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joelsabi
09-07-2008, 06:42 PM
If baseball card's holy grail is the Gretzky T206 Wagner, what is considered the game used memorabilia's holy grail? What is it and who owns' it.

yanks12025
09-07-2008, 06:50 PM
I would say the bat Babe Ruth used to hit the first home run at yankee stadium. If its not that it has to be somthing dealing with Babe Ruth or Lou Gehirg. Maybe the jersey Gehrig was wearing during his famous "I'm the luckiest man on the face of this earth" speech. And i have no idea who owns these items, all i know is that their very rich.

thomecollector
09-07-2008, 06:51 PM
To me, It would have to be the bat that Babe Ruth used to lean on in his last appearance. I believe Bob Feller owns that one. Please correct me if I'm wrong.:D

joelsabi
09-07-2008, 06:57 PM
Maybe I should ask it another way. Is there a consensus Holy Grail for game used memorabilia? Card collecting seems to have one. I was wondering if there is a consensus. I do not seem to see anything that says this is THE item as they have in baseball cards.

I appreciate also if you want to give your vote too. I thought it was the Shoeless Joe Jackson's bat, Black Betsy but have nothing to support this.

thomecollector
09-07-2008, 07:00 PM
It may be Black Betsy . But not for long. I thought I read that Upper Deck bought it to use in cards. Those @#%$!*:mad:

yanks12025
09-07-2008, 07:06 PM
If it was black betsy i think someone would have bought it again. I'm sticking with my 2. Have you thought maybe the Gretzky T206 Wagner is the holy grail of just collecting. I know if i had the money it would be on my top 10(being the Lou Gehrig famous speech jersey first).

TFig27
09-07-2008, 07:07 PM
To me, It would have to be the bat that Babe Ruth used to lean on in his last appearance. I believe Bob Feller owns that one. Please correct me if I'm wrong.:D


On Babe Ruth Day, June 13, 1948 at Yankee Stadium, when terminally ill Ruth used Feller's bat to keep his balance while speaking: "That bat is in my museum right now in Van Meter, Iowa. I got that bat back. It took a long time to get it, but I got it back. One of my teammates took it and hid it after Babe signed it, and then I bought it back from a fellow that won it in a contest after (collector) Barry Halper sold all his memorabilia.
Babe came walking out of the runway. He was dying of throat cancer. He was very feeble. He probably only weighed about 145 to 150 pounds. He reached in the bat rack there in the third base dugout, which was our dugout, the visiting team dugout. He grabbed a bat at random to use for a cane and to lean on. And, as a coincidence, it was my bat. He had no idea whose bat it was. I was warming up to pitch the ballgame, and he just took that bat and leaned on it. One of my teammates had (Ruth) sign it, and that teammate put it away and hid it. And then the bat came back to me later by way of Barry Halper, who bought it from my teammate. (Halper) auctioned it off, then Upper Deck ran a contest, and this guy from Seattle won it. I bought it back for my museum from this man in Seattle, Washington."

corsairs22
09-07-2008, 07:09 PM
I think that Black Betsey might be the single most recognized piece of equipment. (Surely you are joking about Upper Deck slicing it up into a million pieces). But if we're talking about a Holy Grail, I would think that the item would have to be missing and not available on ebay. Has the bat that Ruth used to hit #60 been identified? If we are looking for an item that is known to be missing, I nominate the Mathewson uniform that was stolen from his hometown seven years ago. And don't forget those affidavits that went missing from the Black Sox trial.

joelsabi
09-07-2008, 07:23 PM
Have you thought maybe the Gretzky T206 Wagner is the holy grail of just collecting.

If it is, I hope what I read in the book "The Card" is not true. The is this one guy in the book who collects the best T206 cards possible and the Wagner card he would want was not the Gretzky T206 but a nongraded T206 Wager thats belong the HOF Museum.

I went to the Nationals one year where they had this Gretzky T206 Wagner as the the thing to view at the Nationals so it may well be the Holy Grail of the entire baseball collecting hobby.

joelsabi
09-07-2008, 08:36 PM
interesting. here the top 3 prices for a single item.

