Favorite ebay, flea market, or antique mall find

[GrayGhost]

I never found any "huge hits", but Id say, a vintage Braves and Red Sox celluloid schedule for 18.00, that I got 165 for at an antique group shop. Also, a 1973 season complete stratomatc baseball game. Ten bucks, turned into 152.00 or something.

Never really found anything great that I ended up keeping , but I LOVE going to the shops/Flea markets.

[yanks12025]

I've had several big hits on ebay. Mine included Ralph Kiners All-star bat for $600, Mickey Mantle game used bat for $100, Nap, LaJoie for $700, local auction Larry Berra bat for $45, Wade Boggs minor league for $600.

[sayhey24]

In the very early days of ebay it was amazing what you could find -- I was able to purchase game bats that included Ty Cobb, Tony Lazzeri and Jackie Robinson.
One of my favorite stories: I won two bats at auction from the same dealer -- there were no photos, but the bats were described as 1950s coaches model bats of Heinie Manush and Luke Appling. The bats arrived and the Manush was indeed a 50s model, but the Appling was a brand new show model bat. I contacted the seller and he said he couldn't really afford to refund my money, but did mention he had some other bats and I could have my choice in an exchange -- the only other HOFer he had was a Walter Johnson, so he sent me that and it turned out to be what is the earliest known signature model Johnson gamer.
Good deals still pop up on ebay now and then, but there is much more competition -- I did find manage to buy in the last couple of years game bats of Tris Speaker, Eddie Collins, Miller Huggins and Paul Waner -- all but the Huggins were incrrectly listed as store models.
I know there are others who spend much more time scouring ebay and flea markets, so I'm looking forward to hearing their treasure hunting stories -- I'm sure Carlton has some amazing stories that he has yet to share about flea amerket finds!

Greg

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by sayhey24

In the very early days of ebay it was amazing what you could find -- I was able to purchase game bats that included Ty Cobb, Tony Lazzeri and Jackie Robinson.
One of my favorite stories: I won two bats at auction from the same dealer -- there were no photos, but the bats were described as 1950s coaches model bats of Heinie Manush and Luke Appling. The bats arrived and the Manush was indeed a 50s model, but the Appling was a brand new show model bat. I contacted the seller and he said he couldn't really afford to refund my money, but did mention he had some other bats and I could have my choice in an exchange -- the only other HOFer he had was a Walter Johnson, so he sent me that and it turned out to be what is the earliest known signature model Johnson gamer.
Good deals still pop up on ebay now and then, but there is much more competition -- I did find manage to buy in the last couple of years game bats of Tris Speaker, Eddie Collins, Miller Huggins and Paul Waner -- all but the Huggins were incrrectly listed as store models.
I know there are others who spend much more time scouring ebay and flea markets, so I'm looking forward to hearing their treasure hunting stories -- I'm sure Carlton has some amazing stories that he has yet to share about flea amerket finds!

Greg

Hey Greg,

Let's see a picture of that Walter Johnson earliest model signature game bat.
Awesome story!!

[Runscott]

Favorite antique store find was a 1930's friction stripe football jersey, nearly perfect condition, for $40.
Favorite ebay find was a players c.1911 scorebook and equipment, including a 1910-14 Louisville slugger used in games against professional black teams.

[ScottR81]

Found an ungraded 1916 Sporting news Buck Weaver on an ebay auction and won it for only $66.00 and it ended up grading PSA 4. That was a great day for me, about 8 years ago.

[Scott Garner]

My favorite all-time antique mall finds would include:

1) HOF Ted Lyon's 1926 no-hitter ticket and scorebook that I was able to find earlier this year. This came from an antique shop in Caimbridge, MA.
2) A scored program from HOF Sandy Koufax's incredible 382K game in 1965. This record would be broken by Nolan Ryan's NL standard of 383 K's in 1973 (note that this was the first year of the designated hitter). What was really neat about the Koufax program is that I found it in an antique mall right up the street from my house when I lived in So Cal. I think I paid $10 for the program back in the early 1990's.

My all-time favorite eBay find was also ironically a pickup from earlier this year. An actual game used ball with vintage fountain pen inscription from HB "Dutch" Leonard's no-hitter in 1916 at Fenway Park.

Here are a few photos. Sorry for the crappy quality of the shots; I didn't take them. I need to take the time to upgrade these photos to do them justice.

