Very Sad

[Trublubrucru]

Unfortunately, Fanatics has entered the game used bat arena. Just saw(on the website) they have a Pete Alonzo gamer from '21 for $3500.00. Yeah!

[rand1com]

Yes, Fanatics will be in all areas of the hobby overall but the Topps card brand will not be selling game used bats.

Obviously, they could have inserted a redemption card for the actual game used bat, but they would have lost the thousands of game used swatches they also gleaned from the bat that they can use in many Topps brands going forward.

It is a business for them, not a hobby.

[Snapolit1]

These suck, but let's not fool ourselves about Babe Ruth bats and Lou Gehrig jerseys being displayed publicly or donated to a museum. Of course some are. And many others are locked up in someone's mansion next to the 15M paintings and will never be shown to anyone other than the business colleagues of Daddy Warbucks.

[The Detroit Collector]

Usually the back of the card will say "Game Used" or "Relic" in some way. That can help to explain if this was during or post career

[perezfan]

Originally Posted by The Detroit Collector

Usually the back of the card will say "Game Used" or "Relic" in some way. That can help to explain if this was during or post career

It clearly says "Game-Used on the front side (directly beneath 1 of 1). Eager to hear from Matt on what specifically marks this as a post-career Bat. I guess when Topps says "Game-Used", it doesn't necessarily pertain to an MLB game? Pretty sleazy, if true.

[Schlesinj]

Originally Posted by The Detroit Collector

Usually the back of the card will say "Game Used" or "Relic" in some way. That can help to explain if this was during or post career

I think they have been updating the fine print more recently that describe if the relic is link to the player or some random patch from a jersey etc.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

These suck, but let's not fool ourselves about Babe Ruth bats and Lou Gehrig jerseys being displayed publicly or donated to a museum. Of course some are. And many others are locked up in someone's mansion next to the 15M paintings and will never be shown to anyone other than the business colleagues of Daddy Warbucks.

At least if they are locked up they aren't destroyed. Things rarely stay locked up forever.
.

[z28jd]

This isn't me agreeing with cutting up bats, but the reason that I don't mind as much is because one bat will go into hundreds of cards, getting into the hands of collectors who can't afford a game used bat. The particular one posted above is going to be expensive, but they are plenty of cheaper ones, where people will gladly pay three figures for part of a bat. I can see the appeal of doing it when one bat gets distributed to hundreds of people.

For fun, here's my "Babe Ruth" bat, which was used in the original Babe Ruth movie. There are promo photos of Ruth holding a bat with William Bendix. Not sure if it's this bat, but the grain lines up. I just won't claim that it is, but it's possible. I got this bat at seven years old from the niece of William Bendix, after I cleaned up the attic in her house. She was best friends with my grandparents, and of course at age 7, I immediately went right to the bat when I saw it. She gave it to me a few hours later when we were leaving.

I promise I won't sell it to Fanatics

[Fred]

Originally Posted by z28jd

This isn't me agreeing with cutting up bats, but the reason that I don't mind as much is because one bat will go into hundreds of cards, getting into the hands of collectors who can't afford a game used bat. The particular one posted above is going to be expensive, but they are plenty of cheaper ones, where people will gladly pay three figures for part of a bat. I can see the appeal of doing it when one bat gets distributed to hundreds of people.

For fun, here's my "Babe Ruth" bat, which was used in the original Babe Ruth movie. There are promo photos of Ruth holding a bat with William Bendix. Not sure if it's this bat, but the grain lines up. I just won't claim that it isbut, it's possible. I got this bat at seven years old from the niece of William Bendix, after I cleaned up the attic in her house. She was best friends with my grandparents, and of course at age 7, I immediately went right to the bat when I saw it. She gave it to me a few hours later when we were leaving.

I promise I won't sell it to Fanatics

John,

Send the bat to me, I'll open an authentication service. You tell me what to put on the cert. Tell me what grade you want on it and it might even be possible that the bat is truly an authentic game used Ruth bat! I'll look really closely and if it does turn out to be a real Ruth game used bat, then the price of my authentication will probably increase 10x.

I guess we have differing opinions about companies cutting up historical pieces.

Speaking of items that could be cut up and put in the hands of collectors because of the "rarity" of the item. Have you ever considered cutting up one of those hard to get Corcoran N172s so that other collectors can own, at least a piece, of an N172 Corcoran?

[z28jd]

Originally Posted by Fred

John,

Send the bat to me, I'll open an authentication service. You tell me what to put on the cert. Tell me what grade you want on it and it might even be possible that the bat is truly an authentic game used Ruth bat! I'll look really closely and if it does turn out to be a real Ruth game used bat, then the price of my authentication will probably increase 10x.

I guess we have differing opinions about companies cutting up historical pieces.

Speaking of items that could be cut up and put in the hands of collectors because of the "rarity" of the item. Have you ever considered cutting up one of those hard to get Corcoran N172s so that other collectors can own, at least a piece, of an N172 Corcoran?

The bat definitely isn't game used, too good of shape, but it was probably screen used. I believe that Bendix used the bat for ads because it looks like one in some old ads based on the grain. I'm certain it belonged to Bendix, so there's that.

Send me your Corcoran and I will cut it up. I'll even pay you for it.

I would add an asterisk to my original statement that I'm not talking about items that exist in small numbers. Babe Ruth bats are not rare compared to something like a Dots Miller game used jersey from the 1909 World Series. If only 4-5 Ruth bats existed, then I would be completely against it.

[Leon]

Interesting view but I don't think I can get there on being ok with cutting up Ruth, Cobb etc.. bats, especially game used ones. But I understand where you are coming from.

Originally Posted by z28jd

This isn't me agreeing with cutting up bats, but the reason that I don't mind as much is because one bat will go into hundreds of cards, getting into the hands of collectors who can't afford a game used bat. The particular one posted above is going to be expensive, but they are plenty of cheaper ones, where people will gladly pay three figures for part of a bat. I can see the appeal of doing it when one bat gets distributed to hundreds of people.

For fun, here's my "Babe Ruth" bat, which was used in the original Babe Ruth movie. There are promo photos of Ruth holding a bat with William Bendix. Not sure if it's this bat, but the grain lines up. I just won't claim that it is, but it's possible. I got this bat at seven years old from the niece of William Bendix, after I cleaned up the attic in her house. She was best friends with my grandparents, and of course at age 7, I immediately went right to the bat when I saw it. She gave it to me a few hours later when we were leaving.

I promise I won't sell it to Fanatics

[Huysmans]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

These suck, but let's not fool ourselves about Babe Ruth bats and Lou Gehrig jerseys being displayed publicly or donated to a museum. Of course some are. And many others are locked up in someone's mansion next to the 15M paintings and will never be shown to anyone other than the business colleagues of Daddy Warbucks.

Good. As it should be. If you own it, it's yours to do with, unless you're saying that because it's an historical item, the owner should be FORCED to share it with everyone??? If that is really what you believe and it's not just more typical envy and hating the rich, post your address and let everyone know when they can come and check out your collection.

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by huysmans

good. As it should be. If you own it, it's yours to do with, unless you're saying that because it's an historical item, the owner should be forced to share it with everyone??? If that is really what you believe and it's not just more typical envy and hating the rich, post your address and let everyone know when they can come and check out your collection.

+1!