3. Babe Ruth used in hitting a home run in the very first game at Yankee Stadium, sold for nearly $1.3 million at an auction recently.

2. No, we’re NOT talking about the sale announced on September 6, 2007 of the Wagner at $2.8 million purchased by an anonymous buyer from an anonymous seller who purchased it from Brian Siegel for $2.35 million in February 2007.

1. $3 million for the baseball that Mark McGwire hit for home run #70 in 1998. The buyer was a comic book artist by the name of Todd McFarlane

godwulf
09-07-2008, 11:30 PM
As far as I'm concerned, there is, and can only ever be, one true Holy Grail of Baseball...and it sure isn't a card.

The Alexander Cartwright baseball - that ancient, blackened relic, which may very well be the one A.C. took with him to Hawaii, and which was used in some of the early Knickerbocker games, is my candidate.

I know that it was once in the Barry Halper collection, but I don't know who won it at auction, or where it is now. I hope that it's in Cooperstown, where it certainly belongs, if anything ever did.

jetersbatboy
09-07-2008, 11:50 PM
Wolf, I have heard of that ball before. Being from Hawaii, Cartwright's story is very well know. I do agree you are correct, the father of the game of baseball should be the holy Grail. but not the ball, it should be the original hand written rules of the modern game. From my understanding the original rule where written some where around 1845. Now that's the holy grail

jetersbatboy
09-08-2008, 12:01 AM
Just A Little History

Alexander Cartwright II (April 17, 1820 – July 12, 1892) was officially credited by the United States Congress on June 3, 1953, with inventing the modern game of baseball. Many attribute the invention to Abner Doubleday, a story considered a myth by sports historians. Cartwright was a bookseller in Manhattan, and a volunteer fireman. Cartwright founded the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club (after the Knickerbocker Fire Engine Company) in 1842. They played a brand of stick-and-ball game called the town game. In 1845 Cartwright and a committee from his club drew up rules converting this playground game into a more elaborate and interesting sport to be played by adults. He and other firemen played on a field at 47th and 27th Streets. The rules of the modern game are based on their by-laws, and Cartwright is thought to be the first person to draw a diagram of a diamond shaped field.
The Knickerbockers participated in the first competitive game (as opposed to intramural) under these rules on June 19, 1846. The Knickerbockers lost 23-1 to the New York Nine.
Born in New York City, April 17, 1820 to Captain Alexander Joy Cartwright, Sr. and his wife Esther Burlock Cartwright, Alex Jr. was one of six children. His five siblings were Benjamin, Katherine, Alfred, Esther, and Mary. Alex married Eliza Van Wie of Albany on June 2, 1842. Three children were born to them in New York: DeWitt (born May 3, 1843), Mary (born June 1, 1845), and Catherine Lee or Kathleen or “Kate Lee” (born October 5, 1849).
Cartwright left New York to mine gold in California in 1849 and introduced baseball in almost every town where he stayed along the way. But the unsanitary conditions in California mining camps proved horrible by modern standards, eventually leading to a cholera epidemic. To escape it, Cartwright settled in Hawaii and became a successful Honolulu businessman. Two more children were born to Alexander and his wife, Eliza, in Honolulu, Bruce in 1853 and Alexander III in 1855. In Honolulu, Cartwright established the first baseball league composed of teams he created throughout the Hawaiian islands.[citation needed] His Hawaiian leagues became a model for the modern American and National Leagues of today. He is buried in a pink granite cask at Oahu Cemetery in Honolulu, a plaque to him exists in Honolulu Hale (City Hall), and Cartwright Field in Honolulu is named in his honor. In 1938, Cartwright was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fa

cjmedina1
09-08-2008, 12:01 AM
For its a hard to pin point one,So I'll give you my top 5 in Jerseys and bats in no special order

1.Babe Ruth Red Sox Jersey
2.Joe Jackson Jersey
3.Cy young Jersey
4.Christie Mathewson Jersey
5.Jackie Robinson Rookie jersey

1.Josh Gibson Game Used Bat
2.Babe Ruth First HR at Yankee Staidum
3.Black Betsey Bat Joe Jackson
4.Babe Ruth Bat with HR notches on the bat
5.Ted Williams Rookie Bat

I'm not sure if any of these items exists but I sure would like to see them

Carlie Medina III
carliemedinaiii@sbcglobal.net

godwulf
09-08-2008, 10:01 AM
Wolf, I have heard of that ball before. Being from Hawaii, Cartwright's story is very well know. I do agree you are correct, the father of the game of baseball should be the holy Grail. but not the ball, it should be the original hand written rules of the modern game. From my understanding the original rule where written some where around 1845. Now that's the holy grail

I agree that the original, handwritten rules - if they exist - belong in Cooperstown, too...but I still favor the ball.

