"Game Used" Card Swatches

[ahuff]

I was just wondering if anyone else has ever wondered if all of the swatches are junk!!! I'm not a fan of cutting up jerseys (or any other item except perhaps a floor/base/etc) for cards.

Perhaps some of our experts can fill me in. I've always heard that All-Star athletes get 2 batting practice/warm up jerseys. One they wear and the other is auctioned for charity. Is that correct?

Well here is one that should throw up red flags if that is the case. Which would be the actual game worn jersey. . .the one that is chopped up or the one that just closed on mlb.com. I would put my money on the mlb.com one. (Peavy wasn't in the 2004 game).

http://auction.mlb.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=85508884&prmenbr=33072944&aunbr=85855594

[jwasserman]

Re: "Game Used" Card Swatches

that card actually says 'all star workout jersey' on the front so its not really game used.

whats incredible to me is how some of these game used cards actually sell for more than what full gu bats and jerseys sell for. i dont get the appeal at all

[ahuff]

Re: "Game Used" Card Swatches

that card actually says 'all star workout jersey' on the front so its not really game used.

whats incredible to me is how some of these game used cards actually sell for more than what full gu bats and jerseys sell for. i dont get the appeal at all

I'm with you, I don't understand the price they go for. But I suppose if I was still into cards, I'd think they were pretty sweet.

How about the Mother Teresa card on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=230159568641&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=013

It makes me want to take my Mother Teresa autograph, make a 1/1 card for it, and send it into Beckett.

About the Peavy, don't you think "all star work out shirt" and "batting practice jersey" are the same thing. I tend to think they are considering they both appear to be made out of the same material.

[jwasserman]

Re: "Game Used" Card Swatches

cut autographs make just as little sense to me as well- you can get a nice index card of joe dimaggio for $100. buy a cut auto and suddenly it's a thousand dollar card. and some of these cuts are other cards themselves!

id guess batting practice jersey and workout jersey are probably the same. of course, it could just as easily mean that topps had peavy put on a jersey, do a few situps, and then ran off to cut it up for the cards.

I'm with you, I don't understand the price they go for. But I suppose if I was still into cards, I'd think they were pretty sweet.

How about the Mother Teresa card on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=230159568641&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=013

It makes me want to take my Mother Teresa autograph, make a 1/1 card for it, and send it into Beckett.

About the Peavy, don't you think "all star work out shirt" and "batting practice jersey" are the same thing. I tend to think they are considering they both appear to be made out of the same material.

[Jags Fan Dan]

Re: "Game Used" Card Swatches

I've seen some messed up stuff with the jersey cards. Most recently I saw a Jimmy Smith patch card that was clearly material from a Patriots jersey. Explain that one!

[icollectDCsports]

Re: "Game Used" Card Swatches

I have no reason to believe that card companies intentionally put non game used stuff in cards that are supposed to be game used, but I wonder how many mistakes they make. After all, once a jersey is cut up and put in cards, it's extremely difficult to determine if it's legit. Who's to question them at that point?

In the end, I believe these cards are less about the items supposedly contained in them (the above examples of the cut signatures illustrates this) than about the card collectors mentality to pursue rarity or to get as complete a set as possible.

[ahuff]

Re: "Game Used" Card Swatches

I have no reason to believe that card companies intentionally put non game used stuff in cards that are supposed to be game used, but I wonder how many mistakes they make. After all, once a jersey is cut up and put in cards, it's extremely difficult to determine if it's legit. Who's to question them at that point?

In the end, I believe these cards are less about the items supposedly contained in them (the above examples of the cut signatures illustrates this) than about the card collectors mentality to pursue rarity or to get as complete a set as possible.

BINGO

I think you hit the nail on the head. I too believe it has to be about the rarity. It also would make sense that they would make mistakes, as they are relying on some of the very COA's and auction houses that we talk about. I dont' know where the jersey for this swatch orginated from, but I saw that Geppi's auctioned off a Peavy All-Star Game batting practice jersey.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/383222/thread/1130428303/last-1131396830/Geppi's+Prices+Realized

Perhaps it originated from there. But like you said, once it's cut up - who can prove them wrong?

[David]

Re: "Game Used" Card Swatches

I think a game used card should be a card the player wore in his pocket during a game or at bat. The single card would be the card he carried during a single. A grand slam rounded the bases when when he hit a grand slam. If a card got crinkled when he slid into second on steal-- great/game wear.

[David]

Re: "Game Used" Card Swatches

It has been witnessed that Upper Deck and Topps have in the past won game used jerseys of Ty Cobb, etc at the big auctions, and the paid top dollar. A few of the most expensive jerseys at the 1999 Barry Halper auction were purchased by Upper Deck.

[David]

Re: "Game Used" Card Swatches

The point of my previous post was that, though they likely make mistakes, UD and Topps have shown that they have intended to and are willing to fork over the $$ for genuine jerseys.

[indyred]

Re: "Game Used" Card Swatches

Video from topps cutting room. Some nice stuff getting ready to be ruined.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzDa5jgVV-8

[WadeInBmore]

Re: "Game Used" Card Swatches

I don't like the game used cards. I think its a shame how many items are ruined for stupid little swatches!!! I like to believe that a card company will use a jersey numerous years and use them in multiple subsets so that only one jersey will be ruined over the course of a couple years as oppose to one or more jerseys cut up and ruined a year.

And they do make mistakes...below is a Frank Thomas autographed insert, only problem is that it is the wrong Frank Thomas' signature

-wade

[frikativ54]

Re: "Game Used" Card Swatches

that card actually says 'all star workout jersey' on the front so its not really game used.

whats incredible to me is how some of these game used cards actually sell for more than what full gu bats and jerseys sell for. i dont get the appeal at all

I know what you're saying about the cards. I made enough enough money selling my g/u card collection to buy whole game-used stuff.

People will tell you (or at least they've told me) that cards are far easier to store and display. And to be honest, I love the photography, and full game-used items don't have pictures on them.

But hey, to each his/her own.