Mears 'Authentic'

[Mark]

Originally Posted by markf31

I actually posed this exact question to the people at Mears last week prior to the end of the auction. I had an interest in several of the bats but didn't go above my initial qualifying bid.

Me email to Mears was:
I'm curious why this bat is only listed as having been authenticated, but was not graded?

Or are these two separate services you offer for consigned bats.

Thanks
Mark

This is the reply I received:
Sometimes for lower grade bats, we just issue the authentic grade. I would assume this bat is a 5 or 6. troy

Its a little bit of an ambiguous answer and one I didn't feel comfortable with bidding on the bats with. The specific bat I questioned was the 1921-31 Goose Goslin Game Used Bat which they listed as Authentic.

If you go by the reply I received and Mears' grading standards, an A5 grade denotes a bat that matches factory records for the specific player and labeling period and is considered being a "from the bat rack" with no visible signs of use. However the Goslin auction listing clearly states "Bat currently measures 35.5", weighs 36 ounces and shows heavy use with ball marks, stitch marks and an area of deadwood on the reverse of the barrel" So evidence of heavy use would, by their grading standards push the bat higher than A5 grade and you would think with a Game Used bat from a HOFer they would chose to do a full grade designation and not just an "Authentic" grade.

Something just did not add up for me and I decided to not pursue any of the Authentic bats. It seems they're contradicting their own grading and authentication standards. On one hand the auction title says Game Used Bat and the description mentions heavy use, but the grade of "Authentic" and the potential of the bat actually grading out at an A5 (as per the email reply from Mears) which does NOT it seem to guarantee game usage, but rather that it was in fact only a game issued bat, are contradictory.

I haven't acquire a gamer yet for my collection. Though they intrigue me to no end! While I always enjoy following all the auctions, researching the subject and increasing my knowledge of game used bats, its instances and situations like this that give me pause when I consider going for one.

Glancing at the records from Malta's 2007 book, it looks like that bat could have been said to match factory records. In 23, Goslin ordered bats with a 35 1/2" length and weighing 38 oz. as well as other 35 & 1/2" bats with a weight that is not specified in the records. Since Mears claims that bats typically lose 3 oz. (and sometimes 4 to 6 oz.!), it seems that they could have looked to those records and slapped a high number on it. Not sure why it didn't get a higher grade. In any case, I think of myself as a collector of pro model bats and try to pick up models that, according to known records, could have been game used.