I didn't know a piece of fabric could be this expensive...

[Sean1125]

Does anyone else feel this price is absolutely ridiculous?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-Nationa...40927888345%26

[Michael B]

That is a piece of a baseball. I don't get it. Unless they cut up a baseball signed by Johnson, how could they prove this.

[packs]

Looks like a piece of a baseball to me too.

[CW]

Sold for just over $900. If nothing else, at least it's nice to know modern collectors can still appreciate a player like Walter Johnson. Still hate seeing historical balls/jerseys being cut up, though.

[deadballfreaK]

I have to go puke.

[JBird]

the thing that sells this card is its rarity. the card is serial numbered to 5 that makes the price jump quite a bit. the pieces they insert in the cards that are vintage come from the baseball archives but on the back of the card it usually says something along the lines of this was a game used ball that we cannot guarantee was used by this player in any specific game. its like the jersey swatch cards. only the company knows where it came from. could be a warm up jersey, a spring training or reg season jersey. thats why those dont sell as high unless it is multi colored and serial numbered. the big GU cards right now are the bat knobs.

[Hankphenom]

What is this? And who says?

[glchen]

Originally Posted by JBird

the thing that sells this card is its rarity. the card is serial numbered to 5 that makes the price jump quite a bit. the pieces they insert in the cards that are vintage come from the baseball archives but on the back of the card it usually says something along the lines of this was a game used ball that we cannot guarantee was used by this player in any specific game. its like the jersey swatch cards. only the company knows where it came from. could be a warm up jersey, a spring training or reg season jersey. thats why those dont sell as high unless it is multi colored and serial numbered. the big GU cards right now are the bat knobs.

FYI, some of those bat knobs are no good. See: Link

[freakhappy]

Put a serial number on a card these days and the rest is history

[Shoele$$]

Originally Posted by freakhappy

Put a serial number on a card these days and the rest is history

Exactly, it's a complete joke. I personally would never bid on garbage like this, with no real trail of evidence to prove where this "scrap piece" came from, but that's just me.

[jhs5120]

Originally Posted by Shoele$$

Exactly, it's a complete joke. I personally would never bid on garbage like this, with no real trail of evidence to prove where this "scrap piece" came from, but that's just me.

I guess they're just like the Helmar reprint cards - complete garbage solely sold for their aethstetic appeal. Was the swatch worn by whoever? Maybe not, but it's a collectable for other reasons as well.

Now, I am not arguing for or against defacing a relic. Personally, I have no problem with swatches used by current players - those jerseys are a dime a dozen, but cutting up a Ty Cobb bat, or Walter Johnson jersey just seems wrong.

[brob28]

Originally Posted by Michael B

That is a piece of a baseball. I don't get it. Unless they cut up a baseball signed by Johnson, how could they prove this.

Agreed Mike. Even if they could prove it. Once it's cut up into a quarter inch piece it looses all value and interest to me.

[Runscott]

Do any of you really believe that some company bought a baseball used by Walter Johnson in an actual baseball game, and then cut it up in to little pieces?

First of all, such balls are rare - anyone know of any?

This has a 99.9% chance of being bullshit.

[Michael B]

These cards are like the Franklin Mint of sports collectables. When I see someone pay $13,000+ for an Andrew Luck signed card 1/1 it makes me wonder. Do they think they are going to recoup their money on that 'investment'? You could buy a document signed by Abraham Lincoln for that amount of money. You could also assemble a nice Football, Baseball, Basketball or Hockey HOF autograph collection for that. You may not get everyone, but you could still have a very nice collection.

[JollyElm]

Originally Posted by Runscott

Do any of you really believe that some company bought a baseball used by Walter Johnson in an actual baseball game, and then cut it up in to little pieces?

First of all, such balls are rare - anyone know of any?

This has a 99.9% chance of being bullshit.

Why is your estimate so low?? I'd personally put it at a 99.99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999% chance of BS.

