Does anyone actually have any interest in something like this?

[Orioles1954]

I also don't think it's the worst thing in the world to afford a modern collector with limited funds the opportunity to own a piece of pr-war Hall of Fame material. As much as vintage hobbyists like to slag on the modern market, these game-used pieces have created many collectors who have eventually ventured into the pre-war hobby.

[barrysloate]

Jeff- I know, it's corporate America.

And as far as accepting the argument that cutting up a Ty Cobb bat can somehow lead collectors of modern cards into vintage, I think it's a bit of a stretch. There are all these clever marketers out there who could find another way to entice them.

[Orioles1954]

Barry,

With all due respect, I follow both the pre-war and modern markets quite closely. I am certain my assertion is not "a stretch" at all. Several on this board are/were "shiny" collectors who developed an appreciation for vintage through modern game-used cards.

[barrysloate]

Sorry Adam, I can't put my arms around the idea that it is better for more people to own small pieces of a bat. Would it be okay to cut the Mona Lisa into a thousand little pieces so that a thousand rich collectors can lay claim to a piece of it? Okay, the Mona Lisa is unique, but I still hate the idea of destroying something so more people can own it. It doesn't work for me.

[Anthony S.]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Would it be okay to cut the Mona Lisa into a thousand little pieces so that a thousand rich collectors can lay claim to a piece of it?

If it would tick off the French I might be able to get behind it.

[Orioles1954]

By the way, I am the guy who authored the description for the card Mr. Lichtman is mentioning. I think a FAR greater problem is the authenticity of these items. A game-used bat can yield up to 2,000 slivers, the majority of which are spread over several issues over many years. What kind of checks do the companies have to make sure these items don't get mixed up? Are the bats/jerseys authenticated by MEARS or PSA/DNA or someone else before being "packed out"? Upper Deck screwed up numerous instances of cut autographs, why not game-used inserts? Food for thought.

[Orioles1954]

Case in point: 2009 Topps Tribute had "game-used" bat pieces of Ruth, Gehrigs, Jackie Robinson and others. It was discovered they were actually pieces of seats or benches from various stadiums. They only fixed the problem when called out on it. Donruss had the best system of verifying game-used items by putting pictures of the items on their cards....then they went out of business.

James

[ctownboy]

orioles1954,

So a LOT OF GOOD it did them to spend the money on these artifacts, destroy them and then sell the slivers on cards to the collecting public....

David

[Orioles1954]

The issue is mostly moot anyway. Far fewer of these bats are being cut up due to manufacturer attrition, and that most modern collectors are favoring multi-colored game-used patches.

P.S: I remember in the 1980s The Smithsonian Museum of American History were selling certified pieces from one of Amelia Earhart's airplanes in their gift shop. If you seriously have a beef with card companies doing this to pre-war baseball items, why not contact the licensing division of MLB?

[teetwoohsix]

Thanks Dan & Bill for answering my questions.I have some of these types of cards,but they are all of modern players-Pujols all star game jersey patch,Piazza card w/bat & base relic,Randy Johnson game worn,etc.....I never put much thought into them,other than stick them away in a box with all of the other modern cards..........but when I hear of an actual Ty Cobb bat being butchered into little tiny slivers and inseted into todays cards,it seems WRONG.A Ty Cobb bat should have NEVER been destroyed like that.

[Chris-Counts]

Adam, I like your analogy to the Biblical relics of the Middle Ages. And like those relics that were so sought-after centuries ago, these modern-day baseball relics will no doubt appeal to somebody. I still think they're junk, though, and I'd rather spend my money on something that's truly vintage and real, like a beat-up T206. Not some 21st century Frankencard ...