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View Full Version : IS your collection a Top 10 within your niche?



jake33
07-31-2012, 04:08 PM
Just curious how many collectors on this site feel that within their niche of game used collecting that your collection is one of the top 10 within that niche on the planet.

We all know our own niches whether it be a specific team, era, players form your favorite college, individual player, jerseys that state "martinez" on the back, flapless helmets, or whatever that niche maybe.

Dewey2007
07-31-2012, 04:44 PM
I collect athletes from my hometown and do not know of any others so I would say mine is #1 :)

Also, without knowing for sure, since I have not seen every collection out there, I would venture to say my Jimmy Rollins player collection would crack the Top 10. Not for sheer quantity but for the quality of some of the items I have been able to acquire to date.




Just curious how many collectors on this site feel that within their niche of game used collecting that your collection is one of the top 10 within that niche on the planet.

We all know our own niches whether it be a specific team, era, players form your favorite college, individual player, jerseys that state "martinez" on the back, flapless helmets, or whatever that niche maybe.

Preston
07-31-2012, 07:50 PM
According to Beckett, my Titans niche isn't bad :)

earlywynnfan
07-31-2012, 08:17 PM
I'd love to know how many out there have over 500 single-signed Negro League baseballs. I know I'm not in first, but I may make the top-10.

Also I am about the only person I know of who collects balls signed by WWII Vets, so I may be a winner there.

Ken

cyclonenation
07-31-2012, 10:05 PM
Until someone shows otherwise, I think I am the top in my niche.
www.cyclonejerseys.com

Klattsy
07-31-2012, 10:31 PM
There are a couple of Aussie GU collectors down here now, Mat who is a lurker here and Beckster has a few Aussie + V-Tek items, but for size I think mine is but it is a big wide world down here and someone has to be outbidding me on all these MiLB auctions!

Mark.

OaklandAsFan
07-31-2012, 10:54 PM
I would say I'm second to Godwulf in regards to Dbacks memorabilia and I've got a decent A's collection that could be top 10.

I know my baseball card collection is top 10. Prior to my mother passing away she was #4 on the PSA registry for T206 cards.

Rob L
08-01-2012, 12:52 AM
I'm guessing my Percival jersey collection is within the Top 10. Lol.

kudu
08-01-2012, 01:02 AM
There are a couple of Aussie GU collectors down here now, Mat who is a lurker here and Beckster has a few Aussie + V-Tek items, but for size I think mine is but it is a big wide world down here and someone has to be outbidding me on all these MiLB auctions!

Mark.

Mark, is there a big market down there for collecting GU cricket, AFL, NRL, and any other sports GU items? Just curious.

ivo610
08-01-2012, 08:18 AM
Of the collections I have seen for packer items I would say I am in the top 3. But I am sure there are a couple collections I haven't seen. In addition to whatever a couple players have and the equipment manager or other team employees. So to answer your question... I have no clue

camarokids
08-01-2012, 09:22 AM
I may have one of the most complete collections of Devil Rays game used bats. Currently with 354 bats.

Needing only 24 players bats from 1998 to 2011 to have at least one bat of every position player to log in at least one official MLB at-bat.

Also a decent collection of their fielding gloves with 17.

There may be some others out there who have large collections?

camarokids
08-01-2012, 10:44 AM
It would be interesting to know who has a major collection of Atlanta Braves bats!!!

frikativ54
08-01-2012, 11:03 AM
Personally, it doesn't matter to me if I'm in the top ten or top hundred with any of my game used collections. Perhaps there are others who feel the same way and eschew the hypercompetitiveness that sometimes runs rampant in game used collecting.

One of the biggest mistakes I made in my early collecting was trying to be "the best" in my niche. Now, after having collected for a few years, I've realized that it's okay to branch out, that I don't need to own my favorite player's every item. I constantly aim to collect only for the love of baseball.

gingi79
08-01-2012, 11:22 AM
No doubt top 10 Matt Diaz and unless there is a hoarder in Finland with all his Olympic jerseys and his minor league jerseys, who hasn't advertised the fact he has them, #1 Sami Salo collection in the world

camarokids
08-01-2012, 11:25 AM
Personally, it doesn't matter to me if I'm in the top ten or top hundred with any of my game used collections. Perhaps there are others who feel the same way and eschew the hypercompetitiveness that sometimes runs rampant in game used collecting.

One of the biggest mistakes I made in my early collecting was trying to be "the best" in my niche. Now, after having collected for a few years, I've realized that it's okay to branch out, that I don't need to own my favorite player's every item. I constantly aim to collect only for the love of baseball.

I am into collecting what I do for me, not to compete with others. A lot of the players bats I need, most collectors would not want to own. I am just trying to complete a goal.

