A question about GU equipment

[brianborsch]

Hello all,

Now I am new to the Game Used hobby whereas before I collected sports cards. On sites it states that the value of a game used item is based on many different things. I was trying to get a GU bat from Joe Mauer's rookie year and missed it before someone else got it. Of course I was bummed and was expressing this to a buddy online and he said that the value isn't really based on whether or not it is rookie year, but whether or not the "attraction" is there. He was saying that if the bat shows good use, that is what is appealing because collectors want an item that their heroes used. And they want to see that. I can jive with that, but I wanted to hear what's official. I mean, I guess it really depends on the collector who is interested inthe bat and what they are looking for. Me being from a sportscard background, the rookie year items are the all in all. Is that true for bats?

What about jerseys and other items?

[Swoboda4]

Everyone collected cards,if you didn't you missed out on something. Next came autographs(the high school of collecting)on photos,official items. I consider game used collecting "the college" or the next level of collecting. To me items must show use,broken, cracked is OK. The more use shown the better-it means he used it longer. Provenance is everything-it makes you sleep better at night,and ask less questions on a site like this. But thats rare-great provenance, so were all here,alot. The graduate school of collecting can also be found here when collectors of means and love of the hobby talk of and acquire things like Babe Ruth bats,Seaver's 69 jersey,etc. The rookie G/U item is important but it's not the be all. Mainly because it's rare to find a properly documented rookie item. The only person I notice documenting his rookie items properly is David Wright.