Reasonable price for an Olympic medal (G/S/B not participation)

[CW]

Another AH to watch is Heritage. They've auctioned off multiple medals of different types over the years. They're currently auctioning off some Olympic stuff, although I don't think it's exactly what you're looking for, John.

[1952boyntoncollector]

you could also get one for free...all you have to do is qualify for the olympics and come in at least third in an event

some girl won a sharpshooting contest at 100m today..19 years old and won the gold for the U.S....but all you would have to do is come in third..

that looks easier than going the basketball route ie. going to NBA, being good enough and go on U.S. Men's Team and winning the gold at the olympics...or perhaps playing for a country you think will come in 3rd and changing citizenship to that team as it will be easier to make than the U.S. Team

and all that saves you the 10k etc..

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by 1952boyntoncollector

you could also get one for free...all you have to do is qualify for the olympics and come in at least third in an event

some girl won a sharpshooting contest at 100m today..19 years old and won the gold for the U.S....but all you would have to do is come in third..

that looks easier than going the basketball route ie. going to NBA, being good enough and go on U.S. Men's Team and winning the gold at the olympics...or perhaps playing for a country you think will come in 3rd and changing citizenship to that team as it will be easier to make than the U.S. Team

and all that saves you the 10k etc..

Never participated in a competitive sport have you Jake? Trust me the $10k would be much easier.

Also it really depressed me when they let paid professionals compete in the Olympics.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by bnorth

Never participated in a competitive sport have you Jake? Trust me the $10k would be much easier.

Also it really depressed me when they let paid professionals compete in the Olympics.

Been going on for 100 years probably with other countries like Russia.

E-Sports may be an olympic event someday, than we can talk..

but no events are created equal, people that run the 100m could qualify as a runner for bobsled but no drivers of the bobsled can ever compete in the 100m.

also curling 'athletes' arent in the same league as athletes in the triathelon etc..

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by bnorth

Also it really depressed me when they let paid professionals compete in the Olympics.

There have been professionals in the Olympics since the 1896 Games. When they decided to include fencing in the Olympic program it was determined that they should allow fencing masters who made their living by teaching. By doing this they could attract the best fencers of the era. This was done in 1896 in Athens and 1900 in Paris. The first Greek to win an Olympic championship in the modern games was a fencing master, Leonidas Pyrgos.

Up until 1948 you needed to be a military officer to compete in equestrian events, thus a professional rider.

Many of the early competitors in shooting were also military. The whole 1912 U.S. rifle team were in the military - Navy, Army, Iowa National Guard and West Virginia National Guard. It was not limited to officers though. One member of this team as a hospital steward in the Navy. The U.S. Army still has a sharpshooting team in Ft. Benning, GA that produces Olympic shooters

[steve B]

The US Olympic cycling team in 68 was also at least partly military.

Funny story from John Howard one of the team members. He was picked for the team, and like all new recruits had to go to basic training. When he'd take heat for not working hard enough at some stuff he'd tell the officer that he was on the cycling team, which they apparently found more than a bit funny and constantly gave him static about how he'd do in Vietnam.

Right up until he graduated and got his orders- "Report to the US army/ Olympic cycling team training facility"


Now if you like medals, there's a lot out there that's not Olympic but is very cool. Picked up a bunch from Uruguay from a cyclist who rode in the 1920's. Including a national championship medal plus some other stuff.
They hadn't caught on down there, although the soccer stuff had some decent asking prices. The whole batch of cycling stuff was maybe $50. It did frame up pretty nicely.

Steve B

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Michael B

There have been professionals in the Olympics since the 1896 Games. When they decided to include fencing in the Olympic program it was determined that they should allow fencing masters who made their living by teaching. By doing this they could attract the best fencers of the era. This was done in 1896 in Athens and 1900 in Paris. The first Greek to win an Olympic championship in the modern games was a fencing master, Leonidas Pyrgos.

Up until 1948 you needed to be a military officer to compete in equestrian events, thus a professional rider.

