Jackie Robinson PSA GU-10 bat....'fresh to the market'

[KGoldin]

We will formally be announcing the collection tomorrow, but wanted to share a sneak peak. It is rare you get to personally meet the person who was given such a historic item. I met with the individual whose family knew Jackie Robinson, and who, as a 12 year old boy, was handed this bat, DURING A GAME AT DODGER STADIUM by Jackie Robinson. His father and grandfather were civil rights pioneers, and the bat will be accompanied by the personalized photo that Jackie also gave to him. This will be in the Goldin Auctions Winter auction starting jan 13th. Bat is UNCRACKED.

[HawaiiSportsNut]

That is one awesome looking bat. A great piece of history.

[KGoldin]

I will not post images, but just a link to the press release and images.
This was a first for me. I met the person, Walter Blount III whose grandfather was a pioneer in civil rights, as founder of the NAACP NYACK (NY) division in the 1920s. The family was friends with Dr Martin Luther King long before he was famous, and the father knew Jackie Robinson. The grandson as a 12 year old met Jackie Robinson in person, at a game (he kept the date) in April 1956, and Robinson walked over to him during the 7th inning stretch, spoke to him, handed him the bat, gave him a personalized signed photo as well (which will come with the bat). When I received the initial call and heard the story, I was like 'this is not possible' until I googled his name and family background and came to realize they were really like royalty back then. True pioneers in the fight for civil rights , and certainly the type of people Jackie would associate himself with. There were about 5 Robinson autographs in his autograph books (he had three of them) most of them personalized like 'To my friend little Walter'. Virtually every well known African American athlete who traveled thru NY in the 50s is in the books. He kept the personalized MLK jr signature for himself, but is allowing us to auction the non personalized one.
and oh yeah, the bat. It is a killer, worthy of not only its PSA GU-10 grade, but the new reigning title as the finest Jackie Robinson bat in the hobby. Held by the original recipient for 57 years, who was handed the bat by Jackie DURING A GAME!

Here is the press release with all the details and images
http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?ca=b83d9359-3b79-4fea-8235-c4b0517d06f0&c=d9123d10-4e9d-11e3-aff8-d4ae52a459cd&ch=d9d9f9e0-4e9d-11e3-aff9-d4ae52a459cd