[dell webb]

Two of my favorite Ebay finds. First a 1907 picture of the Victor Mill team with Joe Jackson. Second the pool table that was originally in the Vernor's mansion and was featured in the movie The American President. The seller had the pool table listed for $150,000 on a major billiard website for several years and actually turned down an offer of 100K. For whatever reason he wanted to sell it fast and put it on Ebay with no reserve. I bid 40K right at the end and got it for $3600. vm.jpg

IMG_5970.jpg

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by dell webb

Two of my favorite Ebay finds. First a 1907 picture of the Victor Mill team with Joe Jackson. Second the pool table that was originally in the Vernor's mansion and was featured in the movie The American President. The seller had the pool table listed for $150,000 on a major billiard website for several years and actually turned down an offer of 100K. For whatever reason he wanted to sell it fast and put it on Ebay with no reserve. I bid 40K right at the end and got it for $3600. Attachment 46807

Attachment 46808

Georgeous pool table! What a deal!!

[iwantitiwinit]

I want that pool table. Awesome!!!!!!

[CarltonHendricks]

Originally Posted by dell webb

Two of my favorite Ebay finds. First a 1907 picture of the Victor Mill team with Joe Jackson. Second the pool table that was originally in the Vernor's mansion and was featured in the movie The American President. The seller had the pool table listed for $150,000 on a major billiard website for several years and actually turned down an offer of 100K. For whatever reason he wanted to sell it fast and put it on Ebay with no reserve. I bid 40K right at the end and got it for $3600. Attachment 46807

Attachment 46808

On that pool table WOW...I litterally let out a laugh when I read that..bid 40K, got for $3600...man that's a story....you'd be buying the pizza that night!...a solid congratulations!

This is a good thread...I may have to get involved latter when get time

[Vintage Basketball Pat]

Now that is an Ebay find! That's a great piece!

[sayhey24]

Originally Posted by Scott Garner

Hey Greg,

Let's see a picture of that Walter Johnson earliest model signature game bat.
Awesome story!!

Scott,

Here is a photo of the Walter Johnson bat (from his days with the Indians), along with a bat of another pretty fair pitcher, Lefty Grove.

Greg
http://www.baseballbasement.com

[thekingofclout]

Boy Greg, those are sweet! And since you're taking request I'd love to see those Cooperstown signs again.

[mschwade]

Mine won't be a big deal to anyone else, but on Christmas night of 2005, I won an auction for a signed index card of former University of Dayton basketball coach Tom Blackburn. Blackburn is credited with bringing Dayton to a national power in the 1950's and 1960's, making the NIT finals six times and finally winning in it 1962. Blackburn passed away right before the final game of the 1964 season to cancer when he still was the active coach.

I purchased the index card for a WHOPPING $8 dollars and have not seen a Blackburn signature before that or ever again. I cover Dayton basketball as a beat reporter and know a lot of fans and alums. I've been offered $500 for the index card, but there's no way I am giving that up.

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by sayhey24

Scott,

Here is a photo of the Walter Johnson bat (from his days with the Indians), along with a bat of another pretty fair pitcher, Lefty Grove.

Greg
http://www.baseballbasement.com

Thanks Greg! Great looking bats!! Wow!

[yanks12025]

Originally Posted by sayhey24

Scott,

Here is a photo of the Walter Johnson bat (from his days with the Indians), along with a bat of another pretty fair pitcher, Lefty Grove.

Greg
http://www.baseballbasement.com

How is the Johnson a gamer if he was a manager at the time. It would be a post career bat....

[sayhey24]

Here you go Jimmy -- this is one of the signs posted on the road leading to Cooperstown for the 1939 induction ceremony (it has reflective paint that you don't see in person, but is picked up by the camera flash). Don't mean to hijack the thread by showing this, but Jimmy we're all so glad to have you back that I'm glad to answer a request!

Brock -- as I said, it's from his days with the Indians -- a game model bat that is known by bat collectors as a coaches bat (not to be confused by a bat that was made for a player after his career, but never saw a ball field).

Greg

[bbcard1]

,my coolest find on ebay was Hal Greer's high school diploma from Douglas. Not only a NBA HOFer, but also the first African American to play for a "white" school in WV. If I ever run into him, I'll ask him if he wants it back. As we are both MU alums, I figure it will happen at some point. He went bankrupt in the early 80s and a lot of his stuff got scattered to the wind when his home was sold at auction...figure this is the residue of that event.