Many of the early competitors in shooting were also military. The whole 1912 U.S. rifle team were in the military - Navy, Army, Iowa National Guard and West Virginia National Guard. It was not limited to officers though. One member of this team as a hospital steward in the Navy. The U.S. Army still has a sharpshooting team in Ft. Benning, GA that produces Olympic shooters

I was referring more to basketball and hockey. From personal experience all military personnel was also considered amateur athletes till at least the late 1980's. Not sure if it has changed since then.

EDIT: Very cool display Steve. Somewhere I have a Junior Olympic Gold medal I won back in the 80's for boxing. Back then the Junior Olympics was used to pick people to train for the Olympics. Sadly I never made it to Colorado Springs. I was one of those guys that could beat 99.99% of the people but the very top guys always beat me.

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by bnorth

I was referring more to basketball and hockey. From personal experience all military personnel was also considered amateur athletes till at least the late 1980's. Not sure if it has changed since then..

I knew that you were mainly focusing on those sports, but wanted to point out how the IOC has finessed the rules. I would rather see U.S. college players in basketball and hockey and not win a medal than the glory hound NBA and NHL players. Christian Laettner is the last true amateur basketball player for the U.S.

[smotan_02]

The military still has a strong showing at each of the Olympic games. Im biased to the Army, but the lesser services provide some competitors as well.

Here is your 2016 Army Olympians.
http://www.armymwr.com/olympians/soldiers.aspx


Dont forget about your wounded warrior competitors as well:

http://www.armymwr.com/olympians/paralympians.aspx

Added this for good measure, this video about the our wounded warrior athletes is well worth your 10 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM13pvi4JN4

**Be advised- stealthy ninjas cutting onions while you watch.

Originally Posted by Michael B

There have been professionals in the Olympics since the 1896 Games. When they decided to include fencing in the Olympic program it was determined that they should allow fencing masters who made their living by teaching. By doing this they could attract the best fencers of the era. This was done in 1896 in Athens and 1900 in Paris. The first Greek to win an Olympic championship in the modern games was a fencing master, Leonidas Pyrgos.

Up until 1948 you needed to be a military officer to compete in equestrian events, thus a professional rider.

Many of the early competitors in shooting were also military. The whole 1912 U.S. rifle team were in the military - Navy, Army, Iowa National Guard and West Virginia National Guard. It was not limited to officers though. One member of this team as a hospital steward in the Navy. The U.S. Army still has a sharpshooting team in Ft. Benning, GA that produces Olympic shooters

[ooo-ribay]

Back to the original topic, I would have to think the sport and the winning athlete (household name?) would make a HUGE difference in value even if the medals are all the same. e.g Michael Phelps swimming Gold would seem to me way more valuable than a ping pong Gold.

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by 1952boyntoncollector

you could also get one for free...all you have to do is qualify for the olympics and come in at least third in an event

some girl won a sharpshooting contest at 100m today..19 years old and won the gold for the U.S....but all you would have to do is come in third..

that looks easier than going the basketball route ie. going to NBA, being good enough and go on U.S. Men's Team and winning the gold at the olympics...or perhaps playing for a country you think will come in 3rd and changing citizenship to that team as it will be easier to make than the U.S. Team

and all that saves you the 10k etc..

This comment shows a complete lack of understanding of this sport and most Olympic sports. Virginia Thrasher from here in Springfield, VA, the same town I live, did not just pick up a gun and say "I want to go to the Olympics". She won a gold medal in 10 meter air rifle. That requires hitting a target the size of a dime from 32 feet 10 inches consistently. To be this good you need to fire THOUSANDS of rounds each year. Those are not free. You also need a specialized handmade rifle that is built for your body which costs thousands of dollars. You also need to have a shooting range, not free. There is also a coach, psychologist and possibly a physical trainer. You then must compete in enough sanctioned International Sport Shooting Federation (ISSF) competitions to qualify. Local competitions and national championships are not enough. Travel to other countries to compete is necessary and USA Shooting cannot completely fund every athlete for all of their expenses. Winning the NCAA championship this year, which she did, does not qualify her for the Olympics either.

