$1.265 million for Babe Ruth bat

[Archive]

Posted By: Hal Lewis

http://search.sothebys.com/jsps/live/lot/LotDetail.jsp?sale_number=N08058&live_lot_id=140

[Archive]

Posted By: Hal Lewis

The PSA 4 T206 Wagner should come up for bid very soon:

http://search.sothebys.com/jsps/live/lot/LotDetail.jsp?sale_number=N08058&live_lot_id=288&go.x=29&go.y=7

[Archive]

Posted By: scgaynor

At first it would seem like a success for Sports Cards Plus, but considering who won the bat, it must be a little bittersweet.

Scott

[Archive]

Posted By: Hal Lewis

Do tell, Scott!!

[Archive]

Posted By: Scott Bob

Oh same price as PSA 8 Wagner... head to head... LOL.

What is the % of juice?? 15% or 20%??

[Archive]

Posted By: scgaynor

I was not there, but I spoke with somebody at the auction and he mentioned that Mastro won it and was giving news interviews. If that is the case, it means that Bill was able to take what should be a big news story for SCP and turn it into a bigger news story for Mastronet. I wish that I thought of that!

scott

[Archive]

Posted By: ockday

I checked the auction results phone line and that lot # 288 "was not sold" and they have results for later lots.

[Archive]

Posted By: Scott Bob

Bill probably act as an agent and bought the bat for a rich dude. I don't see a point Mastro would buy the bat and put it in their auction later on.

[Archive]

Posted By: Julie

I could think about it for a year, without getting any closer to bringing it off. The juice was 17.5%. Bat price was with premium.

[Archive]

Posted By: Scott Bob

after juice... so... it sold for $1.075M. Basically, there were only 2 or 3 bids... Too pricy to own such big bat.

[Archive]

Posted By: scgaynor

That may be true, although it would be kind of insulting for somebody to ask Bill to bid for them in a competitors auction. At any rate, it will be Bill's name that will be reported as the winner. That sends a message to the hobby, and for somebody like SCP, that is trying to become a big player, I don't think it is a good one for them.

Scott

[Archive]

Posted By: Scott Bob

The winning bid -- about half the $2.5 million it originally cost to build Yankee Stadium -- came from Doug Allen, president of the Chicago-based auction house MastroNet Inc., on behalf of an East Coast collector who preferred to remain anonymous. The hammer price was $1.1 million, with a 15 percent commission added.

[Archive]

Posted By: Pcelli60

An article in todays NY Daily News says that the Tom Seaver glove being offered in this auction which is supposed to be 1969 game used is neither.
Its a model from the 70's and does not appear to be used for anything but shagging a few fly balls. Opening at 8,000 to 10,000 and staying that way dispite the contradictions..

[Archive]

Posted By: Bruce Babcock

The story made Page 1 of the LA Times today, under the fold, with a photo. A second photo, on an inside page, identified David Kohler as "a worker at Sotheby's" instead of the owner of Sportscards Plus.

[Archive]

Posted By: PASJD

If I had that kind of money I would never spend it on a bat; unless Babe Ruth himself handed it to my father how would I know it was real?

[Archive]

Posted By: Bottom of the Ninth

But the bat was independently authenticated. How could you possibly think it is not 100% legit?

[Archive]

Posted By: PASJD

Greg, you are right, I went back and read the description. If Joe Orlando says it's real that's good enough for me. Not to mention Sotheby's; true, their Chairman was convicted of price-fixing a couple of years back, but that doesn't make me question their integrity. That said, I would guess the bat is in fact real, my only point is that cards are dicey enough I personally won't go anywhere near "authenticated" memorabilia.

[Archive]

Posted By: Richard Masson

but if you examined the documentation surrounding this bat, its legitimacy is unimpeachable.