Value of deadball era bats?

[drumback]

Are game used bats of deadball era players ever available on the market? What would a game used bat of a deadball common player be worth?

Mark

[carrigansghost]

No idea about game used, but in my focus are Mains bats and they vary widely on the style of bat.

Rawn

[WWGjohn]

A true game-used bat from that era would be quite pricey but would require a good bit of provenance. Back then players did not generally have their bats manufactured with identification such as model numbers. Player endorsements were not that common and generally appeared on store model bats. In fact some players were known on occasion to go into a sporting goods store and purchase a store model bat for game use if they were running short. The key would be having the appropriate provenance.

John

[drc]

I've had game used dead ball bats, though from PCL and other minor leaguers. A major league player would be worth more. Even minor league players had their names stamped on the bat by H & B or other manufacturer and, since their name clearly wouldn't be used for store model bats or advertising, it very strongly suggests that a stamped bat was made specifically for that player.

Check MEARS auctions, they will have dead ball stuff.

[WWGjohn]

Mark,

Sorry for not being clearer in my post. I was referring to major league players. David is absolutely correct about the minor league bats.

John

[Mark]

I take it that you are asking about the value of a pro model bat made before 1920. If it's an obscure mlb player, you can probably find one for about $150-200. If it's a model of a known player who is not a big star or a hall of famer, the prices would probably start around $250-300.

[drc]

I'm not a bat expert, but all my Pre-War minor league bats had great provenance in that they came from the H & B vaults, meaning the players sent their used up bats to H & B so H & B could make new ones. Many had the date and player's name written on the sides by H & B (aka 'sidewritten'). With the exception of maybe one or two, all were career minor leaguers-- usually playing in numerous leagues. As probably expected, the players who played in the Pacific Coast Leaguer were the most valuable.

[drumback]

Thanks, guys. I appreciate the help.

Mark

[Mark]

For those who are new to this part of the hobby, some helpful books on bats are the now old Mastronet book on bats by Bushing and Knoll (2002) and the Vince Malta books, most recently the one on Louisville Sluggers (2007). To learn about prices, look at Leftfield Collectibles, the current Mears auctions, and numerous auction archives such as Hunt, Legendary, Mears etc. The older Mearsonline.com website was a treasure trove of information. Well worth the price of membership, but it is not up now. The new one also contains a lot of fascinating information about vintage bats, but it is harder to browse through it for pre-war bats.