George Brett's last home game bat... NOT!

[CampWest]

What the heck??? Is Borat selling great game used items now.

Beware of ebay seller rjbmagic1974. He intentionally misleads and misrepresents his items. If he has so little integrity, how are we to trust his items are genuine?

He feels the need to intentionally lie and mislead on what appears to be an incredible George Brett gamer.

http://i.ebayimg.com/07/!BdRp,6wB2k~$(KGrHqMOKjsEq4eyQDboBK4K4ili8!~~_12.J PG


Auction title:
George Brett last home game used bat

Auction description:
This Louisville Slugger model C271 bat was used by George Brett in his last home game. The bat show a great deal of use and the pine tar is caked heavily. No it's not THAT BAT but is is a great piece used by a great hitter and hall of famer. It comes with very nice wall mont display case.

++++++++++++++
Thats right, "this is the bat...no its not that bat"

Ugh, intentionally misleading potential buyers? WHY??? Why in the world does rjbmagic1974 think intentionally misrepresenting $4500 items is a good way to earn a potential buyer's trust. Its a phenomenal looking bat, but if he feels the need to lie, why would I fork over $4500 to him?

http://cgi.ebay.com/George-Brett-last-home-game-used-bat_W0QQitemZ180423306834QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_Def aultDomain_0?hash=item2a02112e52

[sctizzle]

I read it as him saying it's not the pine tar incident bat...

[kylehess10]

I read it as him saying it's not the pine tar incident bat...


That's what I think too when I read it

[CampWest]

Thats an interesting take I would not have come to on my own. I'm not disagreeing with you, but why do you read that into it, when he makes no mention or allusion to the pine tar incident?

Pine Tar Incident seems like an odd event to refer to when discussing his last home game since that was 10 years earlier.

I guess I should temper my confusion and frustration over the listing. I guess it is possible he's alluding to an event that was 10 years earlier and was an obviously totally different labeling period with totally different tar application. Maybe he does maintain its the last home game bat. Perhaps the akward statement is confusing but not an admission of intentional misleading as I originally assumed, in my not reading the unwritten.

It is the right label period to potentially be from his last season. I withdraw my harsh criticism pending further information.


I read it as him saying it's not the pine tar incident bat...

[MichaelofSF]

the George Brett last home game jersey that he is selling is incorrect. In 1993 the Royals had a full block #5, note the 5 style on the jersey being sold. There is an extra bend on the 5 that is being offered.

[sctizzle]

I agree he worded it very weird, but I took it as him saying it was not the pine tar game bat because it came right after him saying it was caked in pine tar.

[3arod13]

It sure does look like an awesome heavy game used bat though.

[CampWest]

the George Brett last home game jersey that he is selling is incorrect. In 1993 the Royals had a full block #5, note the 5 style on the jersey being sold. There is an extra bend on the 5 that is being offered.

Interesting... I have not any expertise in jerseys, though I was at the last home game and took pictures, so if I can find those I'll let you know what I see. Does it appear that there is a weird stain around the date signed on the jersey? It appears to me that its a discoloration of some sort, perhaps a yellowish tint.

http://i.ebayimg.com/15/!BdRkW7!!Wk~$(KGrHqEOKjkEq36+-Q1DBK4Ksz3Ntw~~_12.JPG


I think you are right on the 5.. the corner on the left before the bottom half circle of the 5 should be a right angle. The below is not the last home game but is 1993. Hold on... let me find my pictures from that game and scan one in.

http://cache2.asset-cache.net/xc/353932.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=77BFBA49EF878921F7C3FC3F69D929FDEA61BC983DA6FB08 879F2FAC786EC2C2734446D9B1386347

[CampWest]

Michael... as usual you are dead on correct...
Here is the purported jersey:

http://i.ebayimg.com/09/!BdRj1fwBGk~$(KGrHqUOKiEEq4GG1r+GBK4Krn2mtg~~_12.J PG
http://i.ebayimg.com/08/!BdRk)ew!Wk~$(KGrHqQOKjIEq43mEwu)BK4KtydVpg~~_12.J PG

Here is a few pictures I took from the front row at that game.. Note the extra bend in the for sale jersey versus this picture. (wish I had a better telephoto lens back then... these are pretty seriously cropped - but good enough to prove the point)
http://home.everestkc.net/wescampbell/PCollection/brettlastgamejsy.jpg


http://home.everestkc.net/wescampbell/PCollection/brettlastgamejsy1.jpg

http://home.everestkc.net/wescampbell/PCollection/brettlastgamejsy2.jpg


the George Brett last home game jersey that he is selling is incorrect. In 1993 the Royals had a full block #5, note the 5 style on the jersey being sold. There is an extra bend on the 5 that is being offered.

