Need Help

[yanks12025]

HI
Im 16 and im a die hard yankee fan and love to collect baseball things mostly game used bats,cleats things like that. Now i do not have all the money in the world to buy high price things. I have a tiny collecting but its building. I was wondering how you guys got your collectings going. Did you just save the money then buy things or how thats how i need the help. So if you can share how you got your collectings to boom i would like that.

[suave1477]

Yanks for you I would say start off small find some thing first in particualr you like to collect bats, cleats, wristbands or jerseys or hats. I would say for someone you are age start off with more of the common players as they would be cheaper and work your way up from there. At that time you might be able to start trading up your collection.

Save your money till you get items you really want or at least would be able to trade.!!!

[GrndSlm]

Yanks, I started collecting game used bats in spring training of 1983. My first bat was a Cal Ripken rookie and I was hooked. ....I kept on buying bats at the stadiums in spring training and started reading trade magazines. But, my collection really took off when I turned 21 and started working. I was buying one bat a month from Ball Park Heroes !!!! That was over 12 years ago..... Currently, I am a professional player agent that collects all kinds of game used stuff from my clients. Believe it or not, the hobby helped me become an agent. I started doing marketing with Canseco right after college. Eventually he liked the way I did business and gave me the opportunity to negotiate his contracts. The rest is history ! Now my son is getting into the game used collecting hobby.

If you email me your address I will send you some extra game used bats that I have to help jump start your collection. !! Enjoy,

Juan Iglesias
GrndSlm@aol.com

[metsbats]

Yanks, I started collecting game used bats in spring training of 1983. My first bat was a Cal Ripken rookie and I was hooked. ....I kept on buying bats at the stadiums in spring training and started reading trade magazines. But, my collection really took off when I turned 21 and started working. I was buying one bat a month from Ball Park Heroes !!!! That was over 12 years ago..... Currently, I am a professional player agent that collects all kinds of game used stuff from my clients. Believe it or not, the hobby helped me become an agent. I started doing marketing with Canseco right after college. Eventually he liked the way I did business and gave me the opportunity to negotiate his contracts. The rest is history ! Now my son is getting into the game used collecting hobby.

If you email me your address I will send you some extra game used bats that I have to help jump start your collection. !! Enjoy,

Juan Iglesias
GrndSlm@aol.com


Juan,

You are a class act as always. Back in 1999 not sure if you remember I was able to purchase 2 Canesco home run bats directly from you. It was a pleasure dealing with you back then and a pleasure to see you on this forum!

Regards
-David Louie

[GrndSlm]

Juan,

You are a class act as always. Back in 1999 not sure if you remember I was able to purchase 2 Canesco home run bats directly from you. It was a pleasure dealing with you back then and a pleasure to see you on this forum!

Regards
-David Louie

Thanks David!! I do remember you from my days at South Florida Sports Council. Back then, Jose was selling most of his game used items and I was in charge of most of it. I am happy to see you are still collecting !!

I really enjoy this and I really enjoy helping new hobby members enjoy this great hobby. I am really fortunate because alot of my clients give me game used items from all kinds of players. This is why I like helping others enjoy this wonderful game and hobby.

Keep in tough ...
Juan

[b.heagy]

HI
Im 16 and im a die hard yankee fan and love to collect baseball things mostly game used bats,cleats things like that. Now i do not have all the money in the world to buy high price things. I have a tiny collecting but its building. I was wondering how you guys got your collectings going. Did you just save the money then buy things or how thats how i need the help. So if you can share how you got your collectings to boom i would like that.

My advice, Absorb the hobby. Study as much as you can - auction catalogs, price guides, ebay etc. Knowledge is key. When I started on a limited budget I bought what I knew I could make money on and be able to keep a few things to stick away for future trades/deals (had to sell some stuff i did not want to but now i have a far better collection because of it). Quick return is always nice to keep you strong. Hit as many places as you can garage/yard sales, antique markets, flea markets etc.. There are treasures out there waiting to be found. Get some business cards if you have not done that yet. Hand them out whenever you purchase an item or items. Establish yourself as a serious buyer. We all make mistakes along the way but dont let that discourage you. We all learn as we go. Sooner or later you will get "The Score" it may take years but it is worth it in the end. Best of luck.

