1910-1915 Honus Wagner H&B Louisville Slugger Decal Bat, More Info

[themin]

I acquired this bat from a recent estate auction along with dozens of mostly Red Sox and a few other teams' yearbooks, score cards, playoff ghost tickets, and similar items. It was one of the only pieces of non-ephemera in the lot I won and it is what drew me to the listing, as I could tell it looked like Honus in the somewhat worn label.

The bat is 34" and weight 40 ounces. Full size. I've seen prices all over the place but from what I've deduced A) these bats are collectible B) they are somewhat rare and C) they have some value.

Can anyone give me further thoughts and opinions on this? The only thing close I could find was an eBay closed auction from June 2020 that bat sold for $4,400+. My label is a bit rougher, but the physical condition of this bat is the same or better.

Thanks for your time and remarks in advance.

[kvothetk]

What’s the center brand say? Does it say 40W, or MADE BY?

[themin]

Yes, I posted a few more pics. It's an H&S Louisville 40W marked bat.

[perezfan]

Yours is the Retail Model Bat. If it were stamped "Made By" in the centerbrand, it would be indicative of a Professional Model.

Yours looks pretty nice, but much of the value is in the condition of the decal. Unfortunately there appears to be a significant white scuff across Honus' face. Since the decal is the real selling feature of these, I would estimate yours is worth about $800 - $1,000 in its current condition.

Hope this helps.

[Bpm0014]

Correct me if I’m wrong but made by is a gamer and 40W is a store model...

[Jobu]

So, 40 W is a store model. "Made By" is pro. I only have two bats, so still have a lot to learn, but I spent some time looking at Wagner decal bats last night. Does the apparent hole in the bottom of this one mean that it was hand turned? If so, isn't that normally for pro bats? Would this one be a hybrid?

[JoeDfan]

I think you have to be real careful when thinking about hand turned bats as gamers. I believe, and someone will surely correct me if I am wrong, that sometimes store models can be "hand turned"; particularly with older models.

My rule of thumb is that hand turned might be a clue, but I usually want a bit more evidence.

Unless it is REALLY hand turned, and then it is a gamer.

[kvothetk]

Your bat is definitely hand turned, and also definitely a retail bat. There was a period of time when bat authenticators thought Wagner decal bats with the “40 W” branding may have been professional model bats. This was because all of the other retail decal bats had the first and last initial of the player next to the “40” and this bat only had the last initial. I owned a Wagner 40W bat years ago that was authenticated as a professional model bat, however in the years since then catalogs and ads have been found where the 40W Wagner decal bat is clearly depicted and listed as a retail bat.

[Jobu]

Awesome, thanks guys. I am enjoying learning about bats and appreciate your info.