[bigtruck260]

Interesting... I have not any expertise in jerseys, though I was at the last home game and took pictures, so if I can find those I'll let you know what I see. Does it appear that there is a weird stain around the date signed on the jersey? It appears to me that its a discoloration of some sort, perhaps a yellowish tint.

That discoloration is mighty suspicious.

[kingjammy24]

the front "5" and back "5" are not correct for either 1993 or even 1992.

jersey has a collar tag which is atypical. strangely, it's not the first brett jersey i've seen with a collar tag.

anyway, the tagging is odd. i'm not sure how spares were tagged for the royals in 1993 but it would seem strange to tag them with a set number (in this case, set 3). i'd think the spares either wouldn't be strip tagged at all or tagged with only the year. here's a comparison of the ebay brett tagging with other 1993 royals tagging. it's almost as if someone took a standard royals tag and cut the portion that had the player number and name off and were left with just the bottom set-year portion.

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/3324/reggie.jpg

rudy.

[CampWest]

Nice work Rudy/kingjammy. Thanks


the front "5" and back "5" are not correct for either 1993 or even 1992.

jersey has a collar tag which is atypical. strangely, it's not the first brett jersey i've seen with a collar tag.

anyway, the tagging is odd. i'm not sure how spares were tagged for the royals in 1993 but it would seem strange to tag them with a set number (in this case, set 3). i'd think the spares either wouldn't be strip tagged at all or tagged with only the year. here's a comparison of the ebay brett tagging with other 1993 royals tagging. it's almost as if someone took a standard royals tag and cut the portion that had the player number and name off and were left with just the bottom set-year portion.

rudy.

[suicide_squeeze]

In regards to his "last game used bat", I asked the seller the following:

Dear rjbmagic1974,

Hello, very nice bat. I was wondering, how do you know it was used in his last home game? Does it come with a letter from him stating so? I am very interested in this bat, thanks.

- suicide_squeeze




Here was his responce:


Dear suicide_squeeze,

The same person who was close to Brett got the bat and jersey immediately after the game. I got them shortly afterwards and have had them since. George gave away lots of things to people he liked including several awards that he won throughout his career which I have seen in auctions. This is a really great piece. Whoever buys it will not be disappointed.

- rjbmagic1974




They'll be disappointed if they are buying it thinking it was used in Brett's last game.....

[CampWest]

Question:

Dear rjbmagic1974,
How were you able to acquire both Brett's last home game jersey and last home game bat? Trying to establish the provenance before considering any bids. Thanks.

Response:
Although they weren't given directly to me that night, they were given to a person I knew and then indirectly to me. If you have ever seen any of the books that cam out about Brett shortly after retirement, you will see him wearing the jersey and using the bat. I am a private collector who doesn't buy and sell for a living. I would not have anything in my collection that was phoney. I am only selling because I have a chance to buy some very expensive items that I have been eyeing for years.
- rjbmagic1974



In regards to his "last game used bat", I asked the seller the following:

[spartakid]

Has anyone pointed out the proof you guys have come us with? Would be interesting to see what he says....

[spartakid]

Has anyone pointed out the proof you guys have come up with? Would be interesting to see what he says....

[suicide_squeeze]

Has anyone pointed out the proof you guys have come up with? Would be interesting to see what he says....


Would it really Ricardo?


I could think of better things to do with my time......like.....sleeping......or digging a splinter out of my finger with a needle......

The dude is a lier and not worth the nonsense.

[spartakid]

Well probably not, but on the off chance that he's been misinformed or misled:rolleyes: Can't hurt to let him know, maybe he'll do the right thing. There have been a couple of occasions which I've contacted sellers and they've removed items, not realizing they weren't legit.

[suicide_squeeze]

Well probably not, but on the off chance that he's been misinformed or misled:rolleyes: Can't hurt to let him know, maybe he'll do the right thing. There have been a couple of occasions which I've contacted sellers and they've removed items, not realizing they weren't legit.