I could go on, but hopefully you get the idea. I could do this for every Olympic sport.

[baseball tourist]

Originally Posted by Michael B

This comment shows a complete lack of understanding of this sport and most Olympic sports. Virginia Thrasher from here in Springfield, VA, the same town I live, did not just pick up a gun and say "I want to go to the Olympics". She won a gold medal in 10 meter air rifle. That requires hitting a target the size of a dime from 32 feet 10 inches consistently. To be this good you need to fire THOUSANDS of rounds each year. Those are not free. You also need a specialized handmade rifle that is built for your body which costs thousands of dollars. You also need to have a shooting range, not free. There is also a coach, psychologist and possibly a physical trainer. You then must compete in enough sanctioned International Sport Shooting Federation (ISSF) competitions to qualify. Local competitions and national championships are not enough. Travel to other countries to compete is necessary and USA Shooting cannot completely fund every athlete for all of their expenses. Winning the NCAA championship this year, which she did, does not qualify her for the Olympics either.

I could go on, but hopefully you get the idea. I could do this for every Olympic sport.

Kudos to Ms. Thrasher. It seems that she is a "natural" who no doubt has worked countless hours perfecting her prowess but apparently didn't pick up a rifle until 5 years ago when on a hunting trip she dropped a deer with her first shot.

My beef isn't with her but with the IOC who continues to include "sports" like shooting, handball, equestrian, synchronized swimming and trampoline in the Games; while Baseball is currently out (coming back, I know). Handball? Come on!?

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by baseball tourist

.My beef isn't with her but with the IOC who continues to include "sports" like shooting, handball, equestrian, synchronized swimming and trampoline in the Games; while Baseball is currently out (coming back, I know). Handball? Come on!?

You should quit while you are behind. The fact that you bring up handball shows your lack of knowleddge of Olympic sports. Handball is not two humps slapping a rubber ball against a wall. It is a team sport. It has seven players per side, 6 who move on the floor and a goalie. The court is walled like an NHL rink and larger than and NBA court. Their court is 131' x 66', NBA is 94' x 50'. There is a goal on each end about 10' wide and 7' high. The ball is about 24 inches in diameter and weighs about one pound. It is very fast paced and can see scores of 30-35 goals in the pro leagues. I have watched the European Handball Championships and it is quite a game. You can find it on youtube.

Shooting has always been part of the games and will likely remain so. You could probably hit an 80mph fastball easier than a target the size of a dime at 25 m with an air pistol. I have never met an Olympic Equestrian athlete who was out of shape. The three day eventing competition is not a trail ride on a pony.

I don't necessarily think that synchro swimming and trampolining should be separate disciplines but they are. I can understand trampoline as it is used by most gymnasts to learn dismounts. It is also used by aerial skiers. I don't care if they bring back baseball but I don't want to see ML players. They are also adding skateboarding and surfing which seems silly to me.

By the way the only sporting disciplines the U.S. has not medalled in are table tennis, badminton, handball, trampoline and rhythmic gymnastics (a sport I would not mind if it was removed).

Sidelights. - 1984 and 1988 baseball teams - McGuire, Snyder, Ventura etc. are not Olympians. It was a demonstration sport and they are not recognized as Olympic athletes.

The 1980 U.S. Olympic Ice Hockey team had only 19 gold medalist on the team. Goalie Steve Janaszak did not play a single minute in the Olympic tournament, therefore he is not considered an Olympian an may not have received a gold medal.

[baseball tourist]

Originally Posted by Michael B

You should quit while you are behind. The fact that you bring up handball shows your lack of knowleddge of Olympic sports. Handball is not two humps slapping a rubber ball against a wall. It is a team sport. It has seven players per side, 6 who move on the floor and a goalie. The court is walled like an NHL rink and larger than and NBA court. Their court is 131' x 66', NBA is 94' x 50'. There is a goal on each end about 10' wide and 7' high. The ball is about 24 inches in diameter and weighs about one pound. It is very fast paced and can see scores of 30-35 goals in the pro leagues. I have watched the European Handball Championships and it is quite a game. You can find it on youtube.

