“everything I Own Is Real, All Of Your Stuff Is Fake”

[R.Mansfield]

“EVERYTHING I OWN IS REAL, ALL OF YOUR STUFF IS FAKE”

I don’t know about anyone else, but in the words of Peter Griffin, this really “Grinds my Gears”.

In my opinion this kind of attitude has really hurt our hobby. I constantly scan threads and websites and this is the general attitude of a lot of so-called “experts”.

It seems that these self-professed experts can find a fault in every single piece of game used equipment on the market. But don’t you dare question anything they own, that they are asking four times the market price for. By God, their items are 100% authentic…

If you have an authentic jersey, they would say the tagging is wrong. If the tagging is correct, they would say it was a pro tag sewn on a retail jersey. Or the font is wrong. The correct thread was not used. The “A” in the team name is crooked. The tail is too long. The tail is too short. Or if they have to admit it is real, it just a game issued jersey, with no real use…At this point I am convinced there is not a single real game used Albert Pujols jersey on the face of the earth, period. Every single one on the market, ever, has something wrong with it. You would be led to believe the Cardinals Care “Shirt Off Our Back” jersey’s are fake.

This is the reason that I don’t post pics and discuss items I own, I don’t want to hear a bunch of BS of why my items are “questionable”…I think this is the sentiment of a lot of other collectors also. I feel a lot of people read posts, but are hesitant to comment or participate on this forum, because of this very attitude. It seems that a lot of these experts just want to play the “Gotcha Game”.

I had a documented game used bat, photo matched to several Getty images, verified and authenticated by J.T. at PSA/DNA, who provided an LOA with the photo match image included on it, and still was met with this attitude and questioning by an “expert”.

I am always on the side of collectors being educated, learning, and knowing about items they own or are researching, but I just think this attitude has really hurt the hobby. Who wants to research and buy an expensive item, feel good about it, only to ripped to shreds by others, just for the sake of playing a game.

Russell Mansfield
batdna@sbcglobal.net

[EurekaDave]

Re: “everything I Own Is Real, All Of Your Stuff Is Fake”

True enough. Skepticism has become obsessional. I think it comes from envy: "My Holy Grail is holier than yours." It does mess up the hobby. I now figure that I have a better than 50-50 chance that one of my 200 items is truly authentic. But I could be wrong...

Dave Silverbrand

[gingi79]

Re: “everything I Own Is Real, All Of Your Stuff Is Fake”

I have to agree here. I was forced to leave two sites recently for similar circumstances. One site, I was a long time poster who contributed something for years with many factual posts, intelligent questions and some insight. The other, I joined briefly before realizing almost all the people there only cared about showing off their mass produced crap as if they could repopulate Canton and Cooperstown with game worn HOF one of a kind material, all while bashing everyone elses stuff as knockoffs and cheap garbage.

This site does a great job of policing people who suffer from "I'm-better-than-you" for the most part. I guess some folks just never got past the stage in life where they have to show their friends they have better toys. Makes me feel sorry for them really.

I always chuckle to myself when people post opinions as if they were the scripture and I try hard to just enjoy the hobby. People who take themselves too seriously ruin many aspects of daily life, I just ignore the penis envy some folks suffer from.

Lastly, this site has certainly made Albert Pujols items impossible to obtain. Frankly, I'd love a bat but unless he hands it to me, I wouldn't even trust Tony LaRussa to walk out of the dugout and hand it to me. For the collectors like BirdBats who always seem to come from a place of knowledge and helping fans to learn and grow, this site is great and I want to thank you. For the collectors who just enjoy sitting on pedestals and tearing down others new pickups as if everything anyone ever buys is fake, maybe it's time to look a little closer at your collection and concentrate on yourself. Funny how similar some grown folks are to second graders....

[Number13]

Re: “everything I Own Is Real, All Of Your Stuff Is Fake”

For me, this is a hobby, and something I enjoy and have fun with. It's sad to see people have to have poor attitudes. What should be important is not who has better stuff, but the enjoyment one gets from collecting. I also enjoy talking with others who share the same passion I do and get the same feelings from it. Unfortunately, there are always people who will always try and one up the next guy because they have to be the best, at all costs. The people with the attitude in the title of this thread really are, to me, immature and in a way pathetic. They must be miserable people and not be happy with life. Grow up and get some help.

[jdr3]

Re: “everything I Own Is Real, All Of Your Stuff Is Fake”

Eric,

I completely agree with your post. It seems that the trash talking, hip hop mentality has permiated every facet of culture, down to collecting game worn. It shows a real form of insecurity that someone must place so much pride in a collection of used clothing worn by other people, or has to put another down to feel big. If your collection has become a source of pride to the point that you now view collecting as a competiton there is something seriously lacking in your life.