[JBird]

i agree with all of you and as a modern collector i am not into the jersey swatches, bat slivers, etc. im trying to actually dump most of the ones i have pulled from the packs. the autos seem legit tho. topps has been kind enough to back up their authenticity by posting pictures of the players actually signing the cards or stickers for the cards.
i did have 1 crazy thought tho. what if i could collect enough jersey swatches to pull them all out of the card (they are worthless anyways even the jumbos dont sell high) and make a t-shirt out of all those pieces?
crazy? yes. could it work? might just have to find out.
im gonna copyright this idea. theres gotta be some crazy guy that will buy that shirt right???

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

I am mixed. I think game used stuff is cool but could never afford a Johnson game used item. Something like this would even be a stretch for my budget. However, I don't like the idea of destroying the historical artifact.

[BobC]

I don't collect this new stuff either but, this Panini 2012 National Treasure product just came out last week with each box/tin, whatever you want to call it containing only 8 cards. I undersatnd that every single card is a game used relic card, an auto card or some combination. They are pretty much all sold out at the distributors from what I've heard and the boxes/tins are selling in the $400 range right now, if you can find one. I was actually at a small card show this past Sunday and a dealer in the Cleveland area had two cases of this stuff left and wanted to get more. He told me in the past week he sold one box/tin to a guy who opened it in front of him and pulled a 1/1 Walter Johnson autograph/ball card, and speculated it was worth in the $2K-$3K range. The signature was actually from a signed baseball and Panini apparently cut the ball up and put the cut signature off it on this one card. I'm guessing the card the OP is referencing are the remaining pieces of material from that same ball. If so, still not sure how they can guarantee it is game used ball that Johnson used. All they could assert is that it is from a ball that he at least touched and signed. Plus, over $900 for that undocumented piece of ball leather is absurd. If that is the case, then the actual signed piece of ball should go for a heck of a lot more than $2K-$3K. By the way, someone already pulled a Joe Jackson bat knob card from this new issue and it was already sold on Ebay for a best offer of $10K. Unbelievable!!!!!!

[Shoele$$]

Originally Posted by Michael B

These cards are like the Franklin Mint of sports collectables. When I see someone pay $13,000+ for an Andrew Luck signed card 1/1 it makes me wonder. Do they think they are going to recoup their money on that 'investment'?

It boggles my mind as well, same thing with the guy who dropped $16,000 on an Andrew Luck Chrome Superfractor last year. He will NEVER see that $16,000 again as it will only go down from here. It's the silliest trend in modern card collecting. It doesn't matter how "rare" these new shiny cards are or how great that particular player plays, they will never retain their value over time like vintage cards.

[deadballfreaK]

I have Babe Ruth's drawers from 1925 when he was so drunk he crapped himself. (been there, done that). Do I sell the whole thing for $1 mil or do we just slice it up and let everyone enjoy?

[Jlighter]

Originally Posted by deadballfreaK

I have Babe Ruth's drawers from 1925 when he was so drunk he crapped himself. (been there, done that). Do I sell the whole thing for $1 mil or do we just slice it up and let everyone enjoy?

The Hand Of Babe Ruth sold for over 200,000. The Crap Of Babe Ruth has to sell for at least double(deuce).

[quinnsryche]

Why does anyone even bother to post about these type cards here? It's just a anger filled hate fest every time. We get it, you guys HATE mem cards. I'd like to see an I hate T206s thread. The poster would probably get death threats.:

[D. Bergin]

Is this the same Panini card company that originates out of Italy?

[Sean1125]

Originally Posted by quinnsryche

Why does anyone even bother to post about these type cards here? It's just a anger filled hate fest every time. We get it, you guys HATE mem cards. I'd like to see an I hate T206s thread. The poster would probably get death threats.:

I don't mind the cards at all... I am talking about the price for a 1x2 piece of fabric

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Hankphenom

What is this? And who says?

C'mon Hank. It's a piece of leather from something and it could be what they say.

