My first game-used pick up, with a question!

[cekirsch129]

Hello guys,

First time poster but long-time lurker on these boards. I've always been intrigued with game-used memorabilia, but it seems like anytime I find a piece I'm interested in, it's either outrageously priced or had questionable authenticity.

Last weekend I was at the Cardinals Winter-Warm Up and found a game-used bat of Allen Craig. Craig is my favorite current Cardinal, so after debating with myself all weekend, I finally convinced myself to buy it on the last day of the event. I paid $225, which is probably too much, but its a PC item, so I wasn't too concerned about resale value, etc. I purchased this from the MLB Authentics booth, so I'm 99.9% its legit... It has the MLB stickers on the barrel and also on the handle. However, that's where my question comes in.

After I get the bat home, I get online to look up the code to see if there is a specific game that I can match it to. I check the stickers and it appears that the numbers have either rubbed or worn off. I could see faint numbers, but not nearly enough to decipher what the full code is. I ran my thumbnail across part of it, and the ink seemed to come off rather easily. Have any of you all had this issue before? This is the only thing that makes me question its authenticity. I would have loved to have matched it up to a specific game, but it seems like that is impossible. Pics are posted below to get opinions. Thanks!

http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg611/cekirsch129/IMG_0819.jpg (http://s1246.photobucket.com/user/cekirsch129/media/IMG_0819.jpg.html)

http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg611/cekirsch129/IMG_0816.jpg (http://s1246.photobucket.com/user/cekirsch129/media/IMG_0816.jpg.html)

http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg611/cekirsch129/IMG_0815.jpg (http://s1246.photobucket.com/user/cekirsch129/media/IMG_0815.jpg.html)

http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg611/cekirsch129/IMG_0817.jpg (http://s1246.photobucket.com/user/cekirsch129/media/IMG_0817.jpg.html)

http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg611/cekirsch129/IMG_0814.jpg (http://s1246.photobucket.com/user/cekirsch129/media/IMG_0814.jpg.html)

http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg611/cekirsch129/IMG_0818.jpg (http://s1246.photobucket.com/user/cekirsch129/media/IMG_0818.jpg.html)

http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg611/cekirsch129/craig.jpg (http://s1246.photobucket.com/user/cekirsch129/media/craig.jpg.html)

[Roady]

I had a MLB authenticated baseball that was missing a number. It has the same number twice so one is still there, just rubbed off of one set.
I am pretty sure it was rubbed off because the seller sent it in a box and it just rolled around and got rubbed off.

[NeonStatus]

Although it's disappointing that the numbers on both stickers have rubbed off you still have a chance of finding a photomatch to when the bat spit.

[stlbats]

Your bat is 100% authentic and used by Allen Craig. The Cardinals Authentics store only sells stuff straight from the clubhouse. They usually keep a good number of Craig bats in stock because he breaks a ton of them for some reason. Myself along with several others on here have bought a ton of stuff from them. Its all directly from the team.

The likely reason your MLB sticker is rubbed off is because that ones been in the rack at the store a while. I have seen several like this.

Looks like your bat is from 2012 so you can possibly photomatch it with some work. Scroll through getty images, ect.

Thanks
stlbats

stlbats@bellsouth.net

[greg678]

Nice first pickup! Most of us pay a little too much on our first purchase, but it is exciting and worth it. You may want to photo match items in the future. Photo matching is hard to do and takes a lot(!!!) of leg work, but is very satisfying when you match items up and make the purchase. There are people who collect that are impatient and rely on third party opinions only and other collectors who do the extra work to do a photo match on an item for sale. Take a minute to decide which type of collector you want to be. Good luck and go look at photos. :D

[Sotystl]

Great pickup!

Craig is my favorite Cardinal as well, and have one of his bats displayed proudly. Congrats on the pickup!

Bat is 100% authentic, and has all the characteristics of a craig gamer.

Great bat, congrats again.

[MercyMe78]

not sure if it's a match.. can't really tell from your photos on where the crack is but this is from 7/3 against the rockies

[EricTheRed44]

http://www.realclearsports.com/video/2012/10/19/interesting_at-bat_for_allen_craig.html


You need to thank me if this is it...

I'm a Reds fan!

GO REDS! ;)

I believe this is it... good luck collecting.

[EricTheRed44]

Maybe its not it... Thats a odd place to be breaking bats though if he's got multiples out there like this. It looks like the video shows it breaking off where his name on the bat is and yours is intact.

Regardless, good luck.

[cekirsch129]

First off, I just wanted to thank everyone for the overwhelming amount of replies and help you have provided with this. You guys are awesome and really seem to know your stuff. It's nice to find a community of people that really go the extra mile to help a fellow collector out.

I'm currently at work, but I am going to look at the videos and pictures a little bit more closely in comparison with my bat to see if I can find a match. I'll keep everyone updated with any future findings. Again, thanks for the help... you guys are awesome!

[cekirsch129]

not sure if it's a match.. can't really tell from your photos on where the crack is but this is from 7/3 against the rockies


This looks absolutely dead-on with the location of the crack. I'm going to try and zoom in on some identifying marks to see if i can find anything inconclusive. I'm not sure how common it is to have a crack split the bat in half from the handle through the barrel, so there may be similar Craig bats like this. Thanks for the help!

[onlyalbert]

http://www.realclearsports.com/video/2012/10/19/interesting_at-bat_for_allen_craig.html


You need to thank me if this is it...

I'm a Reds fan!

GO REDS! ;)

I believe this is it... good luck collecting.

That's not the same bat. The bat in the video is a playoff bat and has been purchased from the team store very early in the 2013 season and sold to another collector. I was searching high and low for this bat and someone beat me to it. :(

[EricTheRed44]

When I saw the video it was late and the break looked the same, but I noticed Allen Craigs name looked like it was untouched in the photos and when I looked closer at the video I noticed the break looked to be on his name.

The search continues.

[Sotystl]

This looks absolutely dead-on with the location of the crack. I'm going to try and zoom in on some identifying marks to see if i can find anything inconclusive. I'm not sure how common it is to have a crack split the bat in half from the handle through the barrel, so there may be similar Craig bats like this. Thanks for the help!

It looks like the same style of break, however if you look at the picture its a really sharp break. Yours looks like it has a good portion of the end of it where its broken, and wouldnt be quite that sharp. Also looks like the tar is a bit darker in the picture, but that can always be lighting too.

[cekirsch129]

It looks like the same style of break, however if you look at the picture its a really sharp break. Yours looks like it has a good portion of the end of it where its broken, and wouldnt be quite that sharp. Also looks like the tar is a bit darker in the picture, but that can always be lighting too.

You are correct, I just noticed that myself as I was looking at it more closely... the search continues!