[CollectGU]

Re: “everything I Own Is Real, All Of Your Stuff Is Fake”

Eric,

It shows a real form of insecurity that someone must place so much pride in a collection of used clothing worn by other people, or has to put another down to feel big. If your collection has become a source of pride to the point that you now view collecting as a competiton there is something seriously lacking in your life.

I have to agree and when I read this post, the Bo Jackson All-Star game used bat thread immediately came to mind.

Dave

[godwulf]

Re: “everything I Own Is Real, All Of Your Stuff Is Fake”

Good thoughts expressed by all. It's one thing to have a question about some GU item and to express that point of concern appropriately, modestly, and in the spirit of collegiality, and quite another to go out of one's way to attack, ridicule and demean someone else's collectible (and, by implication, its collector) and to take such obvious relish in doing so.

[kprst6]

Re: “everything I Own Is Real, All Of Your Stuff Is Fake”

People have to justify things to make themselves feel better. It's part of human nature and why the world is so messed up because everyone thinks their opinion matters more than everyone Else's.

Just look at religion and how much people's beliefs run their lives. The whole my religion is correct and your beliefs are wrong ideology.

Ever ask for someone's opinion on what car to buy? You'll probably start a fist fight between 2 people with different opinions.

[EurekaDave]

Re: “everything I Own Is Real, All Of Your Stuff Is Fake”

I think we've turned baseball collecting into a kind of religious extremism--for want of a better description. We think that if we reach over the railing for the foul-ball, a higher power will protect us. That's called "free-will" and it's an off-speed pitch that will get you every time.

Dave Silverbrand

[frikativ54]

Re: “everything I Own Is Real, All Of Your Stuff Is Fake”

This site does a great job of policing people who suffer from "I'm-better-than-you" for the most part. I guess some folks just never got past the stage in life where they have to show their friends they have better toys. Makes me feel sorry for them really.

I always chuckle to myself when people post opinions as if they were the scripture and I try hard to just enjoy the hobby. People who take themselves too seriously ruin many aspects of daily life, I just ignore the penis envy some folks suffer from.

You are spot on with this analysis. Sometimes I am amazed at the length guys on these sites will go to show that "theirs is bigger." Their collection, their earnings, their holy grails - it's unbelievable. I never understood the need for 20 bats of the same model of one player. Or the desire to have so many of the same thing that it's obvious they they are trying keep it away from other collectors. For my collection, I'm just trying to get one of each style of something - whether it be gloves, shoes, hats, etc. Some people just never learned how to share.

-Frik

[CampWest]

Re: “everything I Own Is Real, All Of Your Stuff Is Fake”

Counter Point. A fresh reminder of the fact that if you are not careful and skeptical in this hobby, you could get burned. Article says this guy has been engaged in allegedly fake game used jerseys for 4-5 years.

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=45140

[godwulf]

Re: “everything I Own Is Real, All Of Your Stuff Is Fake”

Sometimes I am amazed at the length guys on these sites will go to show that "theirs is bigger." Their collection, their earnings, their holy grails - it's unbelievable. I never understood the need for 20 bats of the same model of one player. Or the desire to have so many of the same thing that it's obvious they they are trying keep it away from other collectors. For my collection, I'm just trying to get one of each style of something - whether it be gloves, shoes, hats, etc. Some people just never learned how to share.

I may have it wrong, frik, but I don't think that's really what this thread is all about - or, at any rate, not what it started out being about.

If somebody wants twenty (or a hundred) virtually identical bats of the same player, that may be some kind of OCD indicator, but I don't see the connection between that kind of behavior and coming into the forum and attacking the authenticity of other collectors' purchases in a dickish way...which I thought was what we were talking about.

Maybe if you had one goof (or a group of geef) consistently doing both things, okay...but, to me, they're not even comparable, in terms of the annoyance factor.

And I'm not just saying that 'cause I happen to own 35 Greg Colbrunn bats.

No two GU collectors are identical, in terms of interest, focus, or relative degree of obsessiveness. I don't think I've ever had another member respond to one of my posts with, "What do you want to collect that for?" or anything like that, for which I'm grateful. I wouldn't likely continue to hang out here if that were to happen, even once or twice. Similarly, I hold my tongue (so to speak) when someone is obviously excited about having collected something from a player whom I, to put it mildly, do not admire. I don't think we all need to share exactly the same personal collecting criteria in order to get along and be respectful of one another's interests.

[R.Mansfield]

Re: “everything I Own Is Real, All Of Your Stuff Is Fake”

Counter Point. A fresh reminder of the fact that if you are not careful and skeptical in this hobby, you could get burned. Article says this guy has been engaged in allegedly fake game used jerseys for 4-5 years.


http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_f...ad.php?t=45140

As I said in my initial post, being informed and educated is a priority.