Shooting has always been part of the games and will likely remain so. You could probably hit an 80mph fastball easier than a target the size of a dime at 25 m with an air pistol. I have never met an Olympic Equestrian athlete who was out of shape. The three day eventing competition is not a trail ride on a pony.

I don't necessarily think that synchro swimming and trampolining should be separate disciplines but they are. I can understand trampoline as it is used by most gymnasts to learn dismounts. It is also used by aerial skiers. I don't care if they bring back baseball but I don't want to see ML players. They are also adding skateboarding and surfing which seems silly to me.

By the way the only sporting disciplines the U.S. has not medalled in are table tennis, badminton, handball, trampoline and rhythmic gymnastics (a sport I would not mind if it was removed).

Sidelights. - 1984 and 1988 baseball teams - McGuire, Snyder, Ventura etc. are not Olympians. It was a demonstration sport and they are not recognized as Olympic athletes.

The 1980 U.S. Olympic Ice Hockey team had only 19 gold medalist on the team. Goalie Steve Janaszak did not play a single minute in the Olympic tournament, therefore he is not considered an Olympian an may not have received a gold medal.

Micheal, you are quite knowledgable and I am not looking to pick a fight but let's agree to disagree, Ok? I like to collect 1980's Toronto Blue Jays jerseys and you might prefer 1900's Oympic rowing medalists' autographs - both kind of niche and that's great!

Your clarification on the makeup of handball (team vs head to head) isnt helping your argument my friend. The fact that as a 48 year old, sports enthusiast I have never heard of 6 a side handball and must look to YouTube to find a game (along with semipro beer pong, I presume) tells me a lot about this sport - most clearly that it doesn't belong in the Olympics. Water polo without the water - neither is an Olympic-worthy sport, IMO.

You mention skateboarding and surfing - two reasons I can get behind these as possible additions: 1) they are participated world-wide on a large scale (Handball championships....please); 2) the world's youth enjoy these sports and the IOC Need to attract a younger demographic (the sports I mentioned won't do it).

Being a marksman in shooting is tough to do, for sure, but so is being a chess master - who wants to watch either live or otherwise. Equestrian riders are no wimps, I get that; but the horses are the true athletes in the equation.

Look, I dont have to personally enjoy the sport to feel that it belongs in the Games. I played table tennis and badminton as a youth at a high level and I know that billions of people in the world love these sports. Let's include some more popular sports such as these; cricket for example - why isn't that in over synchro?

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by baseball tourist

Micheal, you are quite knowledgable and I am not looking to pick a fight but let's agree to disagree, Ok?

Your clarification on the makeup of handball (team vs head to head) isnt helping your argument my friend. The fact that as a 48 year old, sports enthusiast I have never heard of 6 a side handball and must look to YouTube to find a game (along with semipro beer pong, I presume) tells me a lot about this sport - most clearly that it doesn't belong in the Olympics. Water polo without the water - neither is an Olympic-worthy sport.

You mention skateboarding and surfing - two reasons I can get behind these as possible additions: 1) they are participated world-wide on a large scale (Handball championships....please); 2) the world's youth enjoy these sports and the IOC Need to attract a younger demographic (the sports I mentioned won't do it).


Being a marksman in shooting is tough to do, for sure, but so is being a chess master - who wants to watch either live or otherwise. Equestrian riders are no wimps, I get that; but the horses are the true athletes in the equation.

Look, I dont have to personally enjoy the sport to feel that it belongs in the Games. I played table tennis and badminton as a youth at a high level and I know that billions of people in the world love these sports. Let's include some more popular sports - cricket for example - why isn't that in over synchro?

