Value of game used bats question?

[richpick]

Just wanted to hear thoughts about the value of cracked bats. If you had three bats from the same player and exactly the same specs and all are game used one is uncracked and sells for $1000 what would the cracked bat sell for? and what would the cracked and repaired bat sell for? I am sure I am opening a can of worms with this question but I just wanted to get a fair idea of how the collecting community treats these different bats when it comes to collecting and value.

[kylehess10]

In my opinion, and I know that I'm wrong, but I always like to think that cracked bats and intact bats should be worth the same. When I see a cracked bat, I know that the player used the bat to it's fullest until the bat couldn't take it anymore and it cracks

[NegleyPirate]

I would guess it would depend on the player and how bad the crack is on the bat. So people prefer uncracked bats only and some like the cracked one's better. I always wondered why B.P. bats are so much cheaper than game used. It's still being used by the player. I hope this helped.
Mike

[stlbats]

I think I have seen that technically if a bat has no pieces missing and not a terrible crack that takes away from the display that a cracked bat should have about the same value as an uncracked one. However I have not took great notice, but it seems that uncracked ones sell a little better.

personally I dont mind a crack as long as its not bad and no peices are missing

jason

[Birdbats]

I think a bat needs something wrong with it to be taken out of circulation -- a crack, deadwood/checking, etc. If a bat is in great (uncracked) shape, I question why it's in the collector's market and not the player's locker (Was it pilfered from the bat rack? Didn't the player like it enough to keep using it? Did he ever use it at all?). Sure, there are uncracked bats remaining at the end of the season, but how many actually saw game use? I'll avoid a bat that's absolutely splintered and "undisplayable," but generally, I prefer the cracked bat.

That said, I'm probably in the minority... most people place a premium on the uncracked bat. Assuming the bat's in one piece and no big chunks are missing, I'd value them equally. I'd put a well-repaired bat in the same boat -- not worth more or less (even though he owner may have paid good money to have it repaired). However, a poorly repaired bat is worth much less to me, especially if the bad repair can't be fixed.

It also matters in terms of specific players. For example, an uncracked McGwire bat should be worth FAR less than a cracked one (or one with deadwood). Mac used a bat until it couldn't be used any longer. If you see a McGwire that is uncracked (outside of Cooperstown), that's a red flag. On the other hand, Tony Gwynn switched bats often during his run to 3,000 hits -- it's not uncommon at all to find nice, legit uncracked bats of his showing little use.

Jeff
http://www.birdbats.com
Go, Cards!