After all, the rules have changed many, many times over the years, but the ball, despite minor changes in size, weight (and humidity :rolleyes: ) is eternal, and as central to the game itself as anything could possibly be.

Does anyone know how to go about finding out the final results of the Halper auction, and who got that baseball?

joelsabi
09-08-2008, 10:12 AM
I agree that the original, handwritten rules - if they exist - belong in Cooperstown, too...but I still favor the ball.

After all, the rules have changed many, many times over the years, but the ball, despite minor changes in size, weight (and humidity :rolleyes: ) is eternal, and as central to the game itself as anything could possibly be.

Does anyone know how to go about finding out the final results of the Halper auction, and who got that baseball?

was auctioned this off and what is there link? i may have a login to look up past auctions.

joelsabi
09-08-2008, 10:18 AM
Sotheby Auction

Lot 149 - The Alexander Cartwright Family Baseball and Related Letter (est. $25/35,000)realized $129,000.
* Possibly the very first baseball, sold to Greg Manning Auctions, Inc. for $129,000.

bigtruck260
09-08-2008, 11:05 AM
When I think of a "grail" - I imgaine something that a person would be willing to take a chance on death to acquire.

That being said...is there anything that has been stolen, recovered, and stolen again? Something that is more valuable than the Mona Lisa or is revered and identifiable to people outiside of the game? Cartwright Baseball? Yep. But not something the casual fan might have heard about. Might be the grail to some, but to others - it's just a jacked up ball.

Joe Jackson's bat? it's on eBay right now - there was a thread about it last week. It has been offered at $675,000 then went up to $1.5 mil. It's been there for well over a year...but no takers.

The Honus Wagner card? It's been owned by Mastro, Wal-Mart and a few guys who had the money to put it in a private display just to say they've had it. It's cool, and expensive - but it's probably been altered (read The Card) though it is legendary. For such a small piece of paper, it certainly is the "pound for pound" champion of sports memorabilia.

The single most identifiable figure in baseball has to be Babe Ruth. As a matter of fact, he has to be in the top 5 of most recognizeable figures to have ever lived. Surely there is a rare piece of undiscovered memorabilia out there related to Ruth that someone is pining for...some rare bat with home run hash-marks, or a lipstick stained Yanks jersey. Something that would bring home the legend of the Sultan. Something that makes even the most advanced collectors want to cash in retirement plans and sell their yachts.

godwulf
09-08-2008, 04:40 PM
Surely there is a rare piece of undiscovered memorabilia out there related to Ruth that someone is pining for...some rare bat with home run hash-marks, or a lipstick stained Yanks jersey. Something that would bring home the legend of the Sultan. Something that makes even the most advanced collectors want to cash in retirement plans and sell their yachts.

Sure, I think we can all conjure up images of things that might exist...I see that as being fundamentally different from items that we know exist.

For example, I'd give a lot for the baseball with which Wagner tagged Cobb in the mouth, as Cobb stole second in the first game of the 1908 World Series...maybe with some nice old bloodstains on it from Cobb's split lip. :D

godwulf
09-08-2008, 04:44 PM
Sotheby Auction

Lot 149 - The Alexander Cartwright Family Baseball and Related Letter (est. $25/35,000)realized $129,000.
* Possibly the very first baseball, sold to Greg Manning Auctions, Inc. for $129,000.

Thanks, joel. I'll have to do some websurfing around and try to find out whether "Greg Manning" still has it, or if they've since auctioned it.

