How many of these bats still exist??

[33bird]

I was thinking today as I was jogging (my thoughts are too obsessed with game used stuff-anyone else have this problem?): I just picked up a Pete Rose 1976 game used H&B R 195 bicentennial bat (with actually use- which is rare), and he ordered only 24 of these all season. I have one, that leaves 23 out there. SO, how many of the remaining 23 actually exist? That's my question. These bats were ordered 31 years ago. Do you think 24 are still around or have some found the Lumber Funeral Yard? I realize it's just a guessing game, but what would you guess?
I also have Morgan 1976 S 44. He ordered over 100 of these models that year. I've only seen 2 ever. Are they in colletors attics, or the players attics, or do only half or so still exist? Any thoughts please share. Thanks,
Greg

[metsbats]

Lot of bats were most likely thrown in the trash if cracked back in the days. No one knew or thought to keep these bats like today as collecting game used bats was not the what it is nor profitable as it is today.

In the old day i heard you can go to the dumpsters at the stadiums after games and pick up cracked bats!

-David

[33bird]

Good info. I wondered if that happened. Nobody thought about these bats (in the 70's and before) being worth tons of money someday. I even remember in the 80's I had a bruce bochte game used bat and my brother had a Dave Parker game used bat and we would use them all the time. Even then we thought they were just cool to have and not worth enough money to care about it. I was watching a Reds/Yankees 1976 World Series video and the camera showed all the Reds bats in the dugout, and I thought: If I could go back in time and grab all those. Man.
Any other thoughts?

[scottanservitz]

Great post! I too have thought about this many times myself. I think this is a similarity to trading cards as well. Vintage baseball and football cards, (I guess basketball and hockey as well) fall into the same category. There aren't nearly as many around today, especially in high grade, as there were when they were produced. This is why they are much harder to come by and bring a premium as well in sales. Comparing a 1995 Topps card of any superstar compared to a 1933 Goudey of Ruth or Gehrig is not even going to be close in terms of $. I think the same is true of game used bats and jerseys as well. It has been posted here before about pre 1980's bats of superstar players going for much more money than newer bats of today. ARod bats are expensive, but not rare in terms of older bats of say Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle. That is the difference. Even old superstar bats were discarded after they were cracked. It wasn't thought of back then as potential investment worthy. So this is why they will always be higher priced because of rarity. The hobby has evolved and many more people collect today then in the old days. There were people who did get their hands on some of those relics and today they can reap the rewards if and when they want to sell them. But even though the rarity of old bats and jerseys may not be accessible in terms of $ to today's collectors, the new wave collectors are still willing to spend money on today's players. This is why the hobby exists. I have a couple bats from the 70's in my collection, but I really don't have the funds to start getting any farther back in my collection right now. Does this keep me from buying newer stuff? Not if I like the piece. So in closing, I think the supply and demand theory definitely fits in this scenario. Happy collecting!

Scott Anservitz

[33bird]

Good info scott. I agree. Nobody has ventured a guess yet though? How many of those Morgan or Rose bats do you think are still around? I know the Reds Gift shop helped preserve some of the Reds game used stuff. The Reds would turn it over to them and then they would sell some of it to the fans. If not for that, I think they would be near impossible to find today.
Greg

[mr.miracle]

Good info scott. I agree. Nobody has ventured a guess yet though? How many of those Morgan or Rose bats do you think are still around? I know the Reds Gift shop helped preserve some of the Reds game used stuff. The Reds would turn it over to them and then they would sell some of it to the fans. If not for that, I think they would be near impossible to find today.
Greg


In the case of Pete Rose, I highly doubt that he has any of those bats in his own private collection as that guy sells everything but his kitchen sink to make a buck and has for years. I would venture to say that there may be a few out there but then you have to wonder, how many of the bats ordered actually ever saw game action, certainly you would think not all did. Hard to say, but the fact that you don't ever see these anywhere certainly seems to help your cause in terms of rarity.

[metsbats]

I think 1976 Bicentennial bats are the alway tough to find because it was a one year style. There are plenty of bats from say the 72-75 or 77-79 because the branding was consistent during those years so there were more bats produced. 76 being the only year the Liberty bell appeared and that combined with the ideas presented in these thread would make any 76 HB a rare bat regardless of model number.

In Vince Malta's BATS book he was able to put player bats into categories based on number of bats known to be in collections. (ie Rare, Scarce, etc).

Unfortunately I have sold my copy of BATS but it would be interesting to see if the same charts are in his new book.

-David

[33bird]

Scott-I didn't realize the Malta's book did that. That's cool. Does anybody have his BATS book and could tell me what he rates Pete's 76 H&B R 195? I'm guessing a rare or scarce. It's the only I've ever seen, but I haven't been collecting his bats as long as some of you other guys. Let me know and thanks for all the good info on this post.
Greg

[rjdgonebats]

Vince Malta's book BATS only lists S222 for 1976 and it is cassified as RARE under Pete Rose. Hope this helps!