[metsbats]

Yanks,

I agree w/ Bill. I start out with a $65 game used bat and slowly graduated towards bigger and better things. Keeping auction catalogs and ads is a great thing. I started collecting in the early 90's and have almost every Sport Collectors Digest AD from national bat dealers like Zane Burns, John Taube, Ball Park Heroes, etc. Education yourself and and ask lot of questions. Since you have limited funds at 16, you start off with an item which may not be your first choice but as you get older and start making money you can upgrade.

You will also find that you as you get deeper into collecting your focus will change. I started w/ GU bats and then got interested in GU jerseys. From GU jerseys I graduated to WS and post season bats. Once you thought you collected it all there always something of higher status or value that you may want. That's where the ability to buy items and resell them to get funds to upgrade will be beneficial. And you can do this with collectibles which are not your focus.

For example I"m not a Yankee fan but since I know Yankee stuff sell for apremium I may pick up a Yankee piece if it's at a good price and sell it to generate funds to get a Mets item I want.

Because after all, not all of us have the luxury or unlimited resources to get what we want all the time.

Hope this helps.

-David

[Calrima]

Yanks, I started collecting game used bats in spring training of 1983. My first bat was a Cal Ripken rookie and I was hooked. ....I kept on buying bats at the stadiums in spring training and started reading trade magazines. But, my collection really took off when I turned 21 and started working. I was buying one bat a month from Ball Park Heroes !!!! That was over 12 years ago..... Currently, I am a professional player agent that collects all kinds of game used stuff from my clients. Believe it or not, the hobby helped me become an agent. I started doing marketing with Canseco right after college. Eventually he liked the way I did business and gave me the opportunity to negotiate his contracts. The rest is history ! Now my son is getting into the game used collecting hobby.

If you email me your address I will send you some extra game used bats that I have to help jump start your collection. !! Enjoy,

Juan Iglesias
GrndSlm@aol.com


Juan that is the very nicest thing I have ever seen on any forum or newsgroup. Your head and shoulders above the rest. Welcome to a great group of collecting friends!

Den

[sportscentury]

If you email me your address I will send you some extra game used bats that I have to help jump start your collection. !! Enjoy,
Juan Iglesias
GrndSlm@aol.com

Juan,

I agree with the others ... that's a very nice gesture. I'm glad that you have joined us on the forum. Don't forget to post your items for sale in the Items For Sale section. You've had a lot of top items over the years, and I imagine that many forum members would have interest as you make items available.

Reid

[yanks12025]

Thanks for all your help.
My little collecten started because i found a yogi berra game used 1950's bat. WEll that bat is well gone and if i had it now i would still have and not getton rid of it. Then i moved on to buying a moises alou game used bat then a preston wilson. I have alot of 1950's store model bats and i also went to the WBC in florida and got some autos. So thats how im slow starting it.
Thanks again for all your help and info i will use it.

[Swoboda4]

yanks12025,tell us a little more about the Berra game used bat you found sounds like a good story,especially for a 16 yr old. Why don't you still have it? By the way I save up to buy my items,trying not to spend it on smaller things I usually like,to eventually get the more expensive item.

[yanks12025]

OK the berra story.
Lets say about a year ago my dad and i went to a local auction. We looked around and seen some basebats.(We did not know it was game used) So i think we bought it for $45. Good news was there was four different bats and they choiced them off and some one almost bought it. But back to the story. So say three or two months later i was looking around online to learn about one of my other bats a 1940's lou gehrig store model. Then i found some one and we started e-mailing each other asking him about the lou gehrig bat. Then after a week or two we decided it was store model. Then after that i e-mailed him about the larry(yogi) berra bat. He wanted to give me $350 for it. So then i started to say to myself this may be worth more. After more looking online i found JT BATS John taube. So i e-mailed him and then after half a month or so i sold it for $1500 and a bat signed by some yankees and a mike mussina signed ball. The bat was not in really great shape had a piece missing and cracked but i think i should have at least got $2500 because it had larry on it. So thats how i started collecting baseball items.