You have to laugh at some of the "estimated" pre-auction values of certain items, such as the Cartwright ball. 25-35K? What were they thinking?

joelsabi
09-08-2008, 04:58 PM
As a matter of fact, he has to be in the top 5 of most recognizeable figures to have ever lived.

Maybe Jesus, Mona Lisa, Hitler, Budha, Einstein among others. I don't think baseball is that universal. I think even Jordan and Kobe is more recognizable than the Bambino.

bigtruck260
09-08-2008, 04:59 PM
Sure, I think we can all conjure up images of things that might exist...I see that as being fundamentally different from items that we know exist.

For example, I'd give a lot for the baseball with which Wagner tagged Cobb in the mouth, as Cobb stole second in the first game of the 1908 World Series...maybe with some nice old bloodstains on it from Cobb's split lip. :D

...the point I was trying to make was that a Holy Grail is something that you wish for, you search for, but rarely get or find. A few of us are lucky when something pops us, but most of us will never have that piece in our collection - and some might be lucky to ever see it.

If it is attainable, then it's not really a Grail.

bigtruck260
09-08-2008, 05:01 PM
Maybe Jesus, Mona Lisa, Hitler, Budha, Einstein among others. I don't think baseball is that universal. I think even Jordan and Kobe is more recognizable than the Bambino.

In Sports culture, sorry Joel. Babe was #3 behind Jordan and Ali as athlete of the century. Thanks for correcting me. Ruth was one of the first baseball players to tour Asia...so he certainly had a global noteriety long before it was chic.

mdube16
09-08-2008, 07:46 PM
I like the idea of Babe Ruths first game worn jersey.

jwasserman
09-08-2008, 07:52 PM
While I agree that Joe Jackson's Black Betsy has lost some its luster by floundering in the Ebay Store section for over a year, I can't think of another piece of equipment that is so storied and so singularly tied to another athlete. It's a bat that has taken on its persona. For holy grail pieces, this has my vote.

earlywynnfan
09-08-2008, 07:53 PM
[quote=bigtruck260;98504]In Sports culture, sorry Joel. Babe was #3 behind Jordan and Ali as athlete of the century. quote]


I disagree. I wonder how much they'll talk about Jordan 75 years after his last game? Babe raised sports stars to near-mythical public figures, pretty much all on his own. I can handle an argument about Ali, but not Jordan. In fact, I say Thorpe over Jordan.

Ken
earlywynnfan5@hotmail.com

yanks12025
09-08-2008, 08:04 PM
Ok,
I'm putting this out their for the third time. It has to be the jersey Lou Gehrig wore during his famous speech. Come on, you cant beat that. His speech is considered baseballs gettysburg address. Now if you have the letter lincoln wrote for the gettysburg address that is up their in presidential holy grail(I think the magic bullet used in the JFK assassination is number 1).

joelsabi
09-08-2008, 08:04 PM
[quote=bigtruck260;98504]In Sports culture, sorry Joel. Babe was #3 behind Jordan and Ali as athlete of the century. quote]


I disagree. I wonder how much they'll talk about Jordan 75 years after his last game? Babe raised sports stars to near-mythical public figures, pretty much all on his own. I can handle an argument about Ali, but not Jordan. In fact, I say Thorpe over Jordan.

Ken
earlywynnfan5@hotmail.com

Jordan association with his Nike Air Jordan has made Jordan relevant even after his retirement. Nike is just everywhere globally. Ask any grade school kid who is Jordan and they will know because some kid they know is wearing his shoes at school.

jetersbatboy
09-08-2008, 08:51 PM
How about the contract that sold Babe Ruth from the red sox to the YANKEES!!! STILL THINK IT HAS BE SOMETHING TO DO WITH CARTWRIGHT.

bigtruck260
09-09-2008, 07:34 AM
[quote=earlywynnfan;98525]

Jordan association with his Nike Air Jordan has made Jordan relevant even after his retirement. Nike is just everywhere globally. Ask any grade school kid who is Jordan and they will know because some kid they know is wearing his shoes at school.

OK....OK....OK -

Man, I should know better than to not list sources. The AP poll actually listed Ruth as numero uno: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ssat1.htm

I didn't come up with that on my own, so hopefully that ties down a little controversy from the peanut gallery.

