WOW!!!! Auction for Kirk Gibsons' items from Dodgers

[Rob D.]

I only wish I knew their bidding strategies.

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by Rob D.

I only wish I knew their bidding strategies.

I think I have it figured out.

[Matthew H]

Originally Posted by Rob D.

I only wish I knew their bidding strategies.

Win.

[D. Bergin]

I don't see the prices as out of line compared to other items we have seen sell in the past.

Especially considering the provenance.

I'm still not quite sure how they can pin down Babe Ruth hit #so & so HR with this exact bat.

For anybody lucky enough to witness this moment as it happened, whether on TV or at the Park............I've never seen a more dramatic baseball moment in my life. Maybe there have been more important HR's, but this was one of those chills up your spines, you'll never forget pieces of drama.

Eckersley on the mound and up a run, gets the first 2 guys out. The former Athletic, Mike Davis, who turned out to be a bust with the Dodgers, works a walk. Davis doesn't normally take walks, and Eckersley doesn't walk guys. If that doesn't happen, Gibson never gets a chance to come to the plate. Gibson limping out of the dugout, obviously in lots of pain. Eckersley goes 0-2 to Gibson and in the process he lines a shot just to the right of the right field foul pole. That's it we figure, that was Gibson's one shot, because Eckersley doesn't give up HR's either. Gibson works the count to 3-2.

Eckersley hangs a pitch just a little too high and Gibson doesn't miss it this time. With one of the most awkward looking HR swings I have ever seen, Gibson pivots his bad knee directly in front of Home plate and connects with the sweet spot of his bat.

I don't think anybody watching it could actually believe what they just saw.

[Griffins]

Well said Mssrs. Bergin and Van Brunt.

[Jerry G]

I was lucky enough to listen to Jack Buck create magic on the radio and TV for over 40 years. He stoked the fire for my love of baseball.

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...deoid=42851829

[dstudeba]

If you extrapolate the price of the Gibson pieces to other pieces ie. Maz, Carter, etc you are not going to come up with a proper value. Will you have two people as interested in those bats as were interested in the Gibson one? Maybe, maybe not.

It was important enough to two bidders to warrent the price. Hell Dave Henderson's 1986 ALCS home run bat is more important to me than Gibson's, and I would pay more for it than Gibson's, but that doesn't matter because I am not winning either of those pieces.

A charity got some good money, some nice collectors are happy with their win, and people are complaining? I didn't realize there were that many underbidders.

[tinkereversandme]

What does +1 mean?

If someone wants to overpay for something (especially charities) and they have the means, let them. How much will this item sell for "the second time around", as we saw many of the items purchased at Halpers auctions sell for far less then what people paid for them. How much is McFarlane's baseball collection worth of he sold them today? Would he even get 25% of his investment back?

I once tried to win Sammy Sosa's historic 9th home run baseball from the 1998 season. I was thinking "why not purchase something historic from a historic season and there will only be like 60 or so ever!". It sold for like $8,000. I got caught up. It's probably worth $300 now.

Do I think the bat is worth this money? Nope, but who cares what I think. If I was wealthy, I would love to own the bat. For sure, but I'm not, so it doesn't matter. If it goes to great fans and collectors, even better. If this bat gets chopped up into squares for insert cards, then we should form a mob with lit torches.

Larry

[autograf]

The market will bear what the market will bear at the time things sell. In this instance, the purchasers appreciate the importance of the item and likely understand it might not sell for more if they have to sell it in the future. They truly appreciate the history of the items.

[Bilko G]

Originally Posted by tinkereversandme

What does +1 mean?

It means the person is agreeing with what others are saying. If they quote someone else then add the "+1", that means they are agreeing with that person.

[GoldenAge50s]

Regardless of who got it, for what reason, good guys or not, charity or no charity, etc---The price was unbelievably high!

[TexasLeaguer]

I just went back and watched the whole bottom of the ninth of that game, and it's unbelievable. What great a great setting and surrounding cast too...Lasorda, Hershiser, Eckersley, Lansford, McGuire, Canseco etc. If I had to pick a bat to own though, I think I'd rather have Black Betsy.

[Rich Klein]

Before I saw who won the item I wanted to point out.

And that is, on top of everything else, these items are close enough to what we call the "20-year" mark when collectibles are near the top of their interest.

One of the great traits of when many of us started was that people were collecting their youths, and although money is tighter today - for many people who were 8-15 in 1988 this is now the era where they are beginning to have $$$ in pockets and want to relive some of the memories of their youth. And on top of that; let's face it -- 88 Topps and Donruss are two of the most overproduced and kept products on the face of this earth.

So, the cards don't matter but other items do and these Gibson pieces fit right in and then for a charity/non-profit write off, geez.

That's a recipe for success.

Rich