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View Full Version : Nolan Ryan game used hat - info please?



scooter729
07-19-2009, 02:02 PM
Hi there,

I have an item for sale on ebay, and an individual offered to make me a trade for his Nolan Ryan game used hat which he is selling.

I'm not an expert in this field at all, and where it didn't have any provenance with it, I wanted to try and determine a little better if the hat really was worn by Ryan.

Here is the link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Texas-Rangers-GAME-USED-Worn-Hat-Cap-NOLAN-RYAN_W0QQitemZ200360042624QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_De faultDomain_0?hash=item2ea663a080&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12|66%3A2|39%3A1|72%3A2149|293%3A1| 294%3A50 (http://cgi.ebay.com/Texas-Rangers-GAME-USED-Worn-Hat-Cap-NOLAN-RYAN_W0QQitemZ200360042624QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_De faultDomain_0?hash=item2ea663a080&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A2149%7C 293%3A1%7C294%3A50)

Anything in particular I should be looking for here to give the thumbs up or thumbs down on this hat?

Thanks!
Scott

karamaxjoe
07-19-2009, 03:09 PM
My opinion would be to pass on this. Why take a chance on an item so easily forged? How can the seller make the statement, "Guaranteed to pass any authenticity test" and what good is a Personal COA?

Unless you can do some kind of DNA testing on the sweat left behind, there is no decent amount of proof Ryan wore that hat. Hats have to be the easiest item to forge when all you need is a sharpie and the correct size.

Oh....one more thing...my disclaimer statement is I'm not accusing the seller of any wrong doing. The hat could be very real, but the odds are huge.

jppopma
07-19-2009, 03:11 PM
I don't know much about hats other than they often do not have many distinguishing tags (mostly same as retail). Your best bet is to try to photo match the hat. It may not be exact, but you could find a picture with sweat marks, other damage, or markings on the hat.

As for the seller, I do not know them..but over 2000 feedback with 100% is pretty good.

It will all come down to what you are trading them for it and just how much of a risk it would be.

Good luck.

scooter729
07-19-2009, 03:39 PM
Thanks guys, appreciate the feedback thus far, and please keep it coming if anyone else has anything else to add as well.

I liked the seller's feedback here, but as was noted, I thought these hats could be faked easily (not saying at all that this one is, but I just don't know). So I might be wise to hold off without knowing any better.

Please let me know if anyone else knows more at all; thanks!

suicide_squeeze
07-19-2009, 09:37 PM
My opinion would be to pass on this. Why take a chance on an item so easily forged? How can the seller make the statement, "Guaranteed to pass any authenticity test" and what good is a Personal COA?

Unless you can do some kind of DNA testing on the sweat left behind, there is no decent amount of proof Ryan wore that hat. Hats have to be the easiest item to forge when all you need is a sharpie and the correct size.

Oh....one more thing...my disclaimer statement is I'm not accusing the seller of any wrong doing. The hat could be very real, but the odds are huge.



Adding to what Mike has already said (which I whole-heartedly agree with).....consider the following:

-Very short description......reminds me of a defendent NOT taking the stand in his own trial.....the less said when guilty, the better;

-No mention of any kind HOW he knows it's a gamer;

-No mention of any kind where he obtained it from;

-No mention of any kind of his credentials as a guy we/you should believe to have such knowledge in regards to this item. The mere fact that he selld sports pieces doesn't do it for me;

-No piece of paperwork by any respected company that could possibly identify this as a game used item of a Hall of Famer.


Taking his word on this item is about as large of a leap of faith as one could ever take in the memorabilia hobby. In my experience with game used hats, the "sweat" usually carries over from the band to the bill of the cap. This one looks like it has none of that. So what are we to assume, that he only used it for 2 innings?

Just my opinion.......but I wouldn't touch it. It's worth no more than the $20.00-$25.00 it would cost from a retail store without something to distinguish it from all the others (the "34" could be written in by any of us).

Rob L
07-20-2009, 01:10 AM
As I recall, this same hat sold about two months ago.

jwasserman
07-20-2009, 06:11 AM
With hats, absent provenance or a legitimate COA, all you can do is eliminate the two major doubts.


1. Is it a pro hat? Pro model hats were not available to the public until the last 10 years or so. Compare it with other hats from the same era.

2. Is the hat size the same as your player? Unless you're Barry Bonds you can expect most of the player's hats to be the same size.
I would not touch a recent hat unless it came directly from the player just because it's too easy to fake. Go to the stadium store, write the number under the bill, plop it on and then go mow the lawn. Viola, game used. Older hats are a little more difficult. Finding a 'blank' example of a gamer is slightly more tricky. If 1 and 2 are good, then just make sure you're comfortable with the seller.

scooter729
07-20-2009, 06:26 AM
Thanks - that all makes sense to me, and I've passed on the deal. I was feeling the same way as all of your comments, but thought maybe I should be swayed by the seller's good feedback. But passing is the right answer here....

jppopma
07-20-2009, 11:52 AM
I know that feedback looked good, but remember this is Ebay....2,000 feedback could mean nothing more than showing how many happy idiots there are.

David
07-20-2009, 12:48 PM
If a seller has 100% on 2000 feedback, that's generally a fair indication he's reliable. If he was cutting corners, making stuff up and selling dubious items, I don't think a seller could maintain the 100% part over that volume of selling.

commando
07-20-2009, 02:28 PM
The seller might have a great track record and reputation, but that's only part of the issue. If you ever try to sell or trade the hat away, you now have to convince the next person that the hat is the real thing. Sure, there's the personal COA that came from your seller, but how much good will that do?

No perfect answers here... Newer hats without provenance are a tough call.

suicide_squeeze
07-20-2009, 05:55 PM
I know that feedback looked good, but remember this is Ebay....2,000 feedback could mean nothing more than showing how many happy idiots there are.


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