Jordan's memorabilia is simply off the charts as far as legit pieces and price...but honestly, what would you rather own? Jordan's rookie jersey or Ruth's rookie jersey? I'll leave it at that.

As far as the global assosiation, Ruth was barnstorming Japan long before many other athletes had even thought of leaving the US for the promotion of thier sport - PAVING THE WAY for guys like Jordan.

In the end, it's a silly argument. We're talking about Holy Grails. Some folks like Jordan and some people like Ruth. I just suggested that something from Ruth that is impossible to find (like Bigfoot) is probably on some Yanks collector's list of things he would sell his soul for.

joelsabi
09-10-2008, 10:35 AM
thanks for all the input. the concept of the holy grail has come up in many threads. it seem there is no consensus as to what is THE item in game used equipment. perhaps the focus we have is more on our own personal grail and thats fine. i find the threads on personal grail more interesting as each one of us have our own chase.

joelsabi
09-10-2008, 11:18 AM
Baseball's lost treasures

Check your attic! Experts reveal the top five Holy Grails of America's pastime. Could they still be out there somewhere?

By Dennis McCafferty

If you have any idea where these valuable items could be, we're all ears. Send us an e-mail at usaw@usaweekend.com. Or use this form.
At the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., there are items such as the uniform, cap and shoes Hank Aaron wore to hit his record-breaking 715th home run, as well as all seven caps Nolan Ryan wore when he pitched no-hitters. But there are many other highly valued artifacts you won't find: As the years have passed and legend grows, certain memorabilia have emerged as lost treasures. (If you have any idea where these valuable items could be, we're all ears. Send us an e-mail at usaw@usaweekend.com.)
Babe Ruth's "called shot" home run ball is worth $2 million.

Call them the Rosebuds of Baseball or the Holy Grails of America's Pastime. They'd fetch a pretty price, for certain. But there's a catch: Nobody seems to know what happened to them. USA WEEKEND Magazine has convened a panel of experts from the Baseball Hall of Fame and two of the top sports memorabilia companies in the country, Memorabilia Evaluation and Research Services (Mears) and Lelands.com, to provide this ranked list of baseball's greatest lost treasures, along with their estimated value, as provided by Lelands.

5. Bill Wambsganss' unassisted triple-play glove ($250,000): Not familiar with the unique feat of the Cleveland player they called "Wamby"? On Oct. 10, 1920, he was playing for the Indians in the World Series when he performed the first and only unassisted triple play in series history. An unidentified man contacted the hall about 20 years ago and said Wamby had dropped off the glove for him to repair. He told them that the former player never returned to pick it up. The man assured hall officials he would turn the glove over to them. "But we never heard back from him again," says Ted Spencer, vice president and chief curator at the hall.

4. Jackie Robinson's first bat ($350,000): Robinson broke the color barrier when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers, braving taunts and threats on and off the field. He made his debut on April 15, 1947; unfortunately, he went 0 for 3. But it didn't matter. The debut bat of the future Hall of Famer would be worth a small fortune. Where it ended up ... who knows? It's believed that, at the time, nobody pulled the bat to preserve it for the ages, so its whereabouts are now unknown. If it were to be recovered, it would have meaning beyond baseball. "Robinson transcends the sport," says Josh Evans, founder of Lelands. "He changed America. Collectors appreciate that."

3. Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round the World" home run ball ($1 million): On Oct. 3, 1951, Thomson, a New York Giants outfielder, hit a home run off Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca at the Polo Grounds to win the National League pennant. "This is still the greatest event ever: Like the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team win, it was an all-American moment," Evans says. "When Thomson's home run allowed the hapless Giants to beat the Dodgers, everyone was watching or listening to it." Many claimed to have this ball, but not a single one has been properly authenticated. In fact, Thomson told hall officials that a dozen baseballs ended up at the clubhouse the day after the game, each one said to be the home run ball. "Any one of the balls could have been it," Spencer says. "But who knows for sure?"