I also collect other teams based on players/teams I have met. Some items I buy just because they are neat to own based on their history.

slab0meat
08-01-2012, 11:33 AM
I'm not even in the top 1,000,000

godwulf
08-01-2012, 12:22 PM
Not to overly complicate the issue (moi?), but how does one factor in something like rarity, uniqueness and "importance" vs. just sheer number of objects?

Take my own niche - the Diamondbacks. I've got over a thousand bats, and something like 300 jerseys, and of course a lot of other gu stuff related in some way to the team...but I'd guesstimate that maybe 25% of the bats and a third of the jerseys are not MLB, but from the Minors. I know a lot of collectors (no doubt some of you) who turn up their noses at prospects' bats, etc - but it happens to be one of my favorite parts of collecting.

That said, even if you only consider the strictly MLB items, yeah, there may be some guys out there with more Diamondbacks jerseys, but when it comes to bats, I've never heard of anyone having a greater number, or as many from key players throughout the team's history.

camarokids
08-01-2012, 01:00 PM
Hey Godwulf,

My son and I bought two game used bats from the Indianapolis Indians Team Store last week! One is Jake Fox and the other Chase D'Aunard.

godwulf
08-01-2012, 07:51 PM
It's really an affordable alternative to always spending big bucks on bats from the big club, isn't it? When I was in Mobile last month, I bought a half dozen bats at the BayBears' team store for less than I'd have paid for a single bat at Chase Field. I also have a guy in California who gets minor league bats from all over the system, and a guy here in the Valley who has provided me with quite a few ST bats. Usuallly, when the Fall League comes around, I have at least a few bats to get signed. Last Fall, I surprised David Nick by asking him to sign bats that turned out to have been used by him on three different minor league teams.

Speaking of Indianapolis, that's where I grew up. I remember my Dad taking me to a couple of Indians games - this would have been in the '60s - but I didn't really become a Baseball fan till I was in my late twenties...and I didn't start collecting bats till I was over forty. Probably a good thing; if I'd started as a kid, God alone knows how many bats I'd have accumulated by now.

Klattsy
08-01-2012, 09:16 PM
Mark, is there a big market down there for collecting GU cricket, AFL, NRL, and any other sports GU items? Just curious.

Hey Kudu, most Game Used items from the top sports go for big bucks down here because they are so rare. They are usually reserved for charity auctions and a pretty much always in 4 figures. A lot of corporate types pick them up. You cannot buy anything from the team and players do not throw things into the crowd (that I have ever seen). A lo of the players keep their items for friends and family. I actually found out that one of the Australian representative NRL players sends all his Aust training gear out to indigenous communities for the kids to wear!

The NRL has a "pink" round where the auction jerseys off for Breast Cancer and the cricketers to the same thing. Not sure about AFL too much.

I'm not sure how many of each item are issued to players in each sport, but it's no where near the number in MLB. In fact with Cricket, the hat they wear on the field ("The Baggy Green") each player is given 1 (ONE) only. Ever. Unless it falls apart beyond repair.

Hope that makes sense!
Mark.

chakes89
08-02-2012, 03:33 AM
It's really an affordable alternative to always spending big bucks on bats from the big club, isn't it? When I was in Mobile last month, I bought a half dozen bats at the BayBears' team store for less than I'd have paid for a single bat at Chase Field. I also have a guy in California who gets minor league bats from all over the system, and a guy here in the Valley who has provided me with quite a few ST bats. Usuallly, when the Fall League comes around, I have at least a few bats to get signed. Last Fall, I surprised David Nick by asking him to sign bats that turned out to have been used by him on three different minor league teams.

Speaking of Indianapolis, that's where I grew up. I remember my Dad taking me to a couple of Indians games - this would have been in the '60s - but I didn't really become a Baseball fan till I was in my late twenties...and I didn't start collecting bats till I was over forty. Probably a good thing; if I'd started as a kid, God alone knows how many bats I'd have accumulated by now.
I'm in the same boat as you, I love minor league stuff.

My passion comes from the fact that I have a team (the Dayton Dragons) 15 minutes away from me, have been going to their games since their inception back in 2000 at age 11 and because of this passion I have worked in food service at the stadium for almost 7 years now. I just love the feel of minor league ball and would take it over major league any day. But that's just me.

soxbats
08-02-2012, 09:43 PM
IMHO collecting is about bringing together a group of items that without your efforts would be scattered to the four winds. It is part investigation, part treasure hunting, part plotting ways to find access, leading to the thrill of the find. While some might find it competitive, I feel like I am competing more against the goal than anything else.

The great part about this post, and collecting, is that you define the niche. If you don't want competition then pick something only you could like. building that will turn out to be impressive too.

