How did you start collecting Game Used?

[eGameUsed]

I think this came up in the early days of the forum, but I will ask again. How did others gets started in the game used hobby?

For me, I was a a 9 year old kid just trying to get some autographs at the Astrodome when Jim Pankovits gave me his cracked bat after BP. I was immediately hooked. That was 1987. Within a year, I was working deals with grounds crew guys, bat boys, and clubhouse employees to get whatever I could. I still have that bat and it is one of my favorite bats to this day, not because of its $20 value, but because it got me started in this. I am not 27 and have never looked back!

I would love to hear others stories!

Thanks,

Chris
www.eGameUsed.com

[yanks12025]

IM STILL VERY YOUNG ME AND MY DAD GO TO SOME YANKEE GAMES AND I GOT A BP BALL THAT WHAT GOT ME HOOKED AND ANOTHER TIME ME AND MY TWO FRIENDS WENT AND WE ALL GOT THREE BP BALLS WHATS THE ODDS OF THAT HAPPEN OUT OF LIKE 5,000 IN THE BLEACHERS AND I KNOW THATS NOT ALOT BUT NOW WE GO TO ALL THE AUCTIONS AROUND US WE BUY ANY BATS THEY ARE MOSTLY STORE MODELS BUT ONE DAY WE CAME A CROSS A LARRY BERRA BAT MOST LIKEY GAME USED I SOLD IT TO THAT John Taube
PERSON HE SAID THEY PAY TOP MONEY FOR BATS BUT I THINK ME RIPPED ME OFF BAD. THATS HOW I GOT HOOKED.
GO YANKS

[trsent]

I was going to tell my story, but after reading yanks12025 post about John Tabue, I just can't stop laughing.

[yanks12025]

Why Cant U Stop Laughing I Really Dont Think It Was That Funny.

[Yankwood]

IM STILL VERY YOUNG ME AND MY DAD GO TO SOME YANKEE GAMES AND I GOT A BP BALL THAT WHAT GOT ME HOOKED AND ANOTHER TIME ME AND MY TWO FRIENDS WENT AND WE ALL GOT THREE BP BALLS WHATS THE ODDS OF THAT HAPPEN OUT OF LIKE 5,000 IN THE BLEACHERS AND I KNOW THATS NOT ALOT BUT NOW WE GO TO ALL THE AUCTIONS AROUND US WE BUY ANY BATS THEY ARE MOSTLY STORE MODELS BUT ONE DAY WE CAME A CROSS A LARRY BERRA BAT MOST LIKEY GAME USED I SOLD IT TO THAT John Taube
PERSON HE SAID THEY PAY TOP MONEY FOR BATS BUT I THINK ME RIPPED ME OFF BAD. THATS HOW I GOT HOOKED.
GO YANKS

I nominate this for POST OF THE YEAR

[Calrima]

I was at a Jim Hawkins Sports Convention, and I came across a table run by Bruce Hartel or Hartel Sports. They had game used bats for only $5 so I bought a bat of the legendary Jerry Turner ( ), and I was hooked.

Sadly Bruce also had a Johnny Bench for the unheard of price today of $100, and somehow I couldnt see spending that type of money on a bat.

Yes, today Im still kicking myself.

I am still collecting , and have had the pleasure of buying from several forum members. Its nice to buy from people who know what they are selling.

I have uncracked bats of Frank Thomas, Ivan Rodriquez, Jose Canseco, Al Oliver, and Albert Belle in my top slots.

Its a great hobby, so ENJOY it my friends!

Den
http://hometown.aol.com/calrima/myhomepage/profile.html

[Kid4hof03]

I read about game used collecting in SCD when I was a teen-ager and was really taken with the thought of owning real uniforms and bats. A few weeks later I went to a Richmond Braves game, while sitting in the front row a player from Scranton came over and asked me if he could check out my program, he wanted to see how a buddy in lower AA ball was doing. When he was done I asked what happened to their cracked bats and he told me he wasn't sure. About 15 minutes later the same guy comes out of the vistors dugout and hands me a bat he said he'd cracked the night before. I was so surprised I didn't even think to ask him to sign it (it's a pro stock bat). Anyway, the player was Mickey Morandini. The funniest part of the story is that once the game started, Morandini fouled one off and guess who caught it? Yep, only foul ball I've ever gotten and it came from the guy who gave me a bat a hour earlier. I've still got the bat but have no idea where the ball ended up. Anyway, from then on it's been my favorite part of collecting even though I do still collect cards, autographs and other memorabilia.

Abe

[skipcareyisfat]

Abe,

Great story! The Hartels were also instrumental in getting me started. Good guys, great stuff and reasonable prices were consistent qualities with them. I found an old catalog of theirs recently and was blown away by the prices. I'd love to go back and buy half of the catalog.

My first g/u piece of equipment was an unc. Ted Simmons bat that I bought for $10 at old Atl. Fulton County Stadium in the late 80s. The Braves briefly sold g/u bats (unc. for $10 and cr. for $5) at their games until a few people started using them as weapons.

Jason

[gatorcollector]

In the early 90's I started collecting football, baseball, and basketball cards of former Florida Gators. Over the years, a combination of boredom with cards and increased disposable income led me to collecting jerseys of former Gators. Check out my collection here:
http://photobucket.com/albums/e68/gatorcollector/