2. Joe Jackson's 1919 home jersey ($1.2 million): Collectors value "home" jerseys more than "away" uniforms. And no jersey in baseball history conveys a story of such tragic proportions. Jackson's career .356 batting average ranks third all-time. But the 1919 "Black Sox" World Series scandal destroyed Jackson's career. He and seven other players were banished for life for allegedly throwing the championship, despite the fact that Jackson batted .375 during the series. Today, his jersey is nowhere to be found. "Joe Jackson is legendary for his bat and his mystique," says Dave Bushing, the official authenticator for Mears (mearsonline.com). "The movie Field of Dreams revived public interest in the debate over whether he belongs in the Hall of Fame. So the home World Series jersey -- a great symbol of his greatness and the sadness of his story -- would be of tremendous value."

1. And the most-sought-after item ... Babe Ruth's "called shot" home run ball ($2 million): Nobody combined baseball skills and a zeal for life like Ruth did. He had an endless appetite for food, booze and women. But he also was an engaging man with a fondness for children. This home run ball signifies his final dramatic moment in a World Series -- and perhaps his most storied home run ever. Although some doubt has been cast about what really happened, the legend remains this: In 1932, against the Cubs in Game 3, Ruth reportedly pointed to the center field bleachers during an at-bat, as if to say that's where he was going to hit his next home run. On the next pitch, he did. The ball's value remains the highest of the lost treasures, not so much because of the accomplishment, but rather the icon behind it. "The best will always be Ruth," Evans says. "He remains larger than life. He drank. He womanized. He gave that dramatic farewell speech at Yankee Stadium. And he is the greatest slugger ever."

FastLane80
09-12-2008, 07:38 PM
How about A Ruth Boston uniform? I know it's a semi-old thread but it was on my mind and I felt compelled to post it. :p

joelsabi
09-12-2008, 09:48 PM
How about A Ruth Boston uniform? I know it's a semi-old thread but it was on my mind and I felt compelled to post it. :p

i wonder if this is lost or owned by someone.

FastLane80
09-13-2008, 07:47 AM
i wonder if this is lost or owned by someone.Perhaps there's one in the hall of fame? I have yet to make the journey to Cooperstown so I wouldn't know. By the way, I was talking about a Boston Red Sox uniform. Another one for me would be the bat/ball from the Kirk Gibson '88 World Series home run.

FastLane80
09-13-2008, 07:52 AM
3. Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round the World" home run ball ($1 million): On Oct. 3, 1951, Thomson, a New York Giants outfielder, hit a home run off Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca at the Polo Grounds to win the National League pennant. "This is still the greatest event ever: Like the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team win, it was an all-American moment," Evans says. "When Thomson's home run allowed the hapless Giants to beat the Dodgers, everyone was watching or listening to it." Many claimed to have this ball, but not a single one has been properly authenticated. In fact, Thomson told hall officials that a dozen baseballs ended up at the clubhouse the day after the game, each one said to be the home run ball. "Any one of the balls could have been it," Spencer says. "But who knows for sure?"Here's one example:
http://lelands.com/LotDetail.aspx?lotid=73828

joelsabi
09-13-2008, 12:02 PM
Here's one example:
http://lelands.com/LotDetail.aspx?lotid=73828

from the auction description:
The ball, which has been in our consignor's possession ever since, has the seal of an Official National League Baseball from the time period, with what appears to be a Frick stamping though the label is hard to read. The Spalding logo is also visible. There is writing on the ball in pen that is also difficult to identify. There is an inscription that reads: "N.Y. Giants vs. Brooklyn Dodgers, 1951, Last Game, Pennet [sic] won by N.Y., B. Thompson [sic] Home Run, Last of 9th." The ink on the ball is 100% guaranteed to be vintage, as is the ball, as the condition will attest. Ball has substantial tonging and foxing of the surface, with a bit of shellack rendering a nice shine. There are areas of erosion and dirt spotting, but the laces are still tight as a drum. Bottom line: there is no doubt that this ball is at the very least from the unforgettable game. We cannot, however, guarantee that this is the actual Thomson home run ball because we are relying solely on second-had information. We can tell you that this is as close as we have come to retrieving baseball's "holy grail," if indeed this is not it.
Bottom line: there is no doubt that this ball is at the very least from the unforgettable game. We cannot, however, guarantee that this is the actual Thomson home run ball because we are relying solely on second-had information. We can tell you that this is as close as we have come to retrieving baseball's "holy grail," if indeed this is not it.



