, game used, such and such, is a lot different than definitively stating that this belonged to a specific person.
While Dave Bushing is a respected authority on the subject, and according to Robert Planich, has access to factory records that no one else does, it is still a crapshoot on whether the item is real.
If you have the desire, drive, need, or whatever, and must or want to have game used equipment, just be aware that you may not be paying for what you actually get.
Although you may think that Ted Williams used all the bats that had his name on it, that show game use, for which factory and order records exist, it could be that Al Zarilla or Carroll Hardy used it once, leaving Ted to feel it was jinxed, and retire it to his locker.