[Sean1125]

This may seem like an odd question but I am simply interested in whether it is possible...

Could these companies by class-action suited if they couldn't prove the provenance on the pieces of memorabilia inserted into cards that specifically say game used?

[packs]

I know I'd be upset if I paid that much money.

[CW]

How about $1600 and counting for a Jim Thorpe button???

[Leon]

Originally Posted by CW

How about $1600 and counting for a Jim Thorpe button???

Wow, almost makes me want to sell his card and get one of those!!@ > I guess they have provenance?
But when stepping back a second, and being devil's advocate, why couldn't this button-card be enjoyed as much, or more, than something else? (again, just for arguments sake).

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Leon

Wow, almost makes me want to sell his card and get one of those!!@ > I guess they have provenance?
But when stepping back a second, and being devil's advocate, why couldn't this button-card be enjoyed as much, or more, than something else? (again, just for arguments sake).

I suppose it could be enjoyed as much as something else. (Like a root canal maybe?) But the basis for that enjoyment is to me something that should eventually feel a bit hollow. The knowing that whatever article of clothing it was from was destroyed. That should eventually feel wrong as the collector learns more about whatever memorabilia was cut up.
I don't buy the semi socialist "cut it up so everyone can afford a piece" attitude. There are a lot of collectibles that I'll never own simply because they cost so much. For some reason I manage to feel glad that there are people who can afford them, rather than being jealous. Ok, maybe a bit jealous, but I'm still glad there are people able and willing to assemble collections that are impressive both for the items and the expense.

I have some stuff from when I had an even smaller budget than I have now. When I bought the Willie Mays Heartland that was missing an arm and had the second one loose in the bag I was happy to have it. The same goes for my first T206 that was nearly torn in half, and the first game used bat I bought- Dwight Evans- cracked and Adirondack, but only $9! I got a T3 the same day, also in truly awful condition. What a day that was!

On another level, at least to me, it feels a bit insulting and more than a little wrong that an Italian company is cutting up this stuff then labelling it "national treasures". Funny, I don't see that sort of thing in their soccer products. And no non-sports sets with stuff like a piece of the coliseum on the card.

Steve B

[Leon]

Originally Posted by steve B

I suppose it could be enjoyed as much as something else. (Like a root canal maybe?) But the basis for that enjoyment is to me something that should eventually feel a bit hollow. The knowing that whatever article of clothing it was from was destroyed. That should eventually feel wrong as the collector learns more about whatever memorabilia was cut up.
I don't buy the semi socialist "cut it up so everyone can afford a piece" attitude. There are a lot of collectibles that I'll never own simply because they cost so much. For some reason I manage to feel glad that there are people who can afford them, rather than being jealous. Ok, maybe a bit jealous, but I'm still glad there are people able and willing to assemble collections that are impressive both for the items and the expense.

I have some stuff from when I had an even smaller budget than I have now. When I bought the Willie Mays Heartland that was missing an arm and had the second one loose in the bag I was happy to have it. The same goes for my first T206 that was nearly torn in half, and the first game used bat I bought- Dwight Evans- cracked and Adirondack, but only $9! I got a T3 the same day, also in truly awful condition. What a day that was!

On another level, at least to me, it feels a bit insulting and more than a little wrong that an Italian company is cutting up this stuff then labelling it "national treasures". Funny, I don't see that sort of thing in their soccer products. And no non-sports sets with stuff like a piece of the coliseum on the card.

Steve B

I am not for cutting up our treasures either. But when something can be made collectible, from when it was almost trash, then that isn't a bad thing. As for the button from Thorpe, If it was from a jersey that was almost completely torn up otherwise, I might not have an issue. If it came from an item that was in nice shape beforehand, I would certainly be against that. But that isn't what I meant concerning my comment. It only had to do with "can the item be enjoyed as a collectible?" Under certain circumstances, as mentioned, I think so. (those kinds of things aren't for me, regardless)