nice research, fastlane

imho, you just cant says that this was the homerun ball based on the facts. maybe ball from that game but you cant say with certainty that it was the thompson hr ball. as leland say in its bottom line they cannot guarantee it.

can you ever take a fan's inscription on a game used baseball as a fact? plus the owner is not the one who caught the ball. i would need to ask who wrote the inscription on the ball. wow i cant believe it fetch that amount.

i am just curious what the stories were of the other thompson hr balls

FastLane80
09-13-2008, 12:18 PM
nice research, fastlane

imho, you just cant says that this was the homerun ball based on the facts. maybe ball from that game but you cant say with certainty that it was the thompson hr ball. as leland say in its bottom line they cannot guarantee it.

can you ever take a fan's inscription on a game used baseball as a fact? plus the owner is not the one who caught the ball. i would need to ask who wrote the inscription on the ball. wow i cant believe it fetch that amount.

i am just curious what the stories were of the other thompson hr ballsEh when I get bored I like looking at past auction results :p I saw the previous post and it reminded of that lot.

My thoughts exactly. There is no proof but yet just the idea of it possibly being Thompson's home run ball is enough to excite some (there must have been more than 1 bidding) enough to shell out that outrageous amount of money. If it was THE ball, then that bidder got the deal of a lifetime. If the ball was not the real deal but was used in the game, it still holds a significant value. If the ball had nothing to do with the game, he got ripped off. In my opinion, it's taking a gamble but if you're able to afford it, it's at the very least a nice story to tell. If we only had ESPN back then :D

joelsabi
09-13-2008, 12:43 PM
Eh when I get bored I like looking at past auction results :p I saw the previous post and it reminded of that lot.

My thoughts exactly. There is no proof but yet just the idea of it possibly being Thompson's home run ball is enough to excite some (there must have been more than 1 bidding) enough to shell out that outrageous amount of money. If it was THE ball, then that bidder got the deal of a lifetime. If the ball was not the real deal but was used in the game, it still holds a significant value. If the ball had nothing to do with the game, he got ripped off. In my opinion, it's taking a gamble but if you're able to afford it, it's at the very least a nice story to tell. If we only had ESPN back then :D

i enjoy looking at auction literature too. lelands does a nice job of espousing on an item they are selling. now adays you can verify a homerun baseball from espn coverage. very true. now i wonder what is the oldest verified homerun baseball.
file:///C:/Users/Owner/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-2.jpg

FastLane80
09-13-2008, 12:51 PM
i enjoy looking at auction literature too. lelands does a nice job of espousing on an item they are selling. now adays you can verify a homerun baseball from espn coverage. very true. now i wonder what is the oldest verified homerun baseball.This guy has some interesting stuff and this piece is pretty old: http://seth.com/coll_histbseballs_29.html

joelsabi
09-13-2008, 12:59 PM
seth's website is my favorite website of a sports collector. his theme balls are amazing and he own's some really kewl items.

joelsabi
09-13-2008, 01:04 PM
This guy has some interesting stuff and this piece is pretty old: http://seth.com/coll_histbseballs_29.html


description:
To think, that this ball was once held and pitched by the great Walter Johnson adds to its aura. The Official National League ball was later inscribed, "Kelley's (sic) home run ball hit into left field stand-World Series Oct. 9, 1924. Caught by John L. Signer" on the side panel.


wow. A verified walter johnson pitched baseball.

karamaxjoe
09-13-2008, 08:16 PM
Seth Swirsky's website is absolutely spectacular. I enjoy not only the pictures but the write up Seth does on each item. You can really tell how proud he is of each item and how much he enjoys the quirkiness of some of the items. We should all strive to have sites like that. I'm going to incorporate some of his ideas into my site.

Let's face it.......we're just a bunch of guys who like having our own little piece of the Hall of Fame in our basements.

MRMusial
09-13-2008, 08:35 PM
Let's face it.......we're just a bunch of guys who like having our own little piece of the Hall of Fame in our basements.

Well said, Mike, well said...