I think I have 2 collections that I would view as top 10. The first I am fairly sure i am occupying all ten spots, because no one else is trying. I collect game used equipment of Temple Basketball players. Lots of jerseys and sneaks for under $100 on this journey and I am over 75 pieces at this point. When it started I thought it was a collection of ugly ducklings, but now i feel like it is impressive due to the diversity of teams and obscurity of the players.

My second collection I have been working on for over 20 years and is a run of red sox position player bats from 1960 to the present. That is approx 475 players and I need 11 to complete the collection.

Jeff
Soxbats@aol.com

camarokids
08-03-2012, 10:05 AM
Well said Jeff (soxbats)! You put into words exactly how I feel.

Wow you are pretty darn close to completing your bat collection.

I am starting to feel like there are some bats I will not find. But on the other hand I just need to keep searching and looking.

The bats are out there I just have to be in the right spot at the right time to buy them.

lcstate collector
08-07-2012, 11:16 PM
Well, I have over 120 game worn jerseys and many other game used items from Lewis-Clark State College baseball players. I don't know of anyone else who is collecting items of the school specifically. I am pretty proud of my niche in the hobby no matter where I rank.

momen55
08-08-2012, 01:12 AM
at this point, i have over 20 knobless model bats and adding to the collection. i find a lot of models i don't have, but they are all cracked. it's been tough looking over the years, but they do surface.

coxfan
08-08-2012, 08:18 AM
I really like the first two paragraphs of Soxbats post of 8-2. That's a really well-put description of collecting of all kinds.

It is true that collectors save for future generations of collectors, historians, and sometimes museums; things of value that would otherwise be lost, or else their significance permanently forgotten. And collecting, like historical research, offers an inexhaustible variety of special niches.

Number13
08-08-2012, 12:50 PM
I really like the first two paragraphs of Soxbats post of 8-2. That's a really well-put description of collecting of all kinds.

It is true that collectors save for future generations of collectors, historians, and sometimes museums; things of value that would otherwise be lost, or else their significance permanently forgotten. And collecting, like historical research, offers an inexhaustible variety of special niches.

+1

gaytorhater703
08-08-2012, 02:05 PM
IMHO collecting is about bringing together a group of items that without your efforts would be scattered to the four winds. It is part investigation, part treasure hunting, part plotting ways to find access, leading to the thrill of the find. While some might find it competitive, I feel like I am competing more against the goal than anything else.

The great part about this post, and collecting, is that you define the niche. If you don't want competition then pick something only you could like. building that will turn out to be impressive too.

I think I have 2 collections that I would view as top 10. The first I am fairly sure i am occupying all ten spots, because no one else is trying. I collect game used equipment of Temple Basketball players. Lots of jerseys and sneaks for under $100 on this journey and I am over 75 pieces at this point. When it started I thought it was a collection of ugly ducklings, but now i feel like it is impressive due to the diversity of teams and obscurity of the players.

My second collection I have been working on for over 20 years and is a run of red sox position player bats from 1960 to the present. That is approx 475 players and I need 11 to complete the collection.

Jeff
Soxbats@aol.com

So which 11 are you missing??? Im interested to see which ones have been the hardest to find.

mlbforeverhomer
08-08-2012, 03:25 PM
at this point, i have over 20 knobless model bats and adding to the collection. i find a lot of models i don't have, but they are all cracked. it's been tough looking over the years, but they do surface.

The Astros have some BP Biggio's available... Over priced... But uncracked...

suave1477
08-08-2012, 03:50 PM
Well I am gonna go out on a limb and say I probably have the #1 Darryl Strawberry Game Used collection and added into it some very unique rare items

momen55
08-08-2012, 03:55 PM
The Astros have some BP Biggio's available... Over priced... But uncracked...

yes true. 1-i won't buy for that reason; 2-i have that H176 model. thank you for looking.

soxbats
08-08-2012, 08:54 PM
So which 11 are you missing??? Im interested to see which ones have been the hardest to find.

Thanks for your interest.

I am missing the following players: Luis Alvarado, Ray Boone, Carmen Fanzone, Chuck Goggin, Ron Jackson, Che Hsuan Lin, Felix Mantilla, Ken Poulsen, George Smith, Ray Webster, and Ted Williams.

With the exception of Lin from this year all the rest are guys from the 60s or early 70s. Obviously the Williams is available but I was thinking that I might pick that up as one of my last. Also I like to find several rather than spend a ton on one.

I have loaned parts of the collection to the red sox, displayed at McCoy stadium home of the Pawsox and have even been able to donate to the baseball hall of fame so it has brought me a ton of pleasure and is a great distraction. I agree with another posted comment about the history reflected in a collection, I really feel that but for my gathering of these bats many would have been lost. Individually most are common bats of players who made little mark on the record books. Together, they reflect over a half century of history of the red sox.

Jeff

Soxbats@aol.com