But, I read post all of the time where someone gets a bat from a player they like, and the next response will be from someone saying “the uniform number on the end looks odd”. The reason for this type of response, in my mind, it to tear the bat and collector down, just for the sake of doing it. In many cases, this is hurtful to the proud owner of the bat, what reason does one have to nit-pick it?

If you see a bat that looks fake for sale, don’t buy it!

But, if someone is showing an item they are proud of, what good does it do to say something looks off? They are not trying to sell it; they are just showing it. This is a hobby where all LOA’s and COA’s are based on opinion. Just because a characteristic is different, doesn’t necessarily signify a bat is fake.

The only times an item should be questioned is when it is for sale, being presented as something it is not, and when an owner asks for others opinion.

Players use bats made for other players, label up, label down, use hitting surfaces on a bat based on which side has wider grain, have bat boys add their uniform number…Then some “expert” comes along, who knows everything, and criticizes an item based on nothing.

Several months ago, I noticed a post from an “expert” stating that they are tired of collectors e-mailing them, asking if different “PlayerA” bats listed on eBay are real or not. Further, this expert had the gall to state that unless they make a post stating a certain “PlayerA” bat is real, you can be assured it is fake, this included all eBay as well as all other auction house listings.

I could not believe this. This expert is saying that unless they deem a “PlayerA” bat as being authentic, all others in the market are fake, without any qualifier! I guess those in the market for a “PlayerA” bat are sitting patiently next to their computer waiting for the blessing of this expert to buy a “real PlayerA gamer”.

This is the type of attitude that has consumed this hobby. No two bats are exactly the same, so if you are comparing all “PlayerA” bats to one in a photo, of course there are going to be differences, it doesn’t mean all others are fake though.

Russell Mansfield
batdna@sbcglobal.net

[mickeymbz]

Re: “everything I Own Is Real, All Of Your Stuff Is Fake”

true,true...everything posted here is true. ive known about this site for years but never posted a pic. i thought i would share part of my collection to the site.. and was met with criticism and hostility... was kinda taken aback. and mind you these were senior members.. all with their VAST knowledge of what true laker gamers are.. and how dare i question their authority. fortunately there are 3 good dudes for every 1 "mr know it all". i can only speak for myself...but this hobby is a learning experience constantly.. i think a great many of us have bought a unworn piece thinking, or led to believe, it was a worn piece. this is not a science.. its a hobby

[solarlottry]

Re: “everything I Own Is Real, All Of Your Stuff Is Fake”

Quote:
Originally Posted by frikativ54
Sometimes I am amazed at the length guys on these sites will go to show that "theirs is bigger." Their collection, their earnings, their holy grails - it's unbelievable. I never understood the need for 20 bats of the same model of one player. Or the desire to have so many of the same thing that it's obvious they they are trying keep it away from other collectors. For my collection, I'm just trying to get one of each style of something - whether it be gloves, shoes, hats, etc. Some people just never learned how to share.

I have been collecting 49ers gamers for almost 20 years. I have also ben posting my pickups on this site for people to enjoy and to learn about what authentic game used shirts from the 1980s until 2010 look like. I also respond to ALL emails especially if someone is asking what to look for in evaluating 49ers gamers that have been for sale via multiple sources.

If I want to collect 1994 49ers gamers and have 6 Ricky Watters shirts then so what. Many were purchased at auction or thru reputable dealers and anyone else could have purchased them but did not. In many cases I was lucky enough to see it first. If there is something I like should I not buy it because "someone else may want it and I have one already"? That makes NO SENSE to a specific collector such as myself. I am the type of collector who likes multiple items from players and specific teams (1994 49ers) so why should I not pursue what I enjoy.

I have never once posted any of my gamers with the intent to diminish anyone else's collection or belittle anyone in any way. I think your comment is way off base as many collectors post their collection because they think other people would simply enjoy seeing it.

Just because a collection has some very nice, high priced items (i.e. multiple Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders, Steve Young gamers) does not mean that I am selfish in any way, shape or form! Their have been multiple collectors who have contacted me about items they are interested in buying from various sources and I have been nothing but helpful in the evaluation of the authenticity and value of such items.

Just because someone has a nice collection, takes pride in their collection and has multiple high end gamers does not mean that they are selfish, trying to keep stuff out of other peoples hands or trying to show anyone else up! It takes time to photograph the shirts and post them online. If the general consensus is that someone who posts a valuable collection with multiple gamers of the same player is a selfish, egomaniac, trying to "corner the market" then you wont see anymore of what I collect on this site.

Paul
49ers collector
garciajones@yahoo.com