Braves want Heritage to pull Hank Aaron items from auction

[icollectDCsports]

Collecting game used and game worn items is a unique and, I think, wonderful niche of the overall hobby. Based on the info presented in the article, I don’t have an opinion on the accuracy of the auction description and attribution, but I would say that there is a wide range of certainty with respect to the authenticity and attribution of such items. It’s up to the prospective buyers as to whether the information presented, together with any info (such as photos) they can independently find, gives them the degree of certainty they need to spend what it will take to acquire particular items. The concerns involved are obviously similar to those in the hobby’s other niches, card trimming and alterations, autograph forgeries, etc. In other words, you need some experience in a niche in order to set that comfort level scale for yourself in the first place. In the game used niche, some items are more difficult to authenticate than others, and nailing down specific date of use adds another layer of difficulty. The more generic the item, such as older bases, provenance and chain of custody evidence are critical. Here, there are competing claims of provenance. As someone else noted, even players don’t always know the details of what they have in their possession. Interestingly, some players have denied the authenticity of uniform their items being sold by others likely because they resent the big bucks that others are making from their old jerseys and such. As for photo matching, collectors need to visually examine the claims for themselves. Some claimed photo matches are clearer than others, and some items lend themselves to matching better than others. Seeing a bat conclusively photomatched due to wood grain patterns, for example, is very cool. Overall, while absolute certainty in game used collecting is rare, it’s a rewarding part of the hobby for those willing to put in the time to learn. And the point is that the process of learning is fun.

[perezfan]

Originally Posted by icollectDCsports

Collecting game used and game worn items is a unique and, I think, wonderful niche of the overall hobby. Based on the info presented in the article, I don’t have an opinion on the accuracy of the auction description and attribution, but I would say that there is a wide range of certainty with respect to the authenticity and attribution of such items. It’s up to the prospective buyers as to whether the information presented, together with any info (such as photos) they can independently find, gives them the degree of certainty they need to spend what it will take to acquire particular items. The concerns involved are obviously similar to those in the hobby’s other niches, card trimming and alterations, autograph forgeries, etc. In other words, you need some experience in a niche in order to set that comfort level scale for yourself in the first place. In the game used niche, some items are more difficult to authenticate than others, and nailing down specific date of use adds another layer of difficulty. The more generic the item, such as older bases, provenance and chain of custody evidence are critical. Here, there are competing claims of provenance. As someone else noted, even players don’t always know the details of what they have in their possession. Interestingly, some players have denied the authenticity of uniform their items being sold by others likely because they resent the big bucks that others are making from their old jerseys and such. As for photo matching, collectors need to visually examine the claims for themselves. Some claimed photo matches are clearer than others, and some items lend themselves to matching better than others. Seeing a bat conclusively photomatched due to wood grain patterns, for example, is very cool. Overall, while absolute certainty in game used collecting is rare, it’s a rewarding part of the hobby for those willing to put in the time to learn. And the point is that the process of learning is fun.

Well stated!