What does it take for you to believe a story?

[kingjammy24]

lots of pieces in this hobby come with colorful stories of their source. i'm curious what the litmus test is for people to take a story seriously. do you guys only believe a story if there's tangible proof backing it up? do you believe a story if you know the person? do you believe any story?

i ran into this description pertaining to a david ortiz game-used jersey currently for sale on the GFC website:

"This jersey was worn by Big Papi on 10/21/07 when the Red Sox won the American League Pennant. On the left front tail is the “Majestic” manufacturers tag. Below is a strip tag with “34 54 07.” There is an autograph on back done in black marker with inscription “B.P. Game Use!” The B.P. stands for Big Papi. The signature rates an 8. Accompanied by a MEARS LOA grading an A10 and backed by our JSA guarantee. Ortiz took this jersey off after the game and gave it to his friend seated in the stands at Fenway. We obtained this jersey from him who has written a LOA stating this."

http://www.greyflannel.com/sales_mai...?updateID=2923

i don't know if it comes with any evidence supporting this person's relationship to ortiz or the exchange of the jersey, beyond the person simply saying it happened. it's a nice story. maybe it's true, maybe it isn't. how would you know though? i can write an LOA stating anything. i really hope MEARS' A10 isn't solely based on this single story.

thoughts?

rudy.

[beantown]

I agree there are a lot of stories and who knows if this one involving "Big Papi" is true....however, if your going to spend $5k on a "Big Papi" jersey, just purchase one through Steiner...no questions on authenticity there....

[JETEFAN]

I agree there are a lot of stories and who knows if this one involving "Big Papi" is true....however, if your going to spend $5k on a "Big Papi" jersey, just purchase one through Steiner...no questions on authenticity there....

I have to disagree with you on this one, even some of Steiners stuff in the past have been questionable !!!!!!!

[beantown]

I have to disagree with you on this one, even some of Steiners stuff in the past have been questionable !!!!!!!

Really? I didn't know that...I thought if I were to go to this link...

http://redsox.auction.mlb.com/cgi-bi...aunbr=88106080

and purchase the jersey w/ the Steiner contract w/ the Red Sox, that I would have a 100% game used "Big Papi" jersey...can you tell me specifically the issues w/ Steiner?

[Vintagedeputy]

I cant speak for Red Sox items but I have seen at least one Steiner certified "Posada game used bat" that was most assuredly not used in a game by Posada.

[bigtruck260]

I don't believe 99% of dealers (even the good ones)...sorry. Stories are just that. There are instances where a dealer or card store owner has told me a line of obvious BS about an item, and I go by my own purchasing guidelines. A bad story does not always mean the item isn't legit (though it usally does unfortunately).

I bought an "early Wille McGee bat" recently on eBay that is a 50/50 shot of being authentic. I got a good deal, so I took a chance. I asked the seller about it, and he told me that he got it in trade from a Cards bat boy. The auction listing said NOTHING about this. I told our resident Birdbats expert...and we had a good chuckle. Sometimes the stories are hilarious.

But, a few times, they are just what the doctor ordered. I have some items in my collection that came from my Grandfather that make the items priceless. They are Indians pieces, and the only non-Cardinals items I own.

Dave

[Vintagedeputy]

You have to take some stories and really think, kind of like detective work. I've purchased obscure things that are area specific and found that the seller lives in that area. Not necessarily like the Pujols bat that Pujols allegedly gave to someone at his house, but each story is different.

[Vintagedeputy]

Here's an example of what I mean - I live in Richmond, Va. Former Phillies Whiz Kid Granny Hamner lived in Richmond.

I went to an estate sale held by the family of a guy that used to own his own construction company.

At the sale, they had a construction contract signed by Hamner and his wife from 1958 along with all of the cancelled checks that the contractor paid the sub-contractors, and a 1959 Topps card of Hamner. The land that the house was built on was a parcel in a then new subdivision a few miles away. More than likely, Hamner gave the guy a card when the house was finished in '59.

Something like that you can believe that the auto is real. You have to be the judge.

Jim

[Nathan]

I love absurd stories. One guy tried to sell me a signed bat from a Hall of Famer came from an encounter at an airport when he was picking up a relative. I looked at him and said "You chased an old man around an airport with a baseball bat and no one thought anything of it?"

It's just as well, as I don't do autographs for the most part and I don't do signed bats without there being a good reason.

[gameused]

lots of pieces in this hobby come with colorful stories of their source. i'm curious what the litmus test is for people to take a story seriously. do you guys only believe a story if there's tangible proof backing it up? do you believe a story if you know the person? do you believe any story?

i ran into this description pertaining to a david ortiz game-used jersey currently for sale on the GFC website:

"This jersey was worn by Big Papi on 10/21/07 when the Red Sox won the American League Pennant. On the left front tail is the “Majestic” manufacturers tag. Below is a strip tag with “34 54 07.” There is an autograph on back done in black marker with inscription “B.P. Game Use!” The B.P. stands for Big Papi. The signature rates an 8. Accompanied by a MEARS LOA grading an A10 and backed by our JSA guarantee. Ortiz took this jersey off after the game and gave it to his friend seated in the stands at Fenway. We obtained this jersey from him who has written a LOA stating this."

http://www.greyflannel.com/sales_mai...?updateID=2923

i don't know if it comes with any evidence supporting this person's relationship to ortiz or the exchange of the jersey, beyond the person simply saying it happened. it's a nice story. maybe it's true, maybe it isn't. how would you know though? i can write an LOA stating anything. i really hope MEARS' A10 isn't solely based on this single story.

thoughts?

rudy.

I can tell you for a fact that this statment is false "Ortiz took this jersey off after the game and gave it to his friend seated in the stands at Fenway."

David Ortiz started the celebration early by taking off his jersey and wearing goggles as the Red Sox took a big lead in the eighth inning.