We can agree to disagree. That is fair, thus my presentation of facts. You defeat your own point for 7 not 6 a side handball by saying you personally have not heard of it. That should not be a disqualifying factor for a sport. There are more than 25 leagues worldwide, mostly in Europe, but also Australia, Turkey, India and Tahiti. It is also a U.S. college sport. for both men and women. I believe the U.S. Military Academy won both men's and women's NCAA championships this year and North Carolina is one of the strong schools in the sport.

Chess is a game, not a sport, thus it would not qualify. Horses are not athletes. An athlete is a human being, not an animal.

Cricket is not practical. A side can last for hours. A single match can take several days. I have watched The Ashes and other matches during multiple trips to Australia.

Rugby is a great addition. Rugby 7's is faster paced than the regular game. The great thing about this sport is that a small island country like Fiji is a beast in rugby 7's and could medal in the men's competition. The U.S. won the last two Olympic rugby championships - 1920 and 1924.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Michael B

You could probably hit an 80mph fastball easier than a target the size of a dime at 25 m with an air pistol.

Funny you'd use that as the example, as I've tried both. Actually, a faster fastball.

Batting cage at a facility open to the public, but used by the local minor league team. Threw around 90.

Almost no chance at all. all I saw for 40 pitches was the ball leaving the arm a blur halfway and heard the thump as it hit the padded backstop. Last pitch I got a touch on. Just enough to hear a slight ping, didn't even change the direction of the ball. The guy I suspect was a minor leaguer said I should go another round of pitches, but I said I was happy just having gotten a touch on one pitch on 40. Totally changed my outlook on even the worst major leaguers.

I used to do a bit of shooting with a couple friends of mine, maybe once a year. Tried a real target pistol, not air rifle, not the same level as the truly custom made stuff the world class people use but custom and very nice. Didn't do half bad. Got a couple on the dime sized center ring, and none of the others were horribly far off. got them all in maybe the space of a baseball sized area. But since my friends have done some competing I know for sure that getting from a "not at all bad for a beginner" score that would work out to maybe a 50 on a good day to even a barely competitive score is really difficult. Getting to the level of having a shot in world class competition? insanely hard since you need the ability, the dedication and time, and lots of coaching and support.

My approach to learning sports I don't know is to occasionally find someone who knows the sport and is halfway decent at it. And find a way to give it a try if at all possible. That's less doable as I get older, but trying a sport really gives you a feel for it that you just can't get on the couch.

I used to say figure skating can't be a sport as there's no ball, and nothing gets hit with a stick. After the whole Harding/Kerrigan thing I called a friend who was really into skating and told her that I had apparently been wrong about skating.

Steve B

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by Michael B

This comment shows a complete lack of understanding of this sport and most Olympic sports. Virginia Thrasher from here in Springfield, VA, the same town I live, did not just pick up a gun and say "I want to go to the Olympics". She won a gold medal in 10 meter air rifle. That requires hitting a target the size of a dime from 32 feet 10 inches consistently. To be this good you need to fire THOUSANDS of rounds each year. Those are not free. You also need a specialized handmade rifle that is built for your body which costs thousands of dollars. You also need to have a shooting range, not free. There is also a coach, psychologist and possibly a physical trainer. You then must compete in enough sanctioned International Sport Shooting Federation (ISSF) competitions to qualify. Local competitions and national championships are not enough. Travel to other countries to compete is necessary and USA Shooting cannot completely fund every athlete for all of their expenses. Winning the NCAA championship this year, which she did, does not qualify her for the Olympics either.

I could go on, but hopefully you get the idea. I could do this for every Olympic sport.

yeah i obviously think its very easy to play any sport...... however i have seen hershel walker tryout for the bobsled team and i have seen a track runner compete for the bobsled team (lolo jones) but i never seen a bobsled team member than try to sneak on the track team.....certain sports are just easier to make than others..as some athetes that play one sport could have have played another sport....but i dont think any curling members could ever make the olympic basketball team.....more of a chance someone from the basketball team could make the curling team for example...you cant coach height...