You're a good man, Ricardo. You actually give the benefit of the doubt to guys like this. And I'm sure, on rare occasions, one or two of them actually are unaware of what they have, which is fake garbage (at least in regards to the jersey) that they truly believe to be legit.

But me.....I have become a bit more cynical in my years. I believe that by informing this guy we are onto his BS, he may end the auction and appear to be the kind that really cares. But in reality, he'll be genuinely pissed off that we ruined his chance to lambast some poor unknowing soul while "offing" his garbage, all the while limiting his "options" on how to get rid of the crap. He'll be left with "craigslist".....or some other meaningless auction site I never bother to look at, where true collectors that would spend the real money on authentic items don't bother with.

No......if he had legit items, as he is advertising them on ebay, he would know the best place to "auction" them off would be in a major sports auction. He would get top dollar for them there. But one problem......they would have to be real.

He knows exactly what he's doing. And in order to attempt to protect our fellow lesser-knowledgable collectors who don't yet know about this site and how to properly do their homework, I will do the duty and inform him that his stuff is freshly deposited, steamy on the sidewalk, out of the rear of an over-fed St. Bernard. If I receive a response worth posting, I'll share with you all.

[spartakid]

I guess that cynicism comes with age, I'm sure I'll get there eventually.:D Well I gave him the link to this, and of all the responses, he asks how the jersey could be fake with a DATED SIGNATURE. Of course anyone with a sharpie can add the date below the signature, duh. Don't expect that I'll hear back from him. It's Unfortunate that people like this taint the hobby, oh well.:( Hopefully no one purchases either one, you'd think he may start the bidding a little lower, but ah yes, greed on top of it.

[suicide_squeeze]

Well, here's the latest question and answer session I had with him. Seeing that you gave him the link to this discussion, he's probably upset now that his "gig is up", and that would explain his typo-ridden short answer to me.


My question:

Dear rjbmagic1974,

Hello again, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think the guy that gave you this jersey isn't honest. The last home jersey worn by George Brett had a different font in the number "5". It was squared off to a 90 degree angle, not "cut-off" at a 45 degree angle like the one you are offering. That is the case on the front, and the back. Also, the color of the numbers (and letters on the back of this jersey) appear to be a much brighter royal blue than the rest of the jersey, not a trait you would find on an authentic gamer. Perhaps this was a jersey belonging to another player which had the number changed, or a "blank" jersey that later had the numbers and "BRETT" applied to the back? In any case, it makes me weary to bid on the bat, which I was very interested in, because if the jersey is bad, in all likelyhood the bat is not what this guy is telling you it is either. It sure appears to be a great authentic game-used George Brett bat, but probably not a "historic" one. Good luck.

- suicide_squeeze




His answer:

Dear suicide_squeeze,

thank you fpr ypur opinion

- rjbmagic1974





Be looking for theses items to show up for sale soon on craigslist......

[CampWest]

thank you fpr ypur opinion
- rjbmagic1974



Classic... photo evidence that it is a different #5 and its just one person's opinion. Of course I am not surprised, because his response to me was "I would not have anything in my collection that was phoney." Which seems like an odd statement for somebody asking a question about the items provenance.

oh well, not much more that can be done. He has been provided with clear evidence that it is not the last home game jersey, but refuses to listen. If he *was* an honest and misinformed owner, he is now a willing fraudulent seller.

[suicide_squeeze]

Classic... photo evidence that it is a different #5 and its just one person's opinion. Of course I am not surprised, because his response to me was "I would not have anything in my collection that was phoney." Which seems like an odd statement for somebody asking a question about the items provenance.

oh well, not much more that can be done. He has been provided with clear evidence that it is not the last home game jersey, but refuses to listen. If he *was* an honest and misinformed owner, he is now a willing fraudulent seller.


My friend, trust me when I tell you he was a willing fradulent seller before anyone asked him any questions. Sometimes......it's just so obvious.

[spartakid]

My friend, trust me when I tell you he was a willing fradulent seller before anyone asked him any questions. Sometimes......it's just so obvious.

I should have listened to you and not even bothered...:rolleyes:

[CampWest]

The bat was relisted and sold with a $2500 BIN, but still containing the probably false claim that it was the bat from the last home game (since it was allegedly acquired from the same source that misinformed on the jersey). Still a great bat of course.

No further